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  • Ramen Noodle Soup

    Japanese Ramen Noodle Soup

    Originally a Chinese invention, ramen noodle soup was brought to Japan and became so popular that, by now, it is considered the part and parcel of Japanese signature. From there, ramen shops started to appear all over the world in the late 20th century. In America, ramen became popular in 1980s and soon captured the attention of foodies.  The 1980s even saw the advent of Japanese "ramen tours" in which hungry American travelers go to Japan just to enjoy ramen. That kind of tour is still popular today. Though counted as fast food, ramen has avoided much of the stigma associated with hamburger, French fries and other iconic fast food icons. As ramen shop took roots, so did instant ramen noodle soup. Marketed as healthy food to busy families that have little to cook, it is seen as a great choice to accompany the quick pace of modern life. But the cooked-ramen noodle soup is of course more nutritious and delicious than mass produced products, so why not give it a try? Also, infusing ramen with some magnificent black garlic olive oil will surely improve the appeal of both.

    Ingredients:

    700ml chicken stock

    3 cloves of black garlic

    4 tablespoons soy sauce, plus extra to season

    Small pieces of ginger

    ½ tablespoon Chinese five spice

    1 tablespoon white sugar (optional)

    375g ramen noodles

    400g sliced cooked pork or chicken breast

    2 tablespoon Ilias and Sons Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    100g baby spinach

    4 tablespoons sweetcorn

    4 boiled eggs (ideally farm eggs), peeled and halved

    1 sheet dried seaweed, finely shredded

    Sliced green spring onions

    Sprinkle of sesame seeds

    4 Teaspoons Ilias and Sons Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil infused with Black Garlic

    Directions:
    1. Mix the chicken stock, black garlic cloves, soy sauce, ginger, Chinese five spice, and 300ml water in a stockpot or large saucepan. Cook until the stock boils, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. You can add white sugar or more soy sauce to the stock adjust the flavor to your liking.
    1. Cook the ramen noodles with boiling water until tender, then drain thoroughly and rinse under warm water to prevent sticking.
    1. Slice the cooked pork or chicken and fry in Black Garlic Olive Oil until just turning brown.
    1. Separate the noodles into four bowls. Garnish each with a quarter of the meat, spinach, sweetcorn and two boiled egg halves.
    1. Boil the stock again. Divide it between the bowls, then sprinkle over each bowl with shredded nori sheets, sliced spring onions and some sesame seeds. Wilted spinach will improve the taste.
    1. Finish with drizzling a teaspoon of Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil Infused with Black Garlic in each bowl.