Ramen with Caramelized Peppers and Onions and Poached Eggs

 

Aww, yes. Top Ramen. Now, I understand that I said in my initial post that I began cooking in order to stray away from these easy 'junk' foods, but this is not your college student's quick fix during study time. First of all, throw away that flavor packet. I know, the salty MSG-laden broth it creates can be a tempting offer, but I prefer to use canned or boxed broth (or home made if you got the time). So, really, I like using only the noodles and creating my own quick version of ramen.

It is imperative to get all your ingredients ready before you begin the cooking process. This recipe goes pretty quickly so cutting an onion while your eggs poach will most likely result in over cooked yolks, and what exactly is the point in a poached egg if the yolk isn't runny? Right, might as well fry em'. 

Caramelizing the peppers and onions takes little bit of time and care, so heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and add your peppers and onions. All I had in the fridge today was a green bell pepper, but a red or yellow pepper would be awesome too. I like to use sriracha for spice, but if you're bold you can use serrano or jalapeno peppers to kick it up a bit.

*When cutting bell peppers, slice from the top to bottom at an angle, being careful to just remove the flesh and leaving the bitter membrane and seeds intact. This saves clean up time and ensures there are no pesky seeds in your dish.

Get the broth in the pan you will be using to cook the noodles and eggs. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce and sriracha, or more if want it saltier and/or spicier.

Once the broth is boiling and you have added the noodles, your peppers and onions should be good and caramelized. Turn the pan to low and add the sliced garlic, salt and pepper.
*If you add the garlic too early, it can burn and become bitter.

Place the noodles in a bowl and get ready to poach the eggs.

I cracked my eggs into a spouted liquid measuring cup so not to break the yolks, and to make it easier to add to the broth. Turn down the heat to medium-high so the eggs don't cook too quickly or have the whites bubble up and detach from the yolk.

Once the eggs are done, add the peppers, onions and garlic to the noodles and carefully spoon the eggs on top.

I top with some more sriracha and sliced scallions, but you could add cilantro, chopped nuts, toasted sesame seeds, grilled meat, a shoe... really that's up to you! Enjoy!

Ramen with Caramelized Peppers and Onions and Poached Eggs

1 package ramen noodles

1/4 bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 a small yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

2 eggs

1 can chicken broth

1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

1-2 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce

1/8 cup sliced scallions

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, onions and bell pepper. Stir to coat with oil, then leave so that the edges get browned.

2. In a separate pan add the chicken broth, soy sauce, and sriracha and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for no more than 1 minute (unless you like mushy noodles). Remove noodles and place in a bowl.

3. Crack eggs into a liquid measuring cup or other vessel, making sure to not break the yolks or have any pesky shell fragments. Turn down broth to medium high and add eggs, using a slotted spoon to keep them from sticking to the bottom and to keep the whites and yolks from breaking away from each other too much.

4. Meanwhile, turn the onions and peppers to low, add the garlic, salt and pepper, stir together and cook about 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add to the noodles in the bowl.

5. Carefully remove eggs from broth and place on top of noodles and veggies in the bowl. Pour the broth into the bowl along the side of the eggs. Top with the scallions and more soy sauce and/or sriracha if desired. Dig in!