Toss Frozen Dumplings Into Your Boiling Ramen For An Easy, Hearty Meal

Instant ramen is in a food group all its own — great for a snack or quick meal when you're short on time — but add some frozen dumplings to the mix and your ramen transforms into a hearty noodle soup that will leave you more than satiated. What you will love about this hack is you not only get the soft pillowy bite of a steamed dumpling, but the dough-wrapped filling has time to soak up some of the savory broth from your ramen, adding even more flavor. So, how do you accomplish this task?

There are a couple of options. One is to place some water in a pot on the stove, making certain the opening of the pot can support two chopsticks placed across it, close enough together to support your frozen dumplings. Then rest your dumplings on the chopsticks, and cover with the pot's lid. Once your dumplings have steamed add your ramen and seasoning packet to the boiling water and let them cook for a few minutes. When your noodles are done, either place the dumplings in the soup or serve them on the side. If you prefer your dumplings to be richer in taste, you can place them directly in the pot of water with the noodles for a couple of minutes and they will cook right alongside your noodles. Simply pick whichever dumplings you like best, whether that's veggie, shrimp, pork, or chicken.

This one-pot magic tastes amazing and is convenient and quick to make, but the addition of the dumplings is only half the equation. If you have a little extra time on your hands and want to really turn your ramen and dumplings into a culinary masterpiece, add soy sauce, grated ginger, and garlic to the broth. Both your noodles and dumplings will absorb all those flavors, creating a lovely umami hit for your taste buds. However, if you are craving something a little on the spicy side, break out a jar of sliced, pickled jalapenos and pour a little of the juice into the broth to kick it up a notch. 

You can really play with the flavor so don't be afraid to add a few drops of store-bought or homemade sriracha, some leftover peanut sauce that you might have used for a pad thai, or even some cooked meat, zingy lime zest, and sesame seeds. One pro tip to keep in mind when making your ramen and dumplings is to use a little more water than you would if you were not making the dumplings. This will allow ingredients to cook evenly if you are boiling the dumplings from their frozen state, but it also provides extra water for steam when you steam them as well.