The Frozen Addition You Need For Bulked Up Instant Ramen

On late nights, busy nights, or really any nights, instant ramen is the pantry staple foodies know they can turn to for a meal that's affordable, convenient, tasty, and — with a little help from one extra frozen ingredient — filling. To take your instant ramen to the next level, load it up with frozen vegetables.

For one-step inclusion, simply open your bag of frozen vegetables and dump them directly into the boiling broth. That's it. Zero prep work necessary. Your veggies might take a little longer to cook than the ramen noodles, so give them a head start on boiling before adding the noodles. You could bulk up your veggie ramen even further by incorporating cubed tofu, a jammy soy sauce egg, or a slab of fried spam. Alternatively, keep with the frozen food theme and go for potstickers or soup dumplings from the freezer aisle. For an ultra-impressive upgrade with homemade flavor, saute some fresh minced garlic and sliced onions in the bottom of the saucepan before building the ramen directly on top.

This spruced-up instant ramen is extra convenient, thanks to the long shelf life of both the frozen veggies and the noodle packs. Everything you need can be kept on-hand in the freezer and pantry until the moment strikes. You could even pack vegetable ramen in a thermos for a warm lunch at school or work.

Classic Nissin is our favorite brand of instant ramen, but the mildness of frozen veggies could pair especially well in bold, spicy ramen. We think Buldak Chicken 2x Spicy Noodles could be the spiciest brand on the market (in fact, Buldak got recalled in Denmark for being too hot to handle).

As for the add-ins, bagged frozen veggies are pretty much always better than boxed. However, steer clear of ultra-soft varieties like spinach, which could lose structural integrity and turn to mush in the hot broth. Tougher options like corn, cauliflower, edamame, and sugar snap peas are always a solid bet. To have more variety, you could opt for a stir-fry inspired product, like Whole Foods' 365 Stir Fry Blend, which includes broccoli florets, matchstick carrots, green beans, red bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

Alternatively, if you aren't in the mood for a steaming soup, you could turn your instant ramen and frozen vegetables into a flavorful stir-fry. To do it, boil your noodles on the stove until nearly cooked, while sauteeing your frozen veggies in oil in a separate wok or skillet. Then, drain and add the nearly-cooked noodles to the pan, coat the whole mixture in a flavorful stir-fry sauce of your choice, and cook together for another few minutes to combine. Some frozen vegetable products, like Birds Eye sweet and sour stir fry veggies, even include a sauce packet for effortless seasoning.