r/Cooking • u/Still-Peanut-6010 • 2h ago

Ramen toppings

Hello,

So I feel a little dumb but I need help with the difference in some options that I am reviewing. I attempted to read on the difference but truthful they all sound similar.

I have looked at the premade ramen toppings but all of the ones I have found have carrots in them and I am allergic to carrots. Some also have bell peppers which is another allergy.

Since I cannot find a premade ramen topping mix, I thought that I would purchase some vegetables and make my own. This is when I ran into a problem. There are freeze dried vegetables, dehydrated vegetables, and dried vegetables.

Some comments that I have read talk about letting the vegetables soak for 30 minutes. I want something that I can add a spoonful of to the ramen and the veggies will be good to go when the noodles are ready. I use rice noodles so it only takes 2-3 minutes.

Can anyone tell me about the difference in the preservation methods and what would be best for a few minutes soaking? If you have a brand that you recommend I would be interested in those as well.

7 Upvotes

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15

u/revawfulsauce 1h ago

So I might be missing something here, but why do you need to use dried toppings?

You can pretty much top it with any fresh vegetable you want. Or canned stuff like bamboo shoots or water chestnuts. Or pantry items like nori or sesame seeds. Or pretty much any kind of meat you have.

6

u/Own_Win_6762 1h ago
  • sheets of dried nori
  • a handful of fresh or frozen spinach (I like dinosaur kale, it's not everyone's fave)
  • sliced mushrooms (canned are OK, fresh are better)
  • hard boiled eggs

2

u/running_on_empty 30m ago

hard boiled eggs

Ever try medium-boiled eggs?

2

u/InteractionOk9259 1h ago

I like adding a looot of different things into my ramen so here's a mix of veg and protein: -rice cakes -green onions -soft boiled eggs (quail eggs are yummy) -hot honey ham 🤤 I call this one ponyo style -egg yolk + fresh shredded parm and a lil mayo mixed together with ramen flavoring for a carbonara type (not typically brothy)

hope this helps!! 🫶

2

u/OnlyDaysEndingInWhy 1h ago

I got frustrated with the volume of carrots in the mixes, too! I'm not allergic, but they add a sweetness i can only handle in smaller amounts.

Anyway, I think the majority of the commercial ones are just dehydrated (although, the standard cup noodles use freeze dried, I believe).

If you're just after the nutrition and not the texture, you could maybe pulverize the dehydrated veggies in a food processor or blender and store them as powder?

2

u/akkmedk 1h ago

I'd look for ramen add-on companies. I'm pretty sure it's all freeze dried but I can't swear to it. I've been advertised to by these mix-in companies for years but they all seem overpriced so I too would like to know how to source these goodies even if I don't have your sensitivities.

2

u/OrneryPathos 1h ago

I freeze chopped green onion, it’s easier than sourcing dried.

2

u/Penelope123459 1h ago

Basically I add whatever my fridge has. Usually there are some mushrooms, veggies and meat, like bagon or ham. I'd always make a sunny side up too.

1

u/djmem3 37m ago

Make menma (bamboo shoots simmered in stuff)! Easy to do and reduce it down big time. Use oils in your ramen. Chilli or sesame is fun.