What could be better than a cozy, comforting ramen bowl filled to the brim with whole grain noodles and the best of spring produce?
I’ve been all about the one-pot/one-pan, easy-cleanup meals around here lately. I mean, does anyone actually enjoy washing dishes? (Come on over anytime if you do. Anytime.)
To be honest, my mind is already on the weekend. We’re heading out to Moab for our first real camping trip of the year. So, needless to say, my brain is fully occupied by homemade granola, foil-pack campfire dinners, and all the s’mores.
In the days before travel, I like to keep meals (and resulting cleanups) as simple as possible. But, because I’m not always the greatest of planners, we usually have no less than a full week’s worth of fresh produce to eat up before we go. This veggie-packed asparagus chard ramen bowl is the best of both worlds.
This ramen bowl is more than just an easy way to clean out your fridge without overloading the dishwasher. It’s warm and cozy noodle-soup perfection. There’s no better meal to eat on a cool, spring night (when it doesn’t actually feel anything like spring).
It’s a celebration of all things green. (Asparagus, chard, avocado, and microgreens.) So even if you’ve got snow outside, you can still make it feel like spring on the inside. Think of it as a cozier, colder-weather version of the green udon noodle salad I shared last year.
This is the type of meal you can make over and over again, switching up the veggies depending on what’s in your kitchen at any given time. The ultimate clean-out-your-fridge recipe.
To cut back on dirty dishes, I added the dry noodles directly to the pot of simmering soup. If you want to make this recipe in advance, or if you plan on saving leftovers, you’re probably better off cooking the noodles separately, and then combining cooked noodles with the soup just before you sit down to eat. This’ll prevent them from getting too soggy when they’re reheated.
Has there ever been a more efficient (or delicious) way to conquer spring cleaning? I think not.
Cozy up to nourishing asparagus chard ramen bowls for spring. Make this plant-based dinner all in one pot!
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 heaping cup)
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed (397 grams)
- 2 cups chopped asparagus
- 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Salt and pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 80 grams dry brown rice ramen noodles (2 squares or servings)
- 1 cup chard, chopped (2-3 large leaves)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
- Avocado slices
- Crushed red pepper
- Sesame seeds (black and white)
- Microgreens (such as kale, broccoli, and kohlrabi)
- Add oil to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook 5 minutes, or until translucent. Stir in tofu, asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until tender.
Add broth and water, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir in noodles, chard, sesame oil, and vinegar. Cook 5 minutes, or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
Spoon about a tablespoon of soup liquid into a small bowl and whisk with miso paste. Pour the liquid back into the soup and stir until fully incorporated. Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado, crushed red pepper, sesame seeds, and microgreens if desired.
(Hover over the image below to save this recipe on Pinterest.)
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