These healthy homemade instant noodles are an easy and delicious vegetarian lunch idea! Prep them in mason jars then just add water!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Miso paste – add in some extra soy sauce if you don’t have any miso paste.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best soy sauce substitutes.
- Chili garlic sauce – sriracha, Sambal Oelek or chili paste would all help add some spice.
- Shelled edamame – snap peas, green peas or fava beans would be good too.
- Carrot – try adding in some shredded cucumber or slices of celery instead.
- Red pepper – use any colour bell pepper of your choice.
- Red cabbage – napa cabbage or bok choy would also be yummy in these noodles.
- Green onions – scallions, diced red or white onion can be used instead.
- Cilantro – or another fresh herb like parsley or Thai basil.
- Vegetable bouillon cubes – chicken bouillon cubes would also work here.
- Ramen noodles – use an instant ramen pack from popular brands like Nissin Cup Noodles, Sapporo Ichiban or Nongshim Shin Ramyun. For even more flavor, try Tingly Chili Wavy Noodles.
How to make instant noodles
Step 1: Add seasonings and veggies to a mason jar.
Add miso paste, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce to the bottom of each mason jar, then add some edamame and divide the veggies evenly.
Step 2: Top with noodles.
Top with 1/2 a bouillon cube, then half of each ramen noodle packet.
Step 3: Add boiling water.
Store in the fridge up to 6 days. When ready to serve, add hot water overtop, filling almost to the top of the jar and let sit for 5 minutes until it has a soup consistency and the bouillon cube has turned into broth.
Step 4: Dump into a bowl and dig in!
Stir and toss everything together, then pour your ramen soup into a bowl and serve. If you'd like them a little hotter, microwave for 1-2 minutes after pouring in boiling water.
More flavour options
Ramen is a staple for college students, but with a few extra additions, you can make into a full delicious meal! Looking for more variations for your instant ramen noodles? You can mix and match with different seasonings and add-ins until you find a specific flavor combination you love. Here are some more ideas:
- Seasonings: Fresh garlic, minced ginger, sriracha, hoisin sauce or even a dash of teriyaki
- Veggies: Baby corn, snow peas, spinach, mushrooms (like button or shiitake mushrooms), broccoli florets, bok choy, sliced water chestnuts
- Protein: Shredded chicken, shrimp, extra-firm tofu, beef
- Toppings: Hard or soft-boiled egg, sesame seeds, lime or lemon wedge
Frequently Asked Questions
These instant noodles are a healthier version of your favourite ramen – and they taste so much better! They're an easy at-home snack or flavorful lunch you can quickly make without having to use the stovetop. Since you’re using fresh veggies and seasonings in place of the unhealthy seasoning packet that usually comes with ramen noodles, you’re also cutting down significantly on the amount of salt and preservatives.
These instant noodles can be made as spicy or as mild as you like. Just adjust the amount of chili garlic sauce depending on your spice comfort level. If you love spice, you can even add in some sriracha!
This instant noodles recipe has 354 calories per serving. The specific nutrient and calorie information will vary based on the kind of noodles you're using and the add-ins. To cut down on the calorie count, try using whole wheat or brown rice ramen noodles.
Storing and reheating
These instant noodles are perfect for meal prep. Assemble your mason jars ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 6 days. When you’re ready to enjoy, all you have to do is pull the jar out of the fridge, add in the boiling water, let it sit then dig in!
Freezing this recipe
If you want to freeze these instant noodles, I’d recommend freezing them along with the water. Make the noodles as you normally would by adding in the boiling water and letting the noodles sit. Once the noodles have cooled, pop the mason jar in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat your instant noodles, you can reheat the mason jar right from frozen for 6 to 7 minutes in the microwave, or let the noodles defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating for 2 to 3 minutes.
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- These are the mason jars I use.
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The Best DIY Instant Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp miso paste
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 cups shelled edamame
- 1 carrot shredded
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or other fresh herbs of choice
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes cut in half
- 2 (85 g) packages ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp each miso paste and soy sauce along with 1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce to the bottom of each 1 L mason jar, then add 1/2 cup edamame to each jar and divide veggies evenly among jars.
- Top with 1/2 a bouillon cube, then half of each ramen noodle packet.
- Store in the fridge up to 6 days. When ready to serve, add boiling water overtop, filling almost to the top of the jar and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir everything together, then pour into a bowl and serve and enjoy. If you'd like them a little hotter, microwave for 1-2 minutes after pouring in boiling water.
Comments & Reviews
Dene Payan says
I saw that it says 1 L mason jar, I was wondering if you know what the size of the jar was? I wanted to order some from Amazon. I see they have mason jars up to 1 gallon size and I am assuming it was not that size, LOL
Taylor Stinson says
It’s a 1 Litre jar, hope that helps!
Bobbie says
Omg i just loved this! This introduced me to new products to eat and flavor with. Showed this to the guys at work and they are jealous haha
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed and thanks for spreading the word 😀
Heather says
This was very tasty! I didn’t use the mason jars. I made it in a pot. Only used half the soy sauce and 7 cups of water. Everything else I did as the recipe says and I would make it again.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed!
Kristen says
These are fantastic! The broth is so simple and yet so delicious. And the serving size keeps me perfectly satiated, which frankly never happens with soup. This will definitely stay in the repertoire!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you love them!
Kelly Root says
Oh my gosh!! So good!!
Ann says
If I’m not using a mason jar, about how much boiling water do you think it is? 2 cups? Thanks:)
Taylor Stinson says
Yes I would say 2 cups is about right! Maybe start at 1.5 cups and then you can add from there.
Cynthia Mininni says
I cannot express in words just how delicious this is!!! I don’t like fresh cilantro so I used about 1/2 TBSP of the squeeze tube cilantro (in each jar) instead, along with 1/2 TBSP of the squeeze tube Thai seasoning in each jar as well. I also used granulated chicken broth instead of cube so it would dissolve faster/easier. The flavor of the broth is so balanced and touches all the senses on my tongue perfectly (I was worried it would be too hot due to the chili garlic sauce, but it wasn’t. It was just enough to wake up my mouth). I don’t know if its just the amount of veggies, &/or how small they’re cut up, but the noodle:veggie ratio was spot on too! This will forever be in my regular rotation. I’m glad I made all 4 jars because I’m eating this everyday until they’re gone. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you loved it as much I know the rest of the community does! This is one of the oldest recipes on my site so I’m happy to see it’s still being discovered and loved by everyone! Thank you for sharing and love the upgrades you made!
Norma says
What size are the mason jars?
Taylor Stinson says
It says in the recipe card that they are 1 L jars.
Michelle says
If the Mason jar was taken straight from the refrigerator and still very cold it could explode when boiling water is poured in. After removing from the refrigerator, run the jar under a little lukewarm water in the sink to bring the jar up to room temperature. @Bridgett
Debby says
I was going to suggest the same. Do not pour hot water into a mason jar that just came out of the fridge. It will crack or explode.
Bridgett says
My mason jar exploded when I poured in the boiling water!
Taylor Stinson says
If you are not using a proper mason jar there is the chance it could shatter/crack (not explode). Mason jars are used in canning and are designed to be used in extreme temperatures, in fact they are often submerged right in boiling water. I have been making these for over 10 years using proper mason jars (which I’ve linked to in the post) without incident and would never recommend doing something that is unsafe on my blog.
Theresa says
Prepped these DIY Ramen Noodles this week (thanks Dinner Prep Pro) and they are SO good. We will be keeping this in our rotation for sure.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you Theresa! 🙂