Your Mason Jars Are The Key To Simple Meal-Prepped Noodle Soup

Ramen is arguably one the easiest meals to prepare. But, what if someone told you it could be even easier?  As Miriam Hahn's recipe for meal prep-friendly ramen jars, it's possible as long as you have a Mason jar and a packet of noodles. Adding any of the sauce it may have come with to the bottom of a Mason jar, or discarding it completely and making your own, all you have to do is throw your choice of vegetables into the jar along with the noodles themselves before securing the lid and setting it in the fridge. Later on, just pull the jar out and add boiling water.

Poured over the nice layers of noodles, vegetables, and sauce you created before, all your Mason jar ramen needs is three to five minutes in the boiling water with the lid on. But, apart from being simple to prepare, what's amazing about Mason jar ramen — and all of the other foods you should be serving in Mason jars — is how customizable it is. Not a fan of red bell peppers? Grab yellow. Prefer tofu or pre-cooked chicken? Pork or edamame? Go ahead and grab either one, or do a combination of them all. 

From the toppings themselves to the sauce you use or make, the point is that these ramen bowls can be anything you want them to be. Just as long as you eat them within five days of prepping them and putting them in the fridge.

Mason jar ramen offers an opportunity for total personalization — from the sauce on the bottom to the boiling water poured on top, and all of the veggies and proteins in between. So, while you can make the prep easier for yourself by using any sauce packets or sachets that might've come with the ramen noodles you brought home from the store, making your own sauce from scratch only introduces more opportunity for personalization. For instance, Tasting Table's Miriam Hahn makes her sauce with a combination of miso paste, soy sauce, chili paste, hoisin sauce, garlic powder, and ginger powder. You're free to play with any combination of these ingredients, or substitute them with your own alternatives.

Coconut aminos and tamari sauce are both great options for gluten-free foodies, as are rice or soba noodles (just check the ingredients for the latter). You can also explore the idea of adding even more umami flavors with the addition of fish sauce or substituting the chili paste for something like gochujang. Mixed together and added to the bottom of your Mason jar prior to your veggies and noodles, whatever you add will eventually be diluted into the boiling water to create a tasty broth. However, as the final step, you can bring even more flavor to your Mason jar ramen by substituting the water for something like bone broth, which will also give them a boost of protein, veggie broth, or adding in a handful of dried mushrooms or kombu.