For More Flavorful Instant Ramen, Slice Up A Lemon

Instant ramen saves you time and money, and it can taste amazing, which makes it a solid choice for a quick and easy meal. One of the biggest drawbacks is that it can get boring if you simply prepare it according to the instructions. Restaurant ramen is full of fresh ingredients that add flavor, texture, spice, and visual excitement, but a little packet of pre-mixed and dried seasoning only goes so far. Luckily, a simple trick for boosting your own instant ramen only requires a lemon.

Like ramen, lemon is versatile and pairs with many flavors, including seafood, vegetables, and chicken, which are all common soup bases. Because ramen is typically salty and fat-forward, the brightness and acidity of a sliced lemon cuts through those flavors with a sharp contrast that balances the whole dish. It will taste and feel lighter, too. Of course, you could just add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to your noodles, but that's not the only way to brighten the dish with lemons.

One of the best methods is to add extremely thin slices right into the broth. Not only do these look beautiful, but slicing them thin ensures that you can control the amount of lemon so it won't overpower the dish. Wash the outside of the lemon since you'll keep the rind on, then slice it with a very sharp knife or mandolin. You can circle the whole bowl with slices, or you can start with a couple of slices and adjust to your taste.

Once we start upgrading instant ramen, there's no reason to stop at lemon alone. Lemon chicken is a classic dish, and you can make a creamy lemon chicken ramen by using pre-cooked chicken breast. This is a good way to make use of leftovers from a rotisserie chicken. The creaminess can be achieved by adding some cream, coconut milk, or grated Parmesan to the soup, and the lemon slices will add a bright contrast to the rich and creamy broth. A few simple seasoning additions like garlic, chili flakes, sesame seeds, paprika, or pepper would complement the zesty lemon flavor. In fact, lemon works well with most common instant ramen upgrades: If you want to add a squirt of sriracha, some fresh diced scallions, or even some mushrooms to bring in more umami, these all marry well with lemon.

Lemon has long been paired with seafood to create a tastier, more balanced bite. If you're using a seafood-based ramen, you can add fish balls, shrimp, bonito flakes, or even some chunks of canned tuna. If you're making a vegetarian ramen, some enoki mushrooms, bok choy, and green onion would all be enhanced by the citrus zing of lemon while adding their own depth and nuance. Umami from the mushrooms, subtle bitterness and earthiness from the bok choy, and the bright, vegetal bite of green onion make for a complete and well-rounded bowl of noodles. Of course, there are endless ways to upgrade your ramen if you want some more ideas.