This post for Fideo Ramen is going to be Quick and Easy just like today’s prompt. When I read this prompt the first thing I thought of was ramen. Unfortunately, the ramen I make includes homemade broth, and isn’t quick in anyway. Then I remembered when (years ago) my favorite quick and easy meal was my friend Crystal’s fideo. It was a creamy, tomatoey, Mexicany pasta dish that was super comforting, and took no time to make.
That’s when it occurred to me that fideo and ramen should be together. This Fideo Ramen is that perfect melding of the two quick and easy meals.
The fideo broth comes together very quickly before getting treated like a bowl of ramen. I used actual ramen noodles for the pasta, and the whole thing is topped with fideo friendly ingredients like chorizo seitan, scallions and cilantro. It’s a really delicious meal for when you don’t have a lot of time.
So there you have it – a quick and easy post for a quick and easy meal.
Fideo Ramen – Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 8 ounces chorizo seitan (I used Upton’s Naturals)
- 1 small onion, small diced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable or no-chicken broth
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 7 ounces ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 2 whole scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, small diced
- 1 lime, quartered
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the seitan and cook, stirring often, until it’s evenly browned and heated through. Transfer the cooked seitan to another dish for later.
2. Add the remaining oil to the dutch oven. Once the oil is heated, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato sauce, broth, cumin and garlic powder to the onions, and bring the mixture to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid to keep it from evaporating too much.
3. While the broth simmers cook your noodles according to the package directions. Once the noodles are done, evenly divide them between four bowls.
4. Taste the broth for salt, and add more if needed. Carefully ladle all of the broth between the bowls of noodles. Add the toppings by evenly distributing the seitan, cilantro, scallions, avocado and lime wedges between the four bowls. Serve immediately.
