Keto Ramen (with shirataki noodles!)
Hearty, ultra flavorful and super duper warming, whipping up this paleo and keto ramen is simple enough to make it a stellar weeknight meal!
Time:
PREP TIME 10 mins
COOK TIME 20 mins
TOTAL TIME 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 2 packages shirataki noodles
- 1 lb boneless sirloin steak sliced into thin strips 2-3 inches wide, on the bias
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced or ran through a press
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons tamari or 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 6 cups beef bone broth chicken or pork work great too
- 1 oz shitake mushrooms or bean sprouts
Free Keto Meal Plan : KETO DIET PLAN FOR BEGINNERS STEP BY STEP GUIDE
To serve:
- 4 soft boiled eggs
- 3 scallions sliced (or parsley, if all else fails)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the shirataki noodles: I think best to follow manufacturer’s instructions (albeit rinse for a little longer until the konjac plant aroma goes away). So it’s easy peasy: drain the noodles, rinse well in cold water, place in boiling water for two minutes, then dry the noodles in a non-oiled pan over medium heat. Set aside.
- Prepare your meat: you can either do as I did and cook the thinly sliced strips of beef in the broth at the end, or melt a little butter in a skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium heat and cook the steak itself (or chicken breast) and slice after. Either work great, it’s your choice. Also if you’re using fresh mushrooms (rather than dried), go ahead and sautée them in the skillet after cooking your meat. Set aside while you prepare the broth.
- Make the ramen broth: heat up the sesame oil in a dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add in garlic, ginger and sautée briefly until it just starts to brown. Add in the tamari, vinegar and fish sauce and simmer for a minute or so. Add the broth and dried mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and feel free to add a little salt if need be (will depend on your broth itself!). If cooking your beef in the broth, you want to do so now: dip the thin strips in the broth until nice and brown. Remove and set aside.
- Assemble your ramen by adding in your shirataki noodles and simmer for a couple more minutes. Divide among four bowls, top with your beef, mushrooms (or fresh bean sprouts), soft boiled eggs and scallions. Enjoy right away!
Free Keto Meal Plan : KETO DIET PLAN FOR BEGINNERS STEP BY STEP GUIDE
NOTES
The Ramen Add-Ins
My one (vip!) top tip: find shirataki noodles you enjoy. I personally like this brand with added oat fiber) very much in Asian dishes. They’re muuuch better in my opinion to the original version: less chewy (hurray!) and no fishy smell (like whoaaa!). And browsing around amazon, they still seem to be consistently the highest rated brand of them all… and they’re organic. But if you’ve tried something better (pretty please!) always feel free to chime in.
While I have a real penchant for beef ramen, you can easily interchange it with chicken and even pork. Still, let’s go through the staples:
- a good bone broth: while I like to whip up my own (when I have time…!), I personally think the best store bought version out there is from Bonafide Provisions. You see, it’s legit frozen and gelatinous broth… because let’s face it, the versions you find in a carton aren’t really the real deal (slightly controversial opinion perhaps, but true nonetheless).
- flavorful meat: while I went here for thin strips of beef (cooked in the broth itself), you can also go for chicken breasts or pork.
- veggies: while I generally adore throwing in some shitake mushrooms with scallions, I sadly couldn’t get a hold of either (winter in Montana, alas!). So while I’ll more than gladly update this post with various versions in the future, I want to prove my point that ramen is so versatile that you really can use what’s in store or in your fridge (i.e. I went for some sprouts…. and parsley, don’t @ me lol!).
- for flavor: the few things that I’ll say are kind of non negotiable are fresh ginger, sesame oil (a toasted version if you can find it is even better), fish sauce*, and soy sauce (coconut aminos** or tamari if gluten free).
*I know, I know. Fish sauce literally smells like fertilizer, but it’s also utterly delicious in not just asian dishes… but to give insane umami to even the most unexpected dishes, say bolognese (seriously, don’t knock it till you try it!).
**If using coconut aminos pretty please use half the amount as its muuuch saltier.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 415mg | Sodium: 840mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 8.6mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 3mg