Sesame Ramen Noodles with Ginger & Chicken by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

      

June 16, 2023

This is a pretty quick & tasty supper (or lunch!) using the NON-INSTANT version of ramen noodles. (I used a brand we have at Foodie’s store called ‘Oceans Halo’) It comes together in one pot using ground chicken, minced onions, celery, bok choy and diced cucumbers…because I had them and because cooked cucumbers have a very interesting texture. Feel free to use any vegetable or green that you think would work in this dish.

  • Prep: 50 mins
  • Cook: 50 mins
  • Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

½ cup finely diced sweet or Spanish onion

¼ cup thinly sliced celery (1-1 ½ stalks, depending on size)

2 small heads of baby bok choy, leaves separated, washed and sliced thinly across the leaf

½ medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into ¼ inch pieces

2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled, sliced and minced finely

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced

3 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

12 ounces ground chicken

kosher salt

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ box ‘Oceans Halo” or other brand of organic ramen noodles (4.2 ounces)

6-8 tablespoons (a scant ½ cup) prepared sesame dressing (I used ‘Cindy’s’ Almond Sesame Dressing)

juice of ½ fresh lime

2 ½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce

2 scallions, washed, dried and thinly sliced and divided in half

optional: 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Have all your ‘mise-en-place’ prepared; that is your onions, celery, bok choy, cucumbers, ginger and garlic.

Add 3 tablespoons of canola or other neutral oil to a large sauté pan or casserole pot and heat over medium heat. Don’t let it get too hot or start to smoke. Add the onions and celery with a tiny pinch of salt to the pan and cook until softened. Stir often. Add the prepared bok choy, cucumber, ginger and garlic and cook and stir until softened. Add the ground chicken to the pot along with 1-2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil. Stir and ‘chop’ the ground chicken with a spoon to break up into small pieces. When the chicken is cooked through, add 1 tablespoon (or more to taste) of soy sauce and mix well to combine. Set aside. Keep warm.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt and add the dried ramen noodles. Stir and stir often. When cooked drain and rinse under tepid water and shake off excess water in a strainer or colander. Add the cooked noodles to a bowl and coat with ¼ cup of the prepared salad dressing.

Toss to combine. Taste. Add more dressing to your taste. Add a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds and half of the prepared scallions and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings. I added a few ‘squirts’ of lime juice at this stage. Toss the shredded iceberg lettuce in another bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons of prepared dressing.

To serve:

Divide the sauteed chicken and vegetables among 4 warmed bowls. Divide the noodles among the 4 bowls. Top each bowl of chicken and noodles with the shredded lettuce that has been dressed with sesame dressing. Add the rest of the scallions on top of each bowl for garnish. Sprinkle each bowl with a few more toasted sesame seeds and serve with extra dressing on the side.

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