My husband and I loved ordering Kimchee Ramen at a fantastic Korean restaurant we used to frequent. We don't "frequent" many hot spots these days, as these days we just try to maintain our sanity, and hope to make it to the sofa intact, after getting the boys to bed.
Kimchee is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchee, each made with a main vegetable such as napa cabbage, radish, green onion or cucumber.
This is my rendition of our restaurant's super comforting, spicy, noodle soup. We love it spicy, but I used a mild kimchee so my kiddos would at least try it. It's quite simple to make (since I leave the kimchee to the experts and buy it at one of my favorite Asian markets). The egg is a wonderful addition and takes on the other flavors in the soup — and of course it adds a full serving of protein!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry buckwheat Soba noodles
- 2 cups mild Kimchee
- 4 to 6 eggs
- Togarashi
Preparation
Serves 4 to 6
Cook the soba in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Then put it back into the pot and add 1 1/2 cups water and the Kimchee. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Carefully crack the eggs into the pot and let them poach. Spoon a bit of the hot liquid over each egg from time to time. The eggs should be cooked within about 5 minutes.
Season with Togarashi for a little more heat. (Togarashi is the Japanese word for red chili peppers and also a more general name for a group of condiments that blend chili pepper with other ingredients.)
