Hot and Sour Ramen with Tofu, Shiitakes, and Spinach
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 25, 2009
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
MAKE THE MINUTES COUNT: While the tofu browns, slice the shiitakes. While the shiitakes brown, prep the garlic and ginger.
If you like your food spicy, add more chili sauce. The sauce will seem a bit brothy when finished, but it will be quickly absorbed by the noodles when serving. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
Instructions
- Pat tofu dry with paper towels and toss with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Lightly brown tofu on several sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer tofu to clean bowl.
- Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in chili sauce, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in broth. Break bricks of ramen into small hunks and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook, tossing ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still liquid in pan, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Stir in spinach, one handful at a time, until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened. Stir in tofu and serve.
sauté tofu
sauté mushrooms and aromatics
simmer ramen
thicken sauce and finish
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
To use instant ramen noodles to develop a quick and complete meal, we ditched the flavor packets accompanying the noodles, simmering them instead in chicken broth enriched with sautéed garlic and ginger, Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar (to balance the chili heat). We decided to sauté the tofu and mushrooms in individual batches in a large nonstick skillet that we could use afterward to prepare the broth in. This way, the fond, or flavorful bits left behind by the tofu and mushrooms, would be absorbed by the broth. Shiitake mushrooms seemed a fitting choice for our dish; when sliced thin, they sautéed well and browned deeply, lending satisfying savor to the quick broth.
Before You Begin
MAKE THE MINUTES COUNT: While the tofu browns, slice the shiitakes. While the shiitakes brown, prep the garlic and ginger.
If you like your food spicy, add more chili sauce. The sauce will seem a bit brothy when finished, but it will be quickly absorbed by the noodles when serving. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
Instructions
- Pat tofu dry with paper towels and toss with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Lightly brown tofu on several sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer tofu to clean bowl.
- Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in chili sauce, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in broth. Break bricks of ramen into small hunks and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook, tossing ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still liquid in pan, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Stir in spinach, one handful at a time, until spinach is wilted and sauce is thickened. Stir in tofu and serve.
sauté tofu
sauté mushrooms and aromatics
simmer ramen
thicken sauce and finish
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