Spicy Sweet Potato Ramen
When I told Nick we were having Ramen for dinner, he legitimately thought we were eating the favorite 3-minute meal of every college kid. Boy was he surprised by this delicious, spicy, hearty dish. An instant favorite!
INGREDIENTS
4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
3 small shallots, thinly sliced into rounds
2 Tbsp sesame or extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces wild mushrooms, torn
1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1-2 Tbsp Gochujang (korean chili paste), using more or less to taste
2 small sweet potato sliced into 1/4 inch rounds or half moons
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 squares ramen noodles
4 cups shredded Tuscan kale
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4-6 soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving
Toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions
DIRECTIONS
Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
To the pot, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pot to the paper towel lined plate. The shallots will crisp as they dry.
If there's a lot of bacon grease left in the pot, drain it off. Set the pot over high heat, add the sesame oil and mushrooms, and cook until caramelized, about 3-5 minutes. Add the ginger and cook another minute. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Gochujang. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken and sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain.
When the soup is done, shred the chicken using 2 forks. Stir in the kale and cilantro, cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To serve, divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the soup overtop. Top with eggs, shallots, bacon, green onions, and sesame seeds.