How to make a tasty dinner from instant noodles

Felicity Cloake’s noodles with soy-sauce eggs and quick-pickled vegetables.

Cheap, filling and easy to prepare, instant noodles are the archetypal British student food, but in Asia they’re rightly acknowledged as the storecupboard stars they truly are: the perfect base for a quick and tasty dinner. Available in a dizzying array of flavours, from tom yum to tonkotsu ramen, they are easily upgraded with the options below for (almost) instant satisfaction.

Prep 15 min
Marinate 1 hr
Cook 10 min
Serves 1

1 packet instant noodles
100g meat, fish, seafood or tofu (or leftover cooked meat)
1 spring onion
1 tbsp roasted peanuts or 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 small handful coriander leaves, chopped

For the soy-sauce eggs
1 egg per person
100ml soy sauce
1½ tsp caster sugar

For the quick-pickled vegetables
50g carrot, cucumber or cauliflower
60ml rice vinegar
1 tsp flaky salt
½ tbsp sugar

For the chilli sauce
2 small red chillies
1 garlic clove
½ tbsp caster sugar
1½ tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar

Optional flavour enhancers (see step 6)
1 thick slice peeled root ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and squashed
1 star anise

Related: Masterclass: chow mein recipe | Felicity Cloake

1 Choose the noodles

Unsurprisingly, the best range of instant noodles is found in Asian supermarkets. And in my experience, the nicest tend to contain not just a solitary packet of seasoning for the broth, but extra sachets of sauce, oil, pickled veg and, occasionally, even dried meat or tofu. That said, it’s often more fun to upgrade them yourself, tailoring the toppings to your own taste.

Look for packets of dried noodles with extra sachets of sauce, oil, pickled vegetables and even dried meat or tofu

2 Egg: yes or no?

Eggs are another handy thing to keep in the student kitchen, not least for those mornings after the night before. But they also make a great, protein-rich addition to any bowl of noodles. You can stick with basic fried, which always hits the spot, but if you have time, soy-marinated eggs are worth the (minimal) effort involved.

3 Make the eggs

Put the eggs in a pan of simmering water (I always make extra, because they keep for a couple of days in the fridge). Cook for seven minutes, then rinse under cold water to stop them cooking any further. Peel once cool. Mix the soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl, pop in the peeled eggs and leave to soak for at least an hour, turning occasionally.

Make simple soy-sauce eggs by soaking peeled boiled eggs in a mixture of soy and sugar for an hour

4 Pickle time

Asian food shops also stock a range of pickled and fermented vegetables (Korean kimchi is increasingly easy to find elsewhere). But you can make a quick version yourself by chopping vegetables into matchsticks and tossing them in vinegar seasoned with salt and sugar. They’re ready to eat at once, but will also keep in the fridge for a few days.

Make quick pickled vegetables using carrot, cauliflower or cucumber

5 Chilli sauce: homemade or bought in?

To make your own chilli sauce, should you so desire, mash the chilli, garlic and sugar to a paste in a mortar – or use a hand blender to whizz them to a puree. Stir in the other ingredients, then taste, adding more sugar, vinegar or soy if you think it needs it. Alternatively, just use your favourite brand instead.

Make your own chilli sauce by pounding chilli, garlic and sugar in a mortar

6 Make the broth, then tweak to taste

Make the broth according to the instructions, then taste. Most are delicious, but if yours seems underwhelming, put it in a pan with a little more water and any or all flavour enhancers at the bottom of the ingredients list. Simmer gently for five minutes, strain and taste again. A spoonful of miso paste, and a dash of fish sauce, lime juice or chilli sauce at the end, are good, too.

Give the packet broth extra punch by adding flavourings in the form of garlic, ginger and star anise

7 Cook the noodles

Once you’re happy with your broth, cook the noodles in it as the packet suggests. At the same time, you might want to add a few very thin slices of steak, fish, seafood or tofu. Alternatively, arrange leftover cooked meat on top just before serving – or, for a Hong Kong feel, fry a slice of spam in a little vegetable oil until golden brown instead.

Cook the noodles in the hot broth, together with any meat, fish or vegetables that take your fancy

8 Poach the vegetables

Noodles are a good home for any odds and ends of veg you have hanging around, too: stir a handful of baby leaves, courgette ribbons or tiny cauliflower or broccoli florets into the hot broth to wilt. Or add raw grated carrot, thinly sliced pepper or radish to the finished bowl for extra crunch. Cooked frozen peas and beans also work well.

To assemble, ladle the noodles and broth into bowls and top with a halved egg, spring onions, chilli and pickle

9 Ladle into bowls, and get stuck in

To finish, cut the eggs in half lengthways and arrange on top of the noodles and broth with any meat, fish, tofu or veg you’ve added. Slice the spring onion (both white and green parts) on a diagonal, and roughly chop the peanuts, if using. Use to garnish the noodles, and add a handful of chopped coriander. Serve with chilli sauce on the side.