Noodle Jars – An Easy Way to Spice Up Instant Noodles

Picture this: it’s lunchtime after a jam-packed morning of hard work. Your tummy starts rumbling and you know you’re about 10 mins away from being the most difficult person on the planet… unless the hunger is subsided by a delicious lunch. You start to tear open the cupboards in a frenzy, looking for anything that’ll satisfy your appetite. Just before you begin to rummage through the bin, you spot a sad, lonely instant noodle packet, at the bottom of a cupboard. Instant noodles are great and all… but they’re just not going to cut it today. Well fear not lunch seeker, I have the perfect remedy for you.

Now this meal has no set recipe per se, it’s more whatever you have handy in the fridge to make this meal delicious. But I can show you how I created my one and what I added to it.

Makes: 1x portion

Ingredients:

• 1x Instant noodle packet,
• 1/2 a carrot,
• 1/2 a red onion,
• 1x cabbage leaf,
• 1x handful of spinach,
• 1x spring onion,
• 1/2 red chilli,
• 1x egg,
• Soy sauce.

Method:

1. The first thing you are going to want to do is make your soy stained eggs. To start, boil your eggs to you preferred hardness. That is roughly: 6-7mins for soft, 7-8mins for waxy and 9-10mins for hard-boiled. Once your eggs are cooked, run them under cold water until they are cooled and peel. Next, take a freezer bag and put it inside a mug you won’t miss for a couple of hours. Pop your egg inside the freezer bag and cover with soy sauce. If you’re concerned about how much soy sauce you are using you can top it up with a dash of water.

2. The second step is all about your vegetables. Cut your chosen vegetables into thin strips. In chef language we call this julienne. By cutting them into small, thin, slices you’re ensuring that they cook when you add your hot water later.

3. Next you can arrange your layers of noodles and vegetables.

4. After layering your vegetables and noodles you’re pretty much there. If you are prepping this ahead of time these jars can be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them. When you are ready all you need to do is: add enough boiling water to cover your noodles and vegetables. Add your flavouring sachet, or make your own. Shut the lid and let the noodles steep until cooked. Top with your soy eggs cut in half and enjoy!

These noodle jars are an essential dish to add to your repertoire. Not only can they be prepped the night before, perfect for someone with rarely any time during the day, they are also transportable and very filling. An all round awesome dish.

There are ways that you can chop and change the recipe: the vegetables you add in, your noodle choice, even your flavourings! For instance, say you aren’t a fan of the powdered sachets that come with the noodles. Why not try your hand at making your own? It can be something as simple as:

• 3tbsp of soy sauce,
• 2x cloves of garlic (grated),
• 1x thumb-sized piece of ginger (grated),
• 1 tsp of lemongrass puree,
• 1/2 a stock cube.

Let me know what you think about the recipe by leaving a comment below. If you enjoy it and think someone could benefit with some lunch inspiration, share the recipe with your friends.