The arrival of cooler days in New York City means that it’s time switch up your meal rotation and go from refreshing summer dishes to hearty autumn ones. One yummy, easy, and healthy option is this cool take on ramen from the National Honey Board. Ramen is a dependable crowd-pleaser in many families, and the addition of honey not only offers a fresh, new flavor, but helps support bees (a vital part of our ecosystem). The recipe below yields four servings.
Ingredients
For the Honey Coconut Sauce:
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup garlic, minced
- 2 T fresh ginger root, minced
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 cup buckwheat honey
- 3 tsp. soy sauce
- 3 tsp. lime juice1/4 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 4 (3 oz.) ramen noodle packets (3-minute noodle)
For Garnish:
- 1 cup fresh red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
- 1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, thinly sliced
Directions
For the Honey Coconut Sauce:
Place vegetable oil into a saucepot and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger root and sauté, stirring frequently, for approximately 1-2 minutes (both should be light golden brown).
Add the coconut milk, buckwheat honey, soy sauce, lime juice, almond butter and red pepper flakes, and stir to evenly combine. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat, but keep hot.
[gravityform id=”13″ title=”false” description=”false” ajax=”true”]
For the Ramen Noodles:
Remove and discard the seasoning packet from each package of ramen noodles (will not need for this recipe). Prepare ramen noodles per package instructions (can boil all 4 packages of ramen noodles together, for 3 minutes total then drain in a colander). Keep noodles hot.
Equally divide the hot ramen noodles into 4 dinner bowls. Evenly pour the hot honey coconut sauce over and around the noodles in each bowl. Top each with 1/4 cup strips of red bell pepper and 1/4 cup sliced sugar snap peas.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- The honey coconut sauce can be prepared in advance, then refrigerated and warmed when needed.
- Use instant ramen for creating an even faster entrée vs. the 3-minute cook time of the dried ramen noodles.
- Substitute your favorite pasta or buckwheat soba noodles (to complement the buckwheat honey) for the ramen noodles.
- Substitute sriracha, gochujang sauce or your favorite hot sauce for the red pepper flakes.
- Substitute creamy peanut butter or cashew butter for almond butter.
- Use your favorite seasonal vegetables for the fresh vegetable garnish, changing it up throughout the year.
- Add fresh sprigs of cilantro or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for additional garnish.
- Add cooked chicken or shrimp, for a protein-filled meal.
Recipe courtesy of Chef Rob Corliss, made for the National Honey Board. To learn more about the National Honey Board (and for more great recipes), visit honey.com!
