Homemade instant noodles are healthified with whole wheat pasta, rotisserie chicken and real vegetables. Just add water!
I’ve read that as an adult, you should seek out the things you loved as a kid.
Maybe that’s why adult coloring books are a thing (I’m totally going to get one!), and Ninja Turtles are back on TV. I have to admit I can’t pass up the opportunity to sing along to the Disney songs when they come up on Kai’s favorite Spotify playlist, and I have definitely read the Paperbag Princess to Kai many many times.
And when it comes to food, for some reason I always think of instant noodles. I was never allowed instant noodles in my lunch box, and I always had instant-noodle-envy of my friends. I totally get why my parents never bought them for me: full of chemicals, in a styrofoam bowl wrapped in plastic. Bad for your body, bad for the planet, but just so tasty!
So maybe I was feeling nostalgic? I decided to jazz up my lunch routine with my own healthy homemade instant noodles…free from nasty chemicals, and in a re-usable container.
I posted a photo of DIY Instant Noodle Cups from The Londoner on my Facebook page, and the response was pretty clear: you guys like instant noodles as much as me!
So I’ve been obsessed with the concept ever since.
Really, these homemade instant noodles are a perfect work lunch for the colder months: soup that you don’t have to worry about spilling in your bag, and you don’t need a fancy thermos (they never seem to hold the heat for me anyways). At lunch, just boil up some water, add it to your soup, let it steep for 2-3 minutes, then give it all a good stir and enjoy your healthy homemade instant noodles!
Here’s how it goes:
- On the bottom layer: your flavorings. In this case: sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and chicken stock concentrate (I recommend Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
because the ingredients are natural). - Next: your noodles. I used whole wheat spaghetti that I cooked al dente.
- Next: veggies. You can use cooked vegetables, maybe some fresh spinach, or frozen vegetables. I used a blend of frozen vegetables meant for a stir fry. (Make sure to thaw your frozen veggies before adding the water!)
- Next: some rotisserie chicken. You can poach and shred your own if you wish.
- Finally: a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds…for a little extra sesame flavor.
because the ingredients are natural).**One important note: I used mason jars for these photos because I wanted you to be able to see the contents, however heating the jars too quickly can result in explosion, and we don’t want any exploding instant noodles, do we? Instead of mason jars I recommend these stoneware mugs
which are totally safe to add boiling water to!
Recipe Variations:
-
- swap the whole wheat spaghetti for zucchini and carrot noodles
- swap the chicken for chickpeas
- or try this Thai Coconut Healthy Homemade Instant Noodles recipe
Healthy Homemade Instant Noodles (Sesame Ginger)
Ingredients
Per cup
- 2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate *see note
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger finely grated
- 1 cup whole wheat spaghetti cooked al dente and cooled (2 oz of dry pasta)
- 1/2 cup veggies either cooked & cooled or from frozen
- 1/4 cup shredded chicken
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a portable stoneware mug with lid in the order listed above.
- When you are ready to enjoy, fill with boiling water up to an inch below the top of the mug.
- Put the lid back on and steep for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir for a few minutes to ensure that all stock concentrate has dissolved.
Notes
Nutrition
