Cheap and healthy ramen recipes

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish that consists of noodles served in a meat or fish broth. It is often flavored with miso or soy sauce and comes with a variety of toppings like pork, beef, seafood or vegetables.

Restaurant-made ramen can go anywhere from P150 to even P450 a bowl. A cheaper alternative is to make your own ramen at home.

They say that the secret to making delicious ramen is the broth. Did you know that instead of the usual protein, you can also use vegetables as stock? In fact, you can even use vegetable peelings as the main ingredient in your stock!

“Pinoy MD” shows you how to make your own ramen with healthier options that won’t break your budget.

Related video: Best ramen in Metro Manila

It’s in the stock!
How to make vegetable stock

Ingredients:
Malunggay
Onion peelings
Squash (kalabasa) peelings

Directions:
Place the malunggay, onion and squash peelings into a pot of boiling water. Add salt to taste and let the mixture simmer.

Kalabasa ramen

Ingredients:
½ cup boiled squash, mashed
1 bowl cooked noodles
1 cup crab sticks
2 hard-boiled eggs

Directions:
Mix part of the mashed squash with the vegetable stock and heat until boiling. Stir occasionally. Set aside.

Place the cooked noodles in a bowl, followed by the crab sticks and the rest of the squash. Top it with the hard-boiled eggs and pour in the vegetable stock. Serve.

Cost: P80, makes 4 servings

Malunggay ramen

Ingredients:
1 cup malunggay leaves
1 bowl cooked noodles
boiled chicken, sliced
1 white onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 cup dilis, fried

Directions:
Mix the vegetable stock and malunggay leaves in a pot of water and let boil. Stir occasionally. Set aside.

Place noodles in a bowl and add the sliced chicken, white onion and bell pepper. Slice the hard-boiled eggs and add it to the bowl. Top with dilis. Pour the vegetable stock into the bowl. Serve.

Cost: PhP 50, makes 4 servings

Mushroom and corn ramen

Ingredients:
1 can mushrooms
1 can sweet corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bowl cooked noodles

Directions:
Heat the pan in high temperature and add a small amount of oil. Sauté the mushrooms in the pan. Add the corn and red and green bell peppers. Mix it into the vegetable stock and let it come to a boil. Stir occasionally. Set aside.

Place the cooked noodles in a bowl and pour in the vegetable stock. Serve.

Cost: PhP 100, makes 4 servings

—Aimee Dacanay/CM, GMA News