Add The Right Amount Of Spice To Ramen With One Flavorful Condiment

Ramen noodles aren't just an affordable and filling meal, they're also extremely versatile. The soup can be as quick and easy or fancy as your heart desires or creativity allows, and the mild flavor of the chewy noodles make them an ideal culinary base. For a way to jazz the meal up, consider adding sweet chili sauce. The condiment is equal parts sweet and spicy; a nice finishing touch for a hearty bowl of ramen.

You can certainly purchase a store bought variety, but it's also easy to make your own sweet chili sauce. It only requires a few ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. Also, with a homemade sweet chili sauce, it's easy to customize the spice level. A few sprinkles of the chili sauce work well and add major flavor, whether you prefer a more brothy soup or drier noodles, the latter of which actually make it easier for the sauce to stick to the noodles.

In addition to being a great condiment for your ramen, sweet chili sauce has nearly limitless uses. It serves a range of purposes from being a dipping sauce for appetizers to a marinade for veggies or protein. This sweet chili chicken lollipop recipe is easy to whip up as the perfect finger food for your next gathering. The chili sauce marinade is flavorful and a nice departure from the usual buffalo or teriyaki sauce. A few dashes of the sauce can also be added to a vegetable stir fry. Veggies like broccoli and cauliflower will absolutely soak up the sauce. And it's great as a straightforward dipping sauce for raw vegetables or a sandwich wrap.

But if you decide you need something beyond the sweet chili oil, there are so many tasty ways to upgrade your basic ramen noodles. Give your broth a creamier texture by stirring in a spoonful of peanut butter or even tahini. Not only does this give the broth a nuttier taste, but it balances well with spice. And don't forget the add-ons before devouring your bowl. This can include loads of scallion, roasted seaweed, crispy garlic, or mushrooms. But another great ramen add-on that's easy to prepare and can even be made in bulk is marinated eggs. The soft-boiled eggs add a great texture to the noodles and the flavor can range from mild to strong, depending on how long you let the eggs marinate.