Homemade ramen & miracle mommies

What to you do when your 9-yr.-old looks at you with these eyes:

And says this:

Mommy, you know that noodle soup in the box that you won’t ever buy? Can you find a way to make it?

You say yes.

And then you think:

Freeze-dried, fake-flavored, factory-made soup? My kid thinks I can work miracles.

Good thing mommies can do anything, right?

Turns out homemade ramen soup is only slightly more effort than the packaged version–as in 5 minutes of slaving over a stove.

I can’t say we did a taste test, but my version got great reviews. After her fifth(!) bowl, my daughter said:

Mommy, this pot of soup has a big “AWESOME” written on it!

Same goes to all you mommies who attempt the seemingly impossible just because your kid thinks you can.

HOMEMADE RAMEN SOUP
1 diced medium onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1T olive oil
4 cups water
2T soy sauce
2T shiro miso*
8oz. any very fine, quick cooking noodles from an Asian food aisle (I used brown rice noodles)
2 chopped carrots
kernels of one ear of corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 block firm tofu cubed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (salt can be omitted b/c of soy sauce and miso)

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until lightly brown. Add the water and carrot and bring to a boil. Simmer until the carrots are soft (about 10 minutes). Stir in the soy sauce, tofu, peas, corn, salt and pepper. Scoop out one serving into a bowl and blend miso into that portion until fully mixed. Add that portion back into the pot and add noodles. Cook the noodles slightly less than the package directions because you are not draining them. Serve and enjoy!

*Miso is a paste available in most groceries in the Asian food aisle, and it’s definitely at Whole Foods, Hungarian and Kol Tov. It’s expensive, but it lasts forever in the fridge and is great in any marinade and salad dressing. I like the shiro best, but any miso will do.