This delicious kimchi ramen is a great recipe if you want to elevate your ramen noodle soup with spicy, sweet and savory flavors. The kimchi gives this soup a nice kick!
Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic bag with the Chinese 5 spice, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. Seal the bag, massage it to coat the pork and marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Remove the pork from the marinade. Season it with some salt and pepper.
Heat a large heavy pot to medium-high heat, add the canola oil and sear the pork until browned on all sides (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat.
Remove the pork and reserve it. Drain the oil from the pot. Keeping the browned cooked-on bits in the pot will add flavor to your soup.
In the pot, combine the water with the 2 flavor packets that came with the instant noodles. Return to the stove over medium-high heat.
Bring the broth to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer, scraping the browned bits at the bottom so that they loosen. Return the pork to the pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F.
Remove the pork from the broth to a cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Return the broth to the pot.
Bring the broth to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes.
While the noodles are cooking, slice the pork.
Serve in bowls with the pork slices and kimchi, divided evenly. Top with the green onions, fresh cilantro and Sriracha sauce if you like a little more kick.
Notes
If you wish to add more vegetables other than the kimchi, I recommend baby spinach or kale because of their vitamins and minerals and they will mix well into the soup.
Instant noodles don't take long to cook and can become mushy so keep an eye on them.
While the noodles are cooking, give them a quick stir so that they don't clump together.
To savor ramen the Japanese way, begin by bringing the bowl up close. Take a few sips of the broth, then slurp the noodles swiftly, aiming for a finish within 5 minutes, without any interruptions. Slurping the soup will cool the noodles and intensify the flavor.
Leftover soup should be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove.