If I’m being honest, I’ve been eating a ton of soup and salad lately. I think it’s a mix of so many things. A) It’s winter and soup is so comforting. B) It’s super easy to make when I’m extremely tired and busy. Throwing something into the crockpot is preferable to pulling my hair out making something that requires the ever elusive thing called time. C) After the flu bug, it took a while to get my tasters back. I missed those little buds of mine dearly. D) I’m trying to get back on track so when summer comes and it’s time to put on that bathing suit and go for a swim, I won’t want to crawl in a hole and die. Enter: Crock-pot Carrot Ginger Cashew Ramen Noodle Soup.
Ramen noodles are where it’s at right now. I’m absolutely loving them. *Not* top ramen, guys, real delicious, comforting ramen noodles. My aunt who makes ramen on a weekly basis says,“One of the better dried noodles brands is Hakubaku. They make all kinds of noodles. You can find their dried organic ramen noodles here or at an specialty Asian food store such as Uwajimaya. Even better, fresh ramen noodles such as the Umi brand are available in the refrigerated section. Uwajimaya carries them as does New Seasons and Whole Foods. Plan on using the within a few days of purchase. Authentic ramen noodles are made from wheat and an alkaline mineral water kansui, containing sodium and potassium carbonate to give them their chewy texture and yellowish color. Udon noodles are made from white wheat. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat.” If you need help buying ramen noodles from a non-Asian store, the noodles are usually in the Asian or International foods section. They might not say “ramen” directly on the package, but they may have directions for “ramen noodles” on the back. In a pinch, use whatever you can find and discard the spice packet if it came with one. I hope this is helpful for you since my mom and I both struggled to find them a few weeks ago and had to ask for help. Amateur hour.
Then, I decided to marry two cuisines together. Because that’s what I do. It’s a Japanese-style, Thai soup. Bear with me here, it works. It so amazingly works that you won’t want to stop making it. It has that rich coconut cream and powerful ginger and lemongrass taste. You won’t want to stop slopping those noodles and broth into your mouth! I’d do just about anything for another bowl of this soup which is why I’m so thankful it’s so simple to make. Enter: CROCK-POT.
A while ago, I made a version of ramen soup on my Instagram story and got such great feedback I decided to add more crock-pot recipes to my blog. Back in the day, when I first started my blog, I was determined to have everything I do on my blog be artisan and perfectly difficult. I wanted to only feature the artistic side of food. As I’m growing and learning more about myself and my readers, I see how not fun that is! I want to provide recipes that people want to make and that they can fit into their everyday routines. And occasionally, I’ll provide those longer, more artistic type recipes. Life is mostly lived in the hustle, isn’t it? I’d rather cater to the real people in this world who have more on their plate than being able to go to the farmers market and pick out the very best strawberry for their organic, crème fraîche, lavender-infused strawberry shortcake. Although, now that I write that, it sounds delightful and I want to make it. But, you get the point. I have more on my plate than that too. I have a job, I have a blog, I have a family, I have health concerns, and I have a very real LIFE.
So, when dinners come in crock-pot editions and weeknights are for relaxing and catching up on your reading, I’d say that is a victory. This victory comes in a very enchanting soup bowl and is just what you need to feel 100 percent.
Crock-pot Carrot Ginger Cashew Ramen Noodle Soup
This simple and easy recipe for Crock-pot Carrot Ginger Curry Ramen Noodle Soup is just what you need for a weeknight meal win!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 32-ounce box chicken stock or vegetable broth
1 can coconut cream
3 cups baby carrots
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
2 tablespoons fresh ginger paste
2 teaspoons lemon grass paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup unsalted cashews
1 9.5-ounce package of dried or 3 20-ounce packages of fresh ramen noodles
sliced green onions for topping
Instructions
Place chicken stock or vegetable broth, coconut cream, carrots, chopped onion, curry powder, ginger paste, lemon grass paste, and salt in crock pot. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
When cooked, remove the carrots and place into a blender or food processor with cashews, brown sugar and two cups of the broth from the crock-pot and blend until creamy. Return mixture to the crock-pot and stir until combined.
Boil water and cook dried ramen for about 4 minutes or fresh ramen for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander. Evenly divide ramen noodle into bowls and pour soup on top.
Salt to taste.
Top with green onions, cashews, sesame seeds, and my favorite, a soft-boiled egg.
Keywords: crockpot, curry, soup, vegetarian
