Delicious and comforting noodle bowls can be the perfect weeknight meal when you have no idea what to make.
You probably have a package of noodles hanging out in your pantry that are the perfect canvas for a delightfully flavorful noodle bowl. And if you think it’s hard to make a ramen soup like your favorite pad thai restaurant, think again.
Get inspired with over 20 awesome noodle bowl recipes in this collection. Whether you like sweet and spicy or hot and zesty, you’re sure to find the perfect recipe for your next Asian noodle bowl creation.
But, before we get to the recipes, let’s break down what it takes to make a great Asian soup recipe!
What Does it Take To Make a Great Asian Soup Recipe?
First, you’re going to need a few key tools to make Asian soups. The following items are affiliate links on Amazon because they may be a bit hard to find in your normal store. I wanted you to be able to see exactly which things we are using.
- Soup Stock Pot (notice it’s dishwasher and oven safe!)
- Big, Wide Soup Bowls (wide is important so you can fit all the goodies in there)
- Chopsticks (notice, they’re also dishwasher safe, that’s key)
- Soup Spoons (I like these because they have a little hook that keeps them from sliding into the soup)
I’m not saying those are required, but it sure does make it a lot easier to serve up a big batch of soup to a crowd. And I’ll be honest, it’s so much easier to double (or triple) one of these recipes for noodle soup when you’ve got the right tools.
It also just makes sense to have those handy hooks on the tops of the spoons–I can’t tell you what a headache it is to fish spoons out of my soup. I hate that!
What Noodles Can You Use to Make a Noodle Bowl?
Almost any noodle will work. From ramen noodles to rice noodles, from soba noodles to glass noodles (even gluten free noodles), they’re all wonderful bases for a great recipe.
Just add spices, sauces, broths, protein and veggies and you’ll have a stunningly quick and easy meal in 20 minutes or less!
I typically use linguini pasta in my Asian Beef Noodle Bowl, but I ended up subbing one time for fettuccini noodles, because that’s all I had. And I’ve even used vermicelli noodles for ramen in another easy ramen soup recipe I made not too long ago.
Basically, any noodle you have on hand will work. Just keep in mind that some noodles that have a stronger flavor will mask some of the other flavors. So, if you can, stick with the recipe–if you can’t, improvise!
Because, at the end of the day, it’s your soup and you can’t really break it.
What Ingredients Do You Need to Make a Ramen Soup?
This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of ingredients for ramen soup, but certainly these are my favorite things to add some flavor to any bowl!
- Green Onions
- Snow Peas
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Chili Garlic
- Lime Juice
- Pork Belly (if you can find it, it’s amazing)
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
- Bok Choy
You can use almost anything to make the most tasty soups. But those ingredients above are exactly what I like to have on hand in the pantry or the fridge.
Not only can I make a customized bowl with these few choices, but I can even do a little “make your own bowl” kind of buffet for the kids–which saves me the hassle of “mom, I didn’t want mushrooms!” Ha!
Best part though? If I do the buffet-style set-up, I can make my own Asian soup just as spicy (or not spicy) as I want it that day and NO ONE can complain that I made it too (or not enough) spicy for them. I’m so tired of hearing that one, seriously!
What Kind of Broth Do you Need to Make a Ramen Soup?
Easy! Any broth at all. You can use beef, chicken, pork and vegetable broth to make some amazing asian noodle soups. Some soups call for a little milk or coconut milk to be added, making a creamier soup, but not all.
I always keep some vegetable broth on hand, but I’ve found that the fats in pork broth really bring out some unique flavors when stir fried together with mushrooms and pork belly bits in a ramen soup.
Where are the 20 Delicious Noodle Bowls?
Yeah, I’m getting super hungry talking about how to make all these great soups, so let’s get to the recipes!
20 Delicious Noodle Bowls
Vietnamese-Style Noodle Bowls with Chicken Recipe | SimplyRecipes.com
How Do You Eat Ramen Noodle Bowls?
This is a two-fisted kind of activity. You put your chopsticks in your dominant hand (so your right hand for most people, right) and your soup spoon in the left hand. You get a bite of noodles and vegetables with the chopsticks, then you take a sip of soup.
Its way easier to actually do than it sounds. So, just give it a try!
Can you Meal Prep with Ramen Soup Bowls?
Yes! Ramen noodle soups make perfect freezer meals for meal planning. Spend 30 minutes (or less) cooking up broth and mushrooms, cooking your noodles separately.
Put your broth and veggies in separate bowls for each day of the week with your noodles in a zipper bag attached to the top of the bowl. I do this with my noodles just so they don’t get extra squishy. Not that super squishy noodles are bad, but really, who can honestly say they like squishy noodles?!
When you’re ready to eat, just grab your pre-prepared noodles and bowl of soup and reheat! So easy, you’ll be glad you did it.
And, if you make enough noodles, you can also make a noodle salad! Let me tell you a little secret about that, though, if you want to make a noodle salad, just use the same ingredients in ANY of the recipes above and just leave out the broth/sauce. Seriously good noodle salads come from that right there. Then a little peanut sauce or rice wine vinegar and you’re in business.
So, there’s two noodle ideas from one collection of noodle bowl recipes. Ah-mazing!
See? There are just so many fun soup recipes you can make for the fall and winter. And I love how fast these Asian noodle recipes come together for a weeknight meal that the kids love, I love (and don’t mind making–or cleaning up) or a quick and easy lunch.
If you loved these ramen soup recipes half as much as I do even, be sure to pin it to your favorite soup recipes board on Pinterest. You definitely want to come back for each and every variation here!