Roasted Cauliflower & Mushroom Ramen with Egg
Ramen gets its depth from hours of simmering. This one gets it from twenty minutes of roasting.
Cauliflower florets, sliced mushrooms, and carrot rounds hit a hot oven with olive oil until the edges go golden and the kitchen smells like something you would order out. They land in a quick ginger-garlic-soy broth over whole wheat noodles, with spinach wilting in the heat and a soft-boiled egg halved on top. 629 calories, and every one of them earned.
Ingredients
- carrot 1
- mushrooms 3 ounces
- cauliflower florets 4 ounces
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- whole wheat noodles 3 ounces
- ginger 1 slice
- garlic 1 clove
- vegetable bouillon 1 cube
- water 2 cups
- soy sauce 1 tablespoon
- egg 1
- spinach 1 handful
Method
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Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
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Slice the carrot into thin rounds and the mushrooms into slices. Toss the carrot, mushrooms and cauliflower with half of the oil, salt and pepper. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and tender.
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Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
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Slice the ginger and finely chop the garlic.
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Heat the bouillon cube and water in a large pot, then add the soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Let the broth simmer over low heat. Add the remaining oil just before serving.
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Bring a small pan of water to a boil for the egg. Boil the egg for 6-7 minutes for a soft yolk or 9-10 minutes for a hard-boiled egg. Shock the egg under cold water, peel and halve it.
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Transfer the noodles to a deep bowl and add the roasted vegetables, spinach and egg. Pour the hot broth over the noodles and vegetables.
Swap the mushrooms for shiitake for a deeper, meatier flavor. A squeeze of lime and a handful of fresh coriander right before serving lifts the entire bowl.
Behind this recipe
Is 71 grams of carbs at dinner too much if I'm trying to lose fat?
A six-month controlled trial tested exactly that by having one group eat most of their daily carbs at dinner. The result: the dinner-carb group lost 28% more weight and reported better satiety than the group spreading carbs evenly. Evidence from 5,192 participants across multiple trials shows the total amount of carbs matters more than when you eat them, and 71 grams at dinner has no measurable impact on fat loss when calories and protein are matched.
Only 24g of protein — is that enough for one meal?
It is on the lighter side for a dinner. If your other meals cover 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight across the full day, one lower-protein meal will not change the outcome. To bump it up: add 150g firm tofu (roughly 12g extra), a second egg, or a handful of edamame to the bowl.
Why roast the vegetables instead of simmering them in the broth?
Roasting at 200°C caramelizes the natural sugars in the cauliflower and mushrooms, creating deeper, more complex flavor than simmering alone. It also keeps the vegetables from going soft and waterlogged, so they hold their texture when they hit the broth.
