Vegetarian Ramen with Squash

Have you seen Bakerella's latest blog post?  Oh my goodness, that woman has talent!  She got Boo and Grumpy Cat down pat.  I can't imagine how much time it took to put together those cake pops.  Blogs like hers totally put any aspirations that I have to shame!  Yet I think all food bloggers - obscure or popular, amateur or professional - love the act of cooking and the ability to share recipes with those who stumble upon our contributions to the massive body of culinary knowledge.  It is in this spirit that I offer the recipe for my humble but super delicious vegetarian ramen-inspired noodle soup.

Bowl o' goodness.

My inspiration for the broth was that elusive balance of salty-sweet-spicy(-sour) that really sets apart good East Asian cuisine.  I think I was able to achieve this to a satisfactory degree, but the flavours can easily be adjusted for the individual's taste.  I would also consider this recipe as a base for experimentation.  I would never omit the squash so it is included in my ingredient list below.  However, adding tofu, a hard-boiled egg, other vegetables, or any number of other "toppings" is definitely encouraged.

Vegetarian Ramen with Squash

Makes 1 serving

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp mirin
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sriracha (note: using a full teaspoon will definitely give you a kick in the pants! le spicy)
• 1 cup uncooked quick noodles (note: I used egg noodles, but there are several varieties of quick noodles available.  Basically anything that takes only a few minutes to cook in boiling water should lend itself well to this recipe. You can also up this amount by 1/2 cup if you don't like a high broth-to-noodle ratio.)
• 1/2 cup cubed butternut squash or pumpkin, steamed
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

1. Heat the vegetable broth in a small or medium saucepan over a low-medium heat.
2. Stir in the soy, garlic, curry powder, sesame oil, mirin, and sriracha. Continue to heat for a minute or two, stirring occasionally. 
3. Bring the broth mixture to a boil and add noodles.  Cook according to instructions on the noodle package.
4. Once the noodles are cooked, take the saucepan off of the heat. Add the squash and spring onion to the saucepan. Pour the soup into a bowl, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve!

I hope you enjoy :)