11 ways to pimp your instant noodles

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: 11 ways to pimp your instant noodles

My student life is light years behind me and fortunately, so are the times when I was Pietje Platzak. Yet, one thing from that time has remained in my life: instant noodles.

Easy, quick, warm, salty, packed with flavor enhancers, and incredibly cheap. For 40 cents, you already have a bag. What more could a person want? Well, something nutritious perhaps. Therefore: 11 cheap ways to give your instant noodles just that little extra.

1. Fried onions
Instant crunch in a box. Fried onions are (almost) delicious on everything, so definitely also on instant noodles. Bonus points: just like the instant noodles, they are super cheap, ready to use, and are conveniently located right on the shelf. Nah. Convenience serves humanity.

2. Coconut milk
Would you like your soup a bit creamier? Just add some coconut milk – straight from the can – and you're done.

3. Peanut butter
Sounds weird, but it's great. As soon as you add it to the warm noodles, it melts slightly. It makes the broth a bit fuller and deliciously nutty. Think pad Thai, but not really pad Thai. After all, they are instant noodles. My favorite: the one with nut pieces, for the extra crunch.

4. Sauce
Do you like it spicy? Add some sriracha or sambal. Prefer sweet? Then go for sweet chili, teriyaki, soy sauce, oyster, or hoisin sauce. And if you want it a bit saltier: soy sauce is the one.

5. Ginger
In slices for a slightly spicy, fresh flavor in your broth. Finely chopped for an extra punch.

6. Chili flakes and butter
One for the spicy kick, the other for the soft, creamy counterpart. You can of course choose one or the other, but together they work really well too.

7. Kimchi
Fresh, sour, funky; the taste of kimchi is hard to describe. But what I do know: it gives a whole new dimension to your instant noodles.

8. Greens
My favorite: fried bok choy, preferably with a bit of garlic. I love to eat it as a side dish, but it's also great in your bowl of noodles. A nice crunchy counterpart to the broth and the noodles. Mushrooms and bean sprouts are also nice.

9. Fried tofu
You just need to know how to prepare tofu, but man, it’s so delicious. Almost always, so also with your noodles.

10. Egg
An egg belongs in there. Fried, boiled, poached; all equally delicious.

11. Cheese
Say what?! Yes, it smells like bad fusion, but in Korea, it's very normal: cheese over your noodles. It makes them creamy and the broth slightly rich. Give it a try.