The Tangy Seasoning Your Next Bowl Of Instant Ramen Needs

Who among us hasn't unleashed our full arsenal of culinary skills on a packet of ramen noodles? The artistry of turning the Japanese-inspired soups into savory, gourmet delicacies with our own curated list of ingredients can be as satisfying as it is cheap.

Everyone has a secret recipe to add more flavor to the piping hot broths. Whether it's dropping in a fried egg or making the instant noodles creamier with a touch of cheese or mayonnaise, customizing ramen to fit your tastes has grown into a mouth-watering pastime of its own. But not all hacks are created equally. There's a refined calculus to doctoring up the pre-cooked packets. And one of oodle noodle nation's ripest alliances is ranch dressing.

It's no secret that ranch and ramen go together like filleted fish and hot grease. For decades, the match-made pairing has worked its magic — one slurp at a time — from the marinara-stained husks of old Rubbermaid bowls. But variety being the spice of life that it is, ramen lovers may want to try a different trick to add some zing to their bowls. 

For those who love the taste of ranch, but prefer a less saturated texture than the traditional method of dousing your noodles in liquid salad dressing. Use Hidden Valley's ranch-flavored dry mix as a substitute for the salty seasoning packets that come in the ramen pouches. Instead of umami, you'll get a zesty blend of the garlic and herb notes that are part of the brand's flagship. 

The mix includes a combination of dried mince onion, dill, parsley, salt, garlic powder and powdered buttermilk. Let your noodles simmer a couple minutes in Boil 2½ cups of chicken broth in a small saucepan, then add your noodles and let them simmer for a couple minutes. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the ranch mix and stir it in for 30 seconds before removing the heat and stirring in a teaspoon of butter. Then, add a cup of shredded chicken to the mix and dish up. Once you get it in your bowl, top it off with one half of a thinly sliced green scallion and enjoy the yumminess.

Expect a fresher taste from the home-styled dry mix as opposed to squirts of dressing straight from the bottle. But if you can't shake the urge to slather it on, combine one cup apiece of whole milk and mayonnaise and whisk in the dry mix to convert it into dressing, then chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to add thickness.