Instant Ramen With Mexican-Style Beans. Photo credit: Rey Lopez/For The Washington Post
Do you consider instant ramen to be a “superhero in the pantry”? Food entrepreneur Peter Kim does, so much so that he wrote a whole cookbook about it. Why? “It’s cheap, it’s accessible, it takes no time to make. The seasoning sachet all but ensures a baseline level of deliciousness,” Kim said over a video call. “And then the noodles give you enough heft to the meal that you don’t have to worry about, say, making a side of rice or making potatoes or whatever. ... All you really have to think about as a home cook using instant ramen is where do I want to take the flavor?”
That’s the whole premise behind his cookbook, “Instant Ramen Kitchen,” in which Kim includes recipes inspired by dishes from all over the world, such as borshch, shakshuka, moqueca (Brazilian seafood stew) and frijolles de la olla (Mexican stewed beans).
While some might see a cheap, ubiquitous food product, Kim sees a world of possibilities and wonder. “Some of the most beautiful and enjoyable parts of life are the things that are right in front of us, and I think instant ramen is a great example of that,” Kim said.
Instant ramen is more than just for college students. “Beyond that little characterization of instant ramen, for a lot of people, a lot of cultures, ... instant ramen is a fundamental part of cuisine and, sort of, identity,” Kim said. They are woven into the cuisine of Madagascar; the brand Indomie is so popular in Nigeria that the its name is synonymous with “noodles”. And if you’re at all familiar with Korean culture, then you probably already know how beloved instant noodles are. To this day, Kim still eats them with his parents. “They’re not starving college students,” Kim said. “We just love eating it together and it never gets old.”
Photo credit: Rey Lopez/For The Washington Post
And it simply tastes good. Kim, a graduate of The French Culinary Institute (now the Institute of Culinary Education, the same culinary school I attended) and the founding director of the Museum of Food and Drink, recalls attending food industry events where caviar and instant noodles have been served side-by-side. “The thing that’s amazing about instant ramen is that it’s something that a novice cook, even a child, can make quite easily,” he said. “And even a Michelin-starred chef could find quite delicious.”
With busy entrepreneur parents, Kim was a latchkey kid who grew up on industrial convenience food, primarily items that he could pull from the freezer and then pop in the microwave. “The one thing that kind of broke that mold a little bit was instant ramen,” Kim said, who started it making it for himself around 8- or 9-years-old. “I remember just being so blown away by the flavor of it, you know, the umami and the noodles and the broth.” His mother soon introduced him to the idea of swirling an egg into the hot broth and sprinkling scallions on top, as in Korean egg soup (gyeran-guk).
That was the jumping-off point that led him to think about what else he could add. “At a pretty young age, I was starting to just sort of test out dropping things in. And what I quickly realized was that it always tasted good, no matter what you did,” Kim said. He credits the almost-guaranteed deliciousness to the seasoning that various brands have mastered. “That seasoning sachet is basically like, ‘I got you.’”
Yes, instant ramen can be used in just about any noodle dish, but it can also serve as the base for cooking all around. Take your standard, chicken-flavored instant ramen, which is essentially powdered chicken bouillon and noodles. When you think about it, those things can fit in anywhere. “I even surprised myself by how versatile instant ramen can be,” Kim said. Instant ramen can be a “powerful tool to turbocharge your cooking.”
When using it in dishes - and not just prepared according to the package instructions - Kim recommends looking for the “super common, basic instant ramen that you find everywhere,” from brands such as Top Ramen, Maruchan and, “to a lesser degree, Sapporo Ichiban,” which has chewier noodles and a more complex flavor profile.
For his Instant Ramen With Mexican-Style Beans, Kim discovered that you can achieve similar results as the Mexican staple, frijolles de la olla, simply by adding canned beans, fat, onion, garlic and oregano. The result is earthy and filling, thanks to the duo of beans and noodles. From there, you can add a wide range of garnishes, such as pickled jalapeños, sliced radishes and fresh cilantro.
I’ve been eating instant noodles since childhood, but never thought to do much else with them besides, perhaps, tossing in a hot dog or whatever vegetables I could find. I was so inspired after reading the book, and tasting Kim’s recipe, that I added a few packets of noodles to my shopping basket during my subsequent trip to the grocery store, waiting to see what I might come up with the next time the mood strikes. And perhaps you will, too. Even if you somehow end up with a total disaster, “you’re out like 50 cents and five minutes,” Kim said.
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Instant Ramen With Mexican-Style Beans
Servings: 1
Total time: 20 minutes
Substitutions: Neutral oil >> lard. Pinto or black beans >> any type of beans. Canned beans >> home-cooked beans. Water >> chicken, beef or vegetable stock or broth. Dried oregano >> 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano.
This upgrade to instant ramen is inspired by Mexican stewed beans and requires only a handful of ingredients. It’s “an excellent canvas for a wide range of garnishes, allowing you to take it in numerous directions based on whatever you have on hand,” writes Peter J. Kim in his “Instant Ramen Kitchen” cookbook. (For those concerned about the amount of sodium in instant ramen, note that it can vary by brand and even flavor, so look for ones that fit your dietary needs.)
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 cups water
3/4 cup canned pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed (about one half of one 15-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
One (3- to 3 1/2-ounce) package instant ramen noodles, preferably soy- or miso-flavored
Chopped fresh cilantro, sliced radish, cotija cheese, fresh or pickled jalapeño slices, diced tomato, and lime wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until i browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 15 seconds. Add the water, beans, oregano and ramen seasoning packet, and stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add the noodles and cook, gently separating the noodles once they start to soften, until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and top with cilantro, radish, cotija cheese, jalapeño and tomato. Serve immediately, with lime wedges on the side, for squeezing over.
Nutritional information per serving: 751 calories, 32 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 97 g carbohydrates, 712 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 g protein, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar.
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
Adapted from “Instant Ramen Kitchen” by Peter J. Kim (Chronicle Books, 2025).
