Gluten Free Instant Noodle Cups

By Betty2534

Ingredients

• Bouillon Powder
• 1/2 cup (40 g) nutritional yeast flakes*
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons onion flakes (can substitute 1 tablespoon onion powder)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder (if you can’t find it, leave it out)*
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (can substitute regular granulated sugar)
• Instant Soup
• 4 “nests” gluten free ramen or rice noodles*
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots (from about 2 medium carrots)
• 1 cup cubed extra-firm tofu or diced cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons gluten free miso paste*
• 4 teaspoons gluten free soy sauce*
• 1/4 cup Bouillon Powder
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh scallion greens*

Preparation

Step 1

*Ingredient details and sources:

Nutritional Yeast—I used Bragg brand “Nutritional Yeast Seasoning,” and I find it online, in my local health food store and in Whole Foods. Bob’s Red Mill also makes a gluten free “Nutritional Food Yeast,” but I haven’t tried it. Nutritional yeast is an inactive form of yeast, and has a mild nutty and cheesy flavor. I’m not planning to sprinkle it on all my food, but I do love it in this bouillon powder.
Wasabi Powder—I use Eden brand wasabi powder, as it’s reliably gluten free. I find it online and in my local health food store.
Ramen or Rice Noodles—King Soba brand “brown rice ramen” is a gluten free ramen noodle. I bought mine on amazon.com, and have really loved it. I have also used Happy Pho brand brown rice noodles, also purchased on amazon.com, which also come in separate “nests,” which is perfect for portioning in these instant noodle cups. Annie Chun also makes gluten free Maifun rice noodles.
Miso Paste—Miso paste is traditionally made from barley, which is of course off limits on a gluten free diet. But there are a few reliably gluten free brands of miso paste now. I have used both Eden brand gen mai miso (which I really like, but it can be a bit hard to find) and Organicville gluten free miso pastes, which I found at Whole Foods. If you can’t find miso paste, try adding some Fish Sauce for the pronounced “umami” flavor that miso delivers so well.
Soy Sauce—I usually use Kikkoman brand gluten free soy sauce or San-J brand Tamari gluten free soy sauce. Bragg brand Liquid Aminos is also a great choice.
Scallions—It took me absolutely forever to figure this out, but I finally know how to handle keeping scallions on hand without treating them like a houseplant and having them become slimy right when I finally need them. Now, when I buy fresh scallions, I wash them and chop them, then spread them in a single layer on a lined rimmed baking sheet. Then, I place the baking sheet in the freezer until the scallions are frozen stiff. Then I transfer them to a zip-top bag and store them in the freezer. They defrost very quickly when removed from the freezer, and I can use as many or as few as I like. And once they’re frozen, they don’t smell at all, so no worries about a smelly freezer.

Directions

First, make the bouillon powder. Place all of the bouillon ingredients in a medium-size bowl and mix to combine well. Place in a resealable glass container (a small mason jar works great), and set aside.

Next, cook the noodles one nest at a time according to the package directions or by boiling them in about a quart of water until they separate and begin to soften. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and set them aside briefly.

To assemble the instant soups, set out four heat-safe jars that can accommodate about 20 fluid ounces in volume (I used 19.6-ounce straight-sided Weck jars). In each jar, layer the ingredients in the following order: 1/2 cup spinach leaves, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/2 cup tofu or chicken, 1/2 tablespoon miso paste, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, one nest of softened noodles, 1 tablespoon bouillon powder and, finally, scallion greens to taste (at least 2 tablespoons). Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, fill each container with boiling water (leaving a small space to permit covering the container) and cover tightly. Allow the container to steep for 2 minutes. Open, stir gently and enjoy.