Quinoa Corn Ramen Bowl
Cold ramen bowls work on a principle that more people should accept: if the components are good and the dressing is right, the temperature doesn't need to be hot to make a meal feel complete. This bowl is essentially a Mexican grain salad that borrowed some noodles and never gave them back. Quinoa and ramen turn out to be good neighbors, both mild enough to let the corn and lime and cotija do the talking, which they will. The charred corn is the thing that makes it more than a salad. It adds a smoky sweetness that the cold lime dressing cuts against, and that tension is the whole bowl. It's fast, it requires no hot broth, and it can be assembled ahead, which means you can make it in the morning and eat it at noon without touching the stove again.
Corn chars and sweetens—quinoa cools beside the noodle—lime does the rest
Let Me Tell You...
There is a specific temperature that food should not be in the summer, and it is warm.
Not hot, which is its own category with its own rules, but warm, which is the worst version of most things and especially of noodles.
This bowl exists specifically to avoid that situation.
Everything in it is either served cold or at room temperature, and the corn is the only thing that touches heat, and you can char it in a pan and let it cool and it will be better for it.
It takes about 5 minutes and the smoky sweetness it develops is worth the extra step.
Quinoa in a noodle bowl is one of those things that sounds like it was invented by someone who doesn't understand either ingredient, but it actually works because quinoa brings protein and a slight nuttiness without the chew that something like farro would bring.
It fills out the bowl without taking it over.
The ramen noodles stay tender and springy in the cold lime dressing, which is the other thing that could go wrong and doesn't, because ramen noodles in cold preparations hold their texture better than most people expect.
Hot quinoa will wilt the herbs and turn the avocado brown.
The dressing is lime, cumin, olive oil, and a little honey, which is four ingredients and takes thirty seconds, and it is the right dressing for this bowl in a way that a more complicated dressing would not be.
Mexican cooking is full of moments where restraint produces better results than elaboration, and this is one of them.
Cotija goes on last, crumbled over everything, adding salt and tang and the particular crumble that makes every bite slightly different from the one before it.
This keeps them from clumping in the dressing.
You eat this bowl and you feel like you made a good decision, which is the most a summer lunch can do for you.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried ramen noodles (2 bricks, seasoning packets discarded)
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth (for cooking quinoa)
- 2 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from cob (or 1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed)
- 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (seeds removed for less heat)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Preparation
- Cook quinoa: Combine rinsed quinoa and water or broth in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and spread on a plate to cool completely.
- Char the corn: Heat a dry cast iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat. Add corn kernels in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3-4 minutes until charred in spots. Stir and cook 1-2 more minutes. Season lightly with salt. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Cook ramen noodles in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Drain and rinse immediately under very cold running water until completely cool. Shake off excess water.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Combine cooled noodles, cooled quinoa, black beans, charred corn, jalapeño, and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour dressing over everything and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust salt and lime.
- Divide into serving bowls. Top with crumbled cotija and any optional items. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours.