Crave ramen?

Noodle around with this Hawaiian-style saimin recipe

Saimin is like ramen’s Hawaiian cousin, a savory and addictive noodle soup with various toppings, but with a different, perhaps simpler f lavor profile. If you’ve ever been to the islands, you’ve likely seen it on menus everywhere.

The key to making it at home is a doctored-up broth that starts with chicken, beef or vegetable broth and gains depth of flavor from fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce and dashi. You can find dashi powder in the Japanese section of any Asian market.

Derived from dried fish, it’s used to add complex, savory flavors. If you don’t have it, you can skip it or substitute miso paste, bouillon or even a few pinches from the flavor packet from an instant ramen package. (If you’re using a substitute, start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste.)

That broth becomes a tasty backdrop for whatever toppings you choose. I always come back to the cla ssic Hawa iia n- st yle combo of ham, egg, green onions and a few leafy Asian greens, but leftover rotisserie or grilled chicken would be great, as would a few quickly sauteed shrimp or cubes of firm tofu, if you prefer.

As for the noodles, seek out fresh ramen-style noodles if you can. They should last up to a week in your refrigerator.

The noodle aisle in an Asian supermarket can be vast, and it’s sometimes hard to tell one type of noodle from another. Just know that there are noodles made specifically for soups, and others that work better for dry dishes like stir-fries. If the label wording isn’t clear, look for any clues on the packaging (is there a picture of soup?). In a pinch, use the dry noodles from an instant ramen pack.