Creamy Green Chile Ramen Soup

This creamy green chile ramen transforms your packet of dime store ramen noodles into a crave-able, creamy, flavorful soup with a kick of spice!

I ate more than my fair share of ramen as a poor college student, but let's face it: I'd still be eating it if I won the lottery—I love it that much!

With that said, I haven't eaten the as-packaged ramen in over a decade.

It can be so much more!

For example, Creamy Chicken Ramen Soup (an even easier version without the heat), Pork-Miso Ramen Soup with Soy-Marinated Egg, or my "grown-up" Easy Ramen Soup are a few of my favorite next-level ramen soups.

What can I add to ramen to make it taste better?

It's easy to upgrade your ramen with a few simple additions—for example, choose a few ingredients from the list below, according to the flavor profile you're after:

• Dried herbs or spices
• Real vegetable or chicken stock
• Cream, milk, or sour cream
• Cheese
• Chopped or frozen vegetables
• Chopped meat
• Marinated eggs

Sometimes I use the flavor packet, sometimes I don't (this is one of the times that I do).

For this creamy green chile ramen, we're going with a Mexican-inspired flavor profile.

We add sour cream, cumin, Mexican oregano, chicken stock, and chopped green chiles.

What kind of ramen should I buy?

For this variety of ramen soup, I like the cheap ramen noodles like Maruchan. This brand does have a chili flavor, but I prefer to use chicken and build the chile flavor in myself—with actual green chiles.

Which green chiles are best?

I have a weakness for Hatch green chiles.

These chiles are grown in Hatch, New Mexico, where the conditions produce chiles with just the right level of amazing heat and flavor.

They're available fresh from around August to September, but lately you can find them jarred or tinned in well-stocked groceries.

My go-to is 505 Southwestern jarred Hatch chiles, which you can order online. If you want a small amount of chiles (enough for this recipe with a bit left over), these 4-oz cans of roasted Hatch chiles work well.

The Hatch Chile Store can also ship frozen, roasted chiles to you all year, or fresh when they're in season.

How to make Creamy Green Chile Ramen Soup

First, cook the noodles

Although you can boil your noodles in a saucepan on the stovetop, it's so much easier to simply microwave them.

I start by crunching up my noodles and placing them in a deep, microwave-safe, BPS-free bowl (you can also use this nifty pasta cooker). Then I cover with about an inch of water.

Next, pop the bowl in the microwave (uncovered) and set to 4 minutes on high.

When the noodles are cooked, drain well.

Now add your flavorings, broth, and cream

Add in the flavoring packet, chicken broth, sour cream, cumin, oregano, and chiles. Mix well.

Reheat, if needed, then serve

At this point, you may need to reheat your soup: microwave for an additional 30 seconds on high.

Serve topped with cotija cheese.

That's it! Easy peasy. This has become a go-to lunch because it's perfect for working from home. And I'll admit: I've eaten it for breakfast more than once.

How to use up leftover green chiles

You can always freeze your leftover chiles for later use (I make this soup about once a week, so I portion the leftover chiles out accordingly before freezing). Here are some of my other favorite recipes with Hatch green chiles:

• Creamy Green Chile Turkey Enchiladas
• Fresh Salsa Verde
• Green Chile Frittata Wraps
• Caldillo (Green Chile Pork Stew)
• Green Chile Chicken Posole
• Pork Salsa Verde

I hope you'll be adding this soup to your regular lunch repertoire!

For more fabulous Fall soups, check out our favorite cozy, Easy Soups for Fall.

Stay safe, friends, and stay well.

—Michelle