Kimberly Wolfe, RN
Ramen Kelp Noodle Soup

Ramen is one of those things I grew up on. You know, the packaged kind with massive amounts of sodium and those delicious wavey dried ramen noodles you just can't get enough of (....perhaps made to be slightly addictive, am I right?).

Ramen is one of those comfort foods. It makes you feel good you feel better when you're sick and
all warm and fuzzy inside on a cold winter day (it gets really cold here in Central New York!) What's great about this particular ramen that I make now, compared to the one I ate as a kid, is that it's PACKED FULL of nutrients.
What are the most nutrient-dense foods in this dish? Here's a quick run-down of all those good nutrients you're putting into your body with this meal.
Vitamin K: scallions, collard greens, leeks, olive oil
Calcium: garlic, collard greens, bone broth
Vitamin A: collard greens
Vitamin E: olive oil, collard greens
Vitamin C: garlic
Vitamin B5: avocado
Vitamin B12: Beef meat
Iron: beef meat, leek
Manganese: garlic, leek
Potasium: avocado, garlic, beef meat
Zinc: beef meat, garlic
That's not to say that other ingredients in this soup aren't full of vitamins and nutrients, I'm just giving you a rundown on the MOST nutrient-dense foods.
Now that we know just how nutrient-dense this soup actually is, I think it's safe to say that it's a GREAT meal to have when you're feeling a bit under the whether.
Ramen Kelp Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 chopped leek stem
1-quart chicken, beef, or lamb bone broth
5-6 packed-full cups collard greens
2-3 carrots chopped into matchsticks
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
salt to taste
1 bag of kelp noodles
*Beef cut of choice
1/4 lime per bowl of soup (added in individual bowls)
1 sliced avocado (to garnish)
chopped green onions (to garnish)
fresh parsely (to garnish)
red pepper flakes (to garnish) NOT AIP
*Beef cuts: I have used several different cuts when making similar soups. Here are a few suggestions, commonly used in ramen, to help you decide what to use.
Beef flank steak
Sirloin steak

(Note: the photo above has peppers in it. You can add pepper to your soup if you wish but it is NOT AIP elimination stage compliant)
Instructions (stovetop):
Place olive/avocado oil, garlic, and leeks in a medium to large pot on medium heat on the stove. Sauté the garlic and leeks until garlic is slightly browned and leeks start to become translucent.
Add the bone broth, collard greens, carrots, coconut aminos, thyme, dried parsley, and salt to the pot and cook for one hour on medium-low heat, or until flavors fully combine and vegetables are fully cooked. Longer is typically better when it comes to making a delicious soup.
In a separate pan or cast iron skillet, salt and seer both sides of your steak in a little bit of avocado oil. If you would like your steak cooked further, place the pan with the steak on it in the oven at 350° F until cooked to your desire. Let the steak cool slightly before slicing.
Prepare your kelp noodles and then add them to your soup (Don't know how to soften those kelp noodles? Click here!)
Serve soup mixture into individual bowls then add squeezed lime, green onions, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes (optional because it is not AIP elimination stage), avocado slices, and steak slices on top to garnish.
Instructions (Instant pot):
Place olive/avocado oil, garlic, and leeks in the instant pot and set to "sauté". Sauté the garlic and leeks until garlic is slightly browned and leeks start to become translucent.
Add the bone broth, collard greens, carrots, coconut aminos, thyme, dried parsley, and salt to the instant pot and set on pressure cook/high for 10 minutes
In a separate pan or cast iron skillet, salt and seer both sides of your steak in a little bit of avocado oil. If you would like your steak cooked further, place the pan with the steak on it in the oven at 350° F until cooked to your desire. Let the steak cool slightly before slicing.
Prepare your kelp noodles and then add them to your soup (Don't know how to soften those kelp noodles? Click here!)
Serve soup mixture into individual bowls then add squeezed lime, green onions, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes (optional because it is not AIP elimination stage), avocado slices, and steak slices on top to garnish.