Costco is selling an eight pack of Snapdragon Miso Ramen and I had to give these noodles a try. Snapdragon describes the ramen as epic Noodle Sorcery in a rich miso flavored soup.
The main reason I bought the ramen was it looks to be a lot healthier than most commercial ramen and I have liked other products from the Snapdragon brand.
Cooking Instructions
The cooking instructions for the miso ramen are pretty simple but there is a slight trick. The instructions are:
- Open the lid halfway and remove the packets.
- Open the veggie and flavoring packets, but not the flavoring oil, and add to the ramen.
- Add cold water to the fill line and close the lid.
- Microwave on High for two minutes.
- Allow to cool for one minute, add the contents of the flavoring oil packet, and dig in!
So, what is the trick?
Which Packet Is The Oil?
The slight trick is that there are two foil packets, one for the seasoning and one for the oil, but neither one is labelled. This will leave you guessing as to which one to add before cooking (seasoning) and which one to add after cooking (flavor oil).
The answer is that the LARGE packet contains the seasoning that you add before cooking. The SMALL packet contains the flavoring oil you add after cooking.
Taste Test
The ramen is very tasty but does not live up to the “Epic Noodle Sorcery” advertised on the packaging.
The broth was deep, rich and savory while the noodles were firm and not soggy. Overall this is a highly respectable cup of noodles that makes for some enjoyable slurping!
I played around and found that I like the noodles best when I doctor them up to make a more complete meal.
Before the noodles go in the microwave I like to add about 1/4 cup shredded rotisserie chicken and 1/4 cup of a Cole slaw mix with shredded cabbage and carrots. I’ll add about two teaspoons of Sriracha to the broth when the noodles come out of the microwave to give the noodles just a little bit of kick.
Calories and Nutrition
One cup of noodles is a single serving and has the following calories, fat, etc:
- Calories: 280
- Fat : 13g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 990mg
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Protein: 5g
The nutritional information was one of the big reasons I bought these noodles. I love ramen but a pack of regular cheap ramen at the grocery store has around 370 calories and 1,760mg of sodium. The miso ramen is not exactly health food but it is much healthier than “regular” ramen.
Price at Costco
The miso ramen is Item Number 1453711 and is found in the grocery aisles along with the other non-refrigerated dried noodle options.
The miso ramen costs $9.99 for the eight pack case which translates to $1.25 per cup of noodles.
$1.25 is about three times more expensive than the cheap stuff you lived off of in college but this is so much healthier and tastes better as well that I don’t mind paying the premium. Besides, $1.25 for a quick and tasty lunch is a bargain!
Other Interesting Noodle Options at Costco
If the Miso Ramen doesn’t look like your cup of tea, then there are some other interesting noodle options for your consideration at Costco.
One great noodle option is the Yakisoba Stir Fry Meal Kit in the deli section. The kit is filled with Asian style noodles, a pound of seasoned sous vide chicken thighs and a bunch of fresh veggies.
Another interesting noodle option are the Healthy Noodles from Kibun Foods. the Healthy Noodles, found in the refrigerated deli cases, are low in calories and carbohydrates and will soak up just about any flavor profile you can throw at them. The texture on the noodles is a bit strange and resemble rice noodles to an extent.
I also really like the Gluten Free Ramen at Costco. I am not gluten sensitive but these noodles are low in calories and taste great. You can dress up the noodles with a little sesame oil, chili garlic sauce and protein/veggies of choice and have a delicious and relatively healthy meal.
And, speaking of gluten free, Costco sometimes carries Snapdragon’s Gluten Free Vietnamese Pho which I also greatly enjoy. The noodles are tasty and the seasoning packets are spot on!
