Give Your Bowl Of Greens A Better Crunch With One Unexpected Ingredient

You get home from the grocery store, wash iceberg lettuce and chop tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots for a legendary salad when you realize you've forgotten one crucially crunchy ingredient — croutons! Instead of tempting disaster with a days-old, leftover dinner roll or toasted white bread, reach into the pantry and pull out a pack of ramen noodles.

If you've never heard of it, eating dry, seasoned ramen right out of the package might sound strange, but it has become an inexpensive snack solution for people all over the world, from South Korea to Taiwan, Japan and even the U.S. It's so popular that crispy ramen snacks have been developed and marketed specifically to satisfy this craving. While it's not nutrient dense — and honestly, not many snack foods are — it's perfectly safe to eat as the noodles are pre-cooked and dehydrated. It's what makes them instantly delicious.

While you could just break up the dry noodles into bite-sized pieces inside the package, add the seasoning packet and use them as topping on a bowl of formerly boring Brussels sprouts, there are other methods to amp up the crispness and the flavor. Try toasting them in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or sauteing the dry ramen noodle morsels in a little coconut oil and slivered almonds until they're golden brown.

There are tons of recipes available online for creating crispy ramen croutons, and aside from a few that go so far as to boiling the noodles and re-drying them in the oven, most are a snap. Try using your own seasoning blends and an air fryer to crisp perfect ramen croutons, and add them to your favorite veggie bowls from an easy kale Caesar salad to steamed green beans drizzled in sesame oil and soy sauce.