Enoki Mushroom

Enoki are my favorite mushroom on the planet. The long thin strands, the chewy bite, the way they soak up broth without losing their shape. I can eat a whole package in a single bowl and I have, more than once. They’re cheap, they cook in seconds, and they add a texture you can’t get from any other mushroom.

Why Enoki Mushrooms are Great for Instant Ramen

Enoki give you texture without flavor. The bite is chewy and a little firm, the flavor is mild and earthy, and they take on whatever broth they’re in without fighting.

The other thing that makes them work is speed. They cook in two minutes, which is exactly the time it takes to cook a packet of instant noodles. You can drop them straight into the same pot and have a topping ready when the noodles are. No second pan, no extra step.

Preparing Enoki Mushrooms

Cutting the Root: For easier preparation, you can cut the root end through the packaging. This allows you to remove the entire cluster at once.

How to Wash Enoki Mushrooms

1. Roughly separate the enoki mushrooms so they are no longer one large, stuck-together cluster. You don’t need to separate every individual strand at this point.
2. Place the separated enoki mushrooms in a bowl filled with cool water.
3. Swish the mushrooms around gently with your hand to dislodge any dirt or debris.
4. Carefully lift the enoki mushrooms out of the water and transfer them to a colander or strainer. Discard the dirty water.
5. Repeat this rinsing and swishing process 2-3 times, or until the water in the bowl remains clear.
6. Let the mushrooms drain thoroughly in the colander before using.

Ways to Add Enoki Mushrooms to Instant Ramen

• In the same pot as the noodles. The lazy and the right answer. Drop the enoki cluster into the boiling water in the last two to three minutes of cooking the noodles, alongside the seasoning packet. They soften, they pick up the broth flavor, and they come out at the same time as the noodles. This is what I do 90% of the time.
• Sauteed. Cook the enoki in a small pan with a tablespoon of butter and a clove of smashed garlic over medium heat for two minutes until the strands wilt and the garlic blooms. Spoon over the finished bowl. The version I make when the bowl is light and I want the mushroom to stand out instead of disappear into the broth.
• Wrapped in steak. If you’ve been on my channel for a while you’ve seen this. Wrap a small bundle of enoki in a thin slice of beef, sear in a hot pan, drop on top of a bowl. The full recipe is here if you want to make it.

How to Serve Them

Place the enoki in a small mound to one side of the bowl so the long strands stay visible. If they collapse into the broth, you lose the visual that makes them worth the trouble. Combine them with beansprouts for the ultimate texture bowl. Two crunchy chewy toppings stacked together is the move I use when I want the bowl to feel restaurant-style without doing restaurant work.

My Instant Ramen Suggestions

• Immi Spicy Red Miso
• Kurata Foods Vegan Tomato Spicy Ramen
• Maruchan Ramen Bowl Hot and Spicy Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup
• Ichiran Ramen
• Maruchan Instant Lunch Hot and Spicy Beef

Have you tried enoki yet? Tell me which bowl you’d put them in first.