When it comes to camping and cooking, we have a long and storied legacy–braised lamb shoulder, rice and beans, rotisserie chicken, fried fillets of large mouth bass, smoked turkey legs, apple cobbler–these are ALL things that we have cooked at one point or another, OVER A CAMPFIRE.
Over the top? Perhaps.
An epic good time? Obviously.
The Origins of Pho Ramen: Family Campfire Cooking
The true origins of our camping cooking prowess are a bit more humble. When we were kids, we would pack up our camping gear, drive from the suburbs of New Jersey to upstate New York, hike into the park (usually somewhere like Bear Mountain), and camp for the night.
The menu for dinner? Piping hot instant ramen cooked on my dad’s Whisperlite stove.
My dad–the original camper of the family–would take out his kit of seasoning vials and sprinkle a few healthy pinches of curry powder and a few shreds of our trail-snack-leftover beef jerky into the noodles for an epic savory camping curry ramen recipe that really hit the spot when we were often parked on a log or rock and the air was cool and damp.
These trips were so enjoyable, in fact, that when we didn’t have the time for a full camping weekend, we would go for hiking day trips, climbing deep into the trails, until we found a spot with perfectly scenic views, crisp air, and perhaps a few pieces of dried, downed wood around…We’d admire nature, have a few restorative and refreshing sips of water, reflect on our place in the world…
AND THEN ROAST A COUPLE OF CORNISH HENS.
I kid you not, we once DAYTRIP hiked with two raw, marinated birds in my dad’s backpack on ice packs, and Macgyvered a rotisserie spit over an open fire.
You can barely see my mom behind all the delicious-smelling smoke coming off those babies:
And we (along with our cousin, who came along for the adventure) sat and ate those chickens, while bewildered slim campers powered by us in their North Faces and hiking boots with their tiny day packs filled with PowerBars and water bottles.
Sometimes laughing, sometimes just plain old confused, but always staring at this strange Chinese family that seemed way too committed to an out of the box culinary experience.
And our side dish with the chicken? Camping ramen, of course.
So, when my sister and I decided to take a California road trip this spring, with pit stops for camping, we of course packed up our mess kit and my dad’s old set of seasoning vials, and purchased a few packs of ramen on the road.
Except, instead of our traditional curry ramen (Someone *COUGH* SARAH *COUGH* forgot the curry powder…), we created something entirely new and extremely delicious over the fires at Potwisha Campground in Sequoia National Park (the next stop on our California road trip after Joshua Tree. Sarah will be posting that next week, so stay tuned! [Update]: Click here for the post!)
It’s camping ramen, THE PHO EDITION! Pho ramen is your standard instant beef-flavored ramen, a healthy amount of beef jerky, red onion–caramelized and stewed in the soup and served raw over the top, some greens if you’ve got them, and a generous squeeze of lime juice to finish it off.
It was delicious and perfect after a long day of driving.
And setting up camp––under a rainbow!
Add this pho ramen to your camp cooking repertoire for this summer, or just make it at home when you’re feeling lazy. Either way, you will enjoy it. Trust us.
Pho Ramen: Recipe Instructions
Put your pot over the flame (we used our trusty stainless steel camping cookset), and add the oil.
Using your handy dandy pocket knife (or regular knife if you’re not in the wilderness), prep your onions and beef jerky.
When the oil in the pot is hot (you can add a test piece of onion to check it out), add the large portion of your sliced onions. Stir for a minute, letting them caramelize. In the meantime, prep your beef jerky, and add that to the pot. Let cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on how hot your campfire is.
Add enough water to the pot to meet your soup preferences, and bring to a boil.
Add in the seasoning packet, the ramen noodles and vegetables (we used the leftover Tuscan kale from Joshua Tree!) and cook per package instructions.
When the noodles are cooked through…
Sprinkle the raw onion over the top, squeeze in the lime juice…
And serve your pho ramen in front of the campfire!
The textbook definition of a “happy camper,” with her pho ramen right here:
If you like our camping pho ramen and want to go bigger and make a real bowl of pho, check out Sarah’s pho recipe here! We also have an Instant Pot Pho recipe to satisfy your authentic pho craving that much faster.
Next post: Somewhere in the Woods: Sequoia National Park.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ a red onion, thinly sliced and divided into two portions––one large and one small
- ¼ cup sliced beef jerky
- Enough water to cook the noodles per package instructions
- 1 packet of beef-flavored ramen
- 1 handful of any kind of leafy green vegetables
- Juice of half a lime (feel free to add more or less to taste)
- Put your pot over the flame, and add the oil.
- When the oil in the pot is hot (you can add a test piece of onion to check it out), add the large portion of your sliced onions. Stir for a minute, letting them caramelize. Add the beef jerky and cook for 2-4 minutes.
- Add enough water to the pot to meet your soup preferences, and bring to a boil. Add in the ramen seasoning packet, ramen noodles, and vegetables and cook per package instructions. When the noodles are cooked through, sprinkle the raw onion over the top, squeeze in the lime juice, and serve!
Fernando @ Eating With Your Hands says
I have never been attracted to camping or doing anything in the great outdoors really. Then again, nobody proposed making this amazing ramen neither. That would definitely make me consider going camping!
Kaitlin says
Camping is completely underrated! I think you’d enjoy it :)
Corinne says
First off, love the pictures that accompany this recipe. What’s in the fridge? Left over beef jerky from a beach trip today. Making this for Sunday lunch tomorrow.
Rob says
I connected with this as a camper, as a long-ago child, as a parent and as a cook. The photos could be my brother and I fifty years ago. Thanks so much for writing this one.
Kaitlin says
We’re so happy to hear that, Rob. That’s exactly why we love sharing these stories! Sounds like it’s time for a camping trip :)
My Linh says
Just like any Vietnamese person would say: no better Pho than my dad’s. But my gosh, this looks so good too! Especially for “camper food”. P.S I’m secretly addicted to anything noodles/ramen..
Kaitlin says
This can’t touch your dad’s pho, but it’s a pretty good shortcut in a pinch :)
G. Poon says
Hey! What was I having for lunch as I was reading this very blog post?
PHO RAMEN!
It is one of my favorite quicky lunches. I use some broth that I have in the refrigerator, add a cup or so of water, enough to cook half a pack of ramen noodles, and set it on a hit burner on the stove. Meanwhile, beef gets thin-sliced (SHARP chef’s knife) and tendinous or fatty bits get thrown into the broth as it warms up, so they cook as it comes to a boil.
I like Napa cabbage in this. The thin, leafy parts go into a big bowl. The thick white stems get set aside to go into the pot later.
Once the broth is boiling, half a package of ramen goes into it. After two minutes I add the Napa cabbage stems. I get out some fresh bean sprouts and put them into the big bowl, then pour the boiling broth, noodles, and tendinous beef into the bowl. The thin, leafy parts of the Napa cabbage, the thin-sliced beef, and the bean sprouts cook in the hot broth. I adjust the seasonings…a little housin, some Sriracha, lime juice, whatever…and eat!
Where does the broth come from in the first place? I save it from my last bowl of pho ramen! There is always enough left to make up about half of what I need for my next bowl, and it gets reboiled anyway…and that’s no more than a few days later. I learned this from my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. One day the owner, noticing that I had eaten all the STUFF and left the broth, suggested I take it home to make my own soup!
The fresh vegetable, beef and the seasonings I add are enough to make up for the water I add. If you drink more of the broth than I do, you could use the ramen seasoning pack to taste, but I don’t need to. They don’t get thrown out, though. I save those and use them in other cooking instead of plain salt. They add flavor and for equal seasoning they have less sodium than plain salt.
I’ve taken this simple pho ramen soup traveling, too. I made it for relatives I was visiting. Only problem was that in their backwater town, I could not find fresh bean sprouts. Most stores, even the Indian grocery (no Asian grocery there) did not carry them. One place tried to sell me alfalfa sprouts. The one supermarket that was supposed to have them, according to the shelf tag, had yakisoba noodles in their place on the shelf! I had to make do with shredded iceberg lettuce. This town was so embarrassing, it was right in a big metropolitan area and didn’t have fresh bean sprouts…I won’t shame the place by naming it…okay, I will, it’s Bensalem, PA, right across the city line from Philadelphia!
The soup was still good…but next time I go to Chinatown in Center City Philadelphia, first!
Kaitlin says
WOW! You’ve got your process down pat. This is awesome. Nice to see how enterprising people hack food :)
Trudy says
I’ve never been much of a camper, but I love reading your stories! This sounds delicious enough to try for a quick meal at home! And I had to laugh at your story about eating the chickens while camping – I did a double take for a minute because it reads like you ate your cousin as well as the chickens ;) Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your camping trip!
Kaitlin says
Hahaahahah, thank you for the grammar check, Trudy! I adjusted the wording ;)
Amy @ Pressure Cook Recipes says
Hi Kaitlin,
LOVE your camping stories and pictures. Reminded me the times we’ve roasted chickens in the wild. Oh, and they were indeed really good!! Don’t worry, you guys weren’t the only strange Chinese family! hehehe~ ;)
Ha! Instant ramen is always on our to-bring list when we camp too!! Somehow they’re particularly yummy as a siu yeh midnight snack. lol~
Anyway, we’ve never tried adding beef jerky (which I LOVE) to Instant ramen before. Gotta try that next time!!!! :D
Amy
Kaitlin says
the *times* you’ve roasted chickens in the wild? DANG, you’re on another level! We’re big believers that ramen is on the borderline between meal and snack. ;)
C Austin says
Love this post! What great memories you girls have. And now you’re making more. Especially love the pictures. And what’s not to like about the recipe. Looking forward to your next post.
Kaitlin says
Thanks so much for the kind comment!
Ed Comeau says
Having done a lot of camping & back packing, I would make a sugestion for the campfire.
Make old key hole fire ring, then burn your wood over the large space. Move the coals into the narrow part & cook over the coals. It will keep you pot & pans much cleaner & easy to clean.
Kaitlin says
Hi Ed, that is excellent excellent advice! And much needed after some struggles we had on the second leg of our trip in Sequoia National Park!
Wendy M says
I absolutely LOVE your post! Great ideas in making instant ramen, better and different! As I type this, my son and husband are out camping. My son is allergic to stuff in instant ramen, but oh, the idea of this is so awesome. We are car campers, so our camping menu Involves good food. Love the one pot meal that includes greens! Love ramen! As I said to someone, good food makes great memories! Thanks for the post! Have a get time!
Kaitlin says
Hi Wendy, thanks so much! I hope your family enjoyed their adventure! (also, secret: we’re car campers too now :) Definitely much easier to plan elaborate menus! Thanks for the kind comment!