Tomato of the Sun
Tomato-Cheese Ramen:
For sauteeing:
1 tsp olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes*
2 cloves garlic
Handful of spinach leaves
Then add:
600 ml water
2 blocks/packets chicken stock*
1 large chicken breast, cubed or sliced
1 spinach stalk
1 celery stalk (if desired)**
Season with:
basil
2 tbsp sake or red wine**
onion powder (optional)**
red pepper (optional)**
salt & pepper (optional)**
chili oil (optional)**
tomato paste (optional)**
Finally:
ramen noodles (cooked, 3-5 minutes)
1/4 cup mozzarella or similar melting cheese
1 tsp parmesan**
Directions:
Sautee garlic, tomatoes and spinach in olive oil. Add the water, stock, chicken and greens, then seasonings, and simmer for 15 minutes or so.
Add the cooked noodles and cheeses on top and allow to melt into the soup. Eat with chopsticks and a ramen spoon if available.
Use the leftover soup, cheese and bread crumbs over rice in a buttered dish, and bake it for delicious rice casserole!
—This recipe is adapted from a tomato nabe recipe to resemble Taiyo no Tomato’s. Marked differences are:
*Taiyo Tomato broth uses a stock made of a pork/chicken/salt mixture
*Taiyo uses tomato sauce rather than diced tomatoes
*Taiyo does not use the ingredients marked by double asterisks
*The website cites 小松菜 (mizuna) but the leafy vegetable at the restaurant appeared to be spinach
http://taiyo-tomato.com/menu/ramen.html#ramenCheese
Taiyo Official Ingredient List:
原材料： ナチュラルチーズ (natural cheese), 鶏もも肉 (chicken thigh), 小松菜 (mizuna)
【国産】 ：無農薬 (organic) サラダ油 (salad oil), にんにく (garlic), バジル (basil), 塩タレ (salt dripping?), 鶏のパイタンスープ (chicken ‘paitan soup’), トマトソース (tomato sauce), チャーシューのタレ (char-siu [roast pork] drippings), 豆乳麺 (soy noodles)
Eggplant Variation (remove basil, cheese and mizuna):
なす (eggplant, sliced), 江戸菜 (edona - Japanese mustard spinach) 根深ねぎ (green onion, finely chopped)
Egg Variation (remove basil & cheese)
鶏卵 (raw egg, scrambled and stirred into the soup at the very end), 江戸菜 (edona), 黒こしょう (black pepper)
At-Home Takeout Version:
Sautee garlic, eggplant, green pepper and zucchini in olive oil, add a dash of salt & pepper. Add the soup broth and bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes before adding noodles and chopped scallions.
太陽のなす野菜麺
オリーブオイルでにんじん、なす、ピーマン、ズッキーニを炒め、塩・コショウで少々。十分に火が通ったら、スープの素とお湯を加える。ひと煮立ちさせたら、ゆでた麺と合わせ、きざんだ長ネギを添えてできあがり！
