Quick 15-Minute Beef Ramen with Pickled Cucumber

In a small non-metallic bowl, combine the sliced cucumber, rice wine vinegar, and caster sugar. Set aside to lightly pickle while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Bring 300ml of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the ramen paste and add the noodles. If you are using kale, add it to the pan now as it takes longer to cook. Cover and simmer for 1 minute less than the package instructions on the noodles.

While the noodles are simmering, toss the thinly sliced steak with the remaining 1 teaspoon of ramen paste until evenly coated.

Add the seasoned steak to the noodle mixture and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Let it stand, covered, for 1 minute—the residual heat will perfectly cook the thinly sliced beef. If using spinach, pak choi, or cabbage, add them to the pan now and let stand for another 30 seconds until wilted.

Serve the beef and noodles in a deep bowl with as much broth as you like. Top with sesame oil, chilli oil, soy sauce, sliced spring onions, and the pickled cucumber along with its pickling liquid.