Instant Pot Chicken and Spinach Ramen with Spicy Squash

It’s one of those cold, grey, wet January days that no matter how hard you try and amp yourself up with coffee and good music and even a workout or a swipe of lipgloss; the bed and couch call to you all day long. It is dreary. I think you would call this the January doldrums.

Days like this make me long for someplace warm and tropical to escape to. Unfortunately that’s not looking like a viable option anytime soon. So I’ll have to settle for something warm and comforting to eat and keep refreshing the Alaska Airlines book now page until the day finally comes when I can actually book that mythical trip.

Absolutely nothing compares to Ramen Ya here in Yakima but if you’ve got to make dinner at home, this recipe is an easy crowd pleaser. My kids skip the squash purely because its named squash. But that’s fine because its more for Aaron and I. This recipe leans heavily on the original recipe from Half Baked Harvest. I adapted the recipe slightly to my preferences and accessibility to ingredients. Regardless though, this is a winner of a winter recipe. It’s made in the instant pot (although you can absolutely make this on the stove or in a crockpot), it’s savory and slightly spicy and all around very satisfying. A win, fo sure, on these slow wintery days.

Chicken and Spinach Ramen with Spicy Squash

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken breast

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1/4 cup red curry paste

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 8 ounces sliced white or button mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 4 squares ramen noodles

• 3 cups baby spinach

• 1 large delicate squash

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Cilantro leaves and diced green onions for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

In the bowl of the instant pot, combine the chicken, chicken broth, 4 cups water, soy sauce, curry paste, mushrooms, ginger, Chinese 5 spice, pepper, and honey, stir well. Cover and cook 8 minutes.

On a baking sheet, toss together the squash, olive oil, additional tablespoon Chinese 5 spice, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping at least once OR until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

Release the steam and set the instant pot to sauté. Shred the chicken. Stir in the coconut milk and spinach. Then submerge noodles in the broth. Let sit 5 minutes until the noodles are soft.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with roasted squash, cilantro leaves, diced green onions and any other desired toppings. Enjoy!