Monsoon is surely one of the best seasons to slurp and sip on a steaming bowl of comfort but if you only have five minutes, the secret lies in using instant ramen, instant noodles, thin rice vermicelli, or fresh udon, and building a powerful flavour base directly in the serving bowl. Here are 5 delicious, lightning-fast soupy noodle recipes that beat takeout and clock in right under the 5-minute mark.

In a serving bowl, whisk 1 egg, 1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise, 1 tbsp chili oil or chili crisp, a minced clove of garlic, and the instant ramen/instant noodle seasoning packet. Boil your favorite packet of instant noodles for 2-3 minutes. Slowly ladle about 1 cup of the boiling noodle water directly into your bowl while whisking continuously to temper the egg and melt the mayo into a silky, rich broth. Drop the noodles in, top with green scallions, and dive in.

Finely grate 1 tsp fresh ginger and 1 clove of garlic straight into your bowl. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp sesame oil, a pinch of white pepper, and a handful of fresh spinach leaves. Place a nest of thin rice vermicelli into the bowl. Pour 1.5 cups of boiling vegetable or chicken broth directly over everything. Cover the bowl with a plate for 2 minutes to let the noodles soften and the spinach wilt. Uncover, stir, and serve.

Mix 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste), 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp honey with a splash of warm water at the bottom of your bowl until smooth. Drop fresh udon noodles into boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. Toss the hot noodles into the peanut sauce, add 1 cup of hot chicken or mushroom broth, and stir. Top with crushed peanuts and a squeeze of lime.

In a small pot, bring 1.5 cups of chicken broth to a boil with 1 sliced green onion, a dash of fish sauce, and a few drops of sesame oil. Drop 3-4 frozen wontons or momo and a small nest of quick-cooking egg noodles straight into the boiling broth. Cook for exactly 3 to 4 minutes until the dumplings float to the top and the noodles are tender. Pour the whole pot straight into your bowl

In your bowl, combine 1.5 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp chili oil, a pinch of sugar, and a generous pinch of white pepper. Boil instant noodles or thin wheat noodles for 2 minutes. (Throw in a few frozen peas or shredded cabbage if you have an extra 20 seconds). Ladle the hot noodle water into the vinegar base to create the tangy soup, drop in the noodles, and garnish with coriander leaves.

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