The bright side of being broke? Cup o’ Noodles. The downside? Cup o’ Noodles. Food52’s Gabriella Paiella gives the college standby a grown-up boost: five flavorful ramen recipes that will have you draining the bowl, not your bank account.

Nothing is quite as emblematic of broke as a cup of instant ramen.

And the truth is, it’s not so bad. But it’s got nothing on real ramen: oversize, steaming bowls of savory broth and satisfyingly chewy noodles, with a spectacular assortment of proteins, and a perfectly soft-boiled egg swimming on top.

Assembling your own fancy ramen at home takes time. But it will certainly be more satisfying than boiling water and pouring it into a Styrofoam cup.

A heads up: Before you start, invest in miso paste. It’s not cheap, but I promise that it will quickly become a workhorse in your kitchen, adding next-level flavor to everything from roasted vegetables to soups and salads.

Every ramen recipe I’ve come across is slightly varied. But here are the basic tenets:

1. Boil and drain a package of ramen noodles. You can even use the instant variety if you’d like, sans weirdo MSG packet. Drain and set the cooked noodles aside for later in the recipe.

2. Roast your selected vegetables, and cook your meat. A little bit of sesame oil goes a long way.

3. Bring your stock to a boil and place a few tablespoons of miso paste in an empty bowl. You can’t just mix the miso directly in, so remove about a quarter cup of boiling water and whisk it together with the miso paste, then pour that back into the larger pot. Keep it at a simmer.

4. Soft-boil an egg — about six minutes should do it. If you’re feeling ambitious, marinate it as the Japanese do.

5. Put your ramen, vegetables, meat, and egg in a bowl. Garnish with sliced scallions and ladle in your broth. Top with a healthy dose of Sriracha.

Need inspiration and detailed instructions? Here are some recipes to get you started:

Bacon and Egg Ramen

Spicy Miso Ramen Express

Mushroom Ramen

Chicken Miso Ramen

Miso Ramen with Chicken and Tofu

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Photos: Courtesy of Food52