The Little Blog Dress: Grown Up Ramen with al fresco #Giveaway

Columbia Crest is partnering with al fresco all natural, America’s #1 chicken sausage brand, to help you wine and dine better by pairing al fresco’s favorite seasonal dishes with the perfect Columbia Crest wine.

You can enter to win an ALL-EXPENSE PAID trip to the Columbia Crest Winery in Washington State. All they have to do is ‘Like’ al fresco on Facebook and submit the required form as directed!

I was asked to create a recipe and pairing for this contest and I think you are gonna really like what I came up with. There is something very satisfying about being able to pull off grownup Ramen Noodle soup using al fresco dinner fully cooked chicken sausage.

This is my variation of the recipe originally from Cooking with Beer.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole Medium-sized Carrots, Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced

1 teaspoon Salt + More As Needed
1 teaspoon Pepper + More As Needed
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Fresh Parsley, Chopped + More For Garnish

4 cups Beef Broth
1 cup Water
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Sriracha
Two packets of ramen noodles
One package of al fresco dinner fully cooked chicken sausage.

2 whole Hard Boiled Eggs For Garnish
¼ cups Green Onions, Chopped For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes or until you begin to smell the garlic. Now, add the beef broth, water and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the Sriracha, noodles, and sausage and continue to simmer until the noodles are al dente, about 6-7 minutes (or according to package instructions for al dente).

Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt, pepper and/or Sriracha. Serve hot and garnish with hard-boiled eggs, green onions and parsley.

I chose to pair this with a delicious red wine-Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, look at all the cute things they sent me to make my summer dining complete!