Step 1

Place flavor base and flavor extras in the bottom of the cup: If it's a paste, like soup stock or miso paste, spread it around a little so it dissolves more easily once you add the hot water. Also add any flavoring extras.

Step 2

Top with filler ingredients: Scatter your filler ingredients over the top of the paste. It's OK if they get mixed in with the flavor base and extras.

Step 3

Add the noodles: Pack the noodles down so they're fairly compact. It's fine if they stick together — they will un-stick once you add the water.

Step 4

Finish with the fresh ingredients: If you'd like to keep these from getting mixed into the hot soup, pack these into a baggie that can be removed just before you add the water.

Step 5

Seal and refrigerate: Place the lid on the container and refrigerate for up to a week. Use a dry-erase marker or masking tape label to write the contents of each jar so you can easily grab whichever combo of ingredients you want that day. (It's best to keep the jars refrigerated until you're ready to eat, but it's OK to stash them in your bag for up to two hours.)

Step 6

Top with hot water: When you're ready to eat, unscrew the lid and pour enough boiling water over the top of the noodles to cover.

Step 7

Cover and steep: Place the lid back over the container. Let the soup steep for 2 to 3 minutes. The ingredients should be warmed through, but the soup is still nicely hot.

Step 8

Stir thoroughly: Reach your chopsticks or fork deep into the cup and stir everything around thoroughly to mix the flavor base into the water and mix the filler ingredients into the noodles. (Alternatively, you can pour the soup out into a bowl and mix everything there.)

Step 9

Eat right away! If you kept your fresh ingredients separate in a bag, scatter them over the top of the soup before eating.