Japanese Ramen Noodle Soup (Printable version)
A comforting Japanese noodle bowl with rich miso broth, tender pork, and classic toppings.
# What you need:
→ Broth
01 - 6 cups chicken or pork broth
02 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
03 - 1 tablespoon miso paste
04 - 2 teaspoons sesame oil
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, sliced
07 - 1 tablespoon mirin
→ Noodles
08 - 14 ounces fresh ramen noodles
→ Toppings
09 - 2 soft-boiled eggs, halved
10 - 7 ounces cooked pork belly or chicken breast, sliced
11 - 3.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
12 - 1 sheet nori, cut into strips
13 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
14 - 3.5 ounces bamboo shoots
15 - Corn kernels, to taste
16 - Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
# How To:
01 - In a large pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced ginger, sautéing until fragrant and lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
02 - Pour in the chicken or pork broth, soy sauce, miso paste, and mirin. Stir until the miso dissolves completely. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes to develop depth of flavor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and return the clarified broth to the pot to keep warm.
03 - Prepare the ramen noodles according to package directions until tender but still firm. Drain thoroughly and divide evenly among four serving bowls.
04 - Soft-boil the eggs by lowering them into gently boiling water for exactly 6 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath. Once cooled, peel and halve lengthwise. Slice the cooked pork belly or chicken breast and shiitake mushrooms. Cut the nori sheet into strips and thinly slice the spring onions.
05 - Ladle the hot strained broth over the noodles in each bowl. Arrange the sliced meat, halved eggs, mushrooms, nori strips, spring onions, bamboo shoots, and corn kernels on top. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately while piping hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The miso and soy sauce combination creates a broth that tastes like it simmered all day, even though it only takes twenty minutes.
- Toppings are completely flexible, so you can use whatever is in your fridge and still feel like you made something special.
02 -
- Do not let the miso boil vigorously after you add it because high heat kills the delicate flavor and leaves you with something flat.
- Warm your serving bowls with hot water before assembling because cold bowls steal heat from the broth and lukewarm ramen is a disappointment.
03 -
- Marinate your soft boiled eggs in a mixture of soy sauce and mirin for at least two hours and you will have something that elevates the entire bowl.
- Slice your pork belly thinly and sear it in a screaming hot pan just before serving so the edges get caramelized and crisp.