Spicy Miso Ramen

Ramen is one of my favorite comfort meals and this recipe makes it very simple for me to make it during the weekday and customizable to eat all weekend.

Miso ramen is one of my favorite cheat meals because it isn’t always kind to the gworls with tummy problems- but it’s SO good. Did you know that miso ramen only dates back to the 1950s in Japan? Me neither.

Now, by all means, this is not an authentic Japanese ramen recipe.

However, it tastes just like my favorite ramen dish at Ima and that’s all that matters to me. (lol)

I like to start by getting my marinated eggs ready which I do by boiling eggs for about 6-7 minutes, submerge in cold water before peeling them, and then submerging them in a quart container or bowl of 1 cup dark soy sauce, 1 cup rice wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. I let these sit in the marinade for at least an hour or while the broth simmers.

Toppings:

My favorite part is that the possibilities are endless! I love to stop by my favorite Asian market and grab crispy garlic + shallots, seaweed chips, toasted sesame seeds, and sometimes dried shrimp. Don’t forget to grab lots of green onions to garnish.

I love to make an easy chicken stock broth with 2 parts chicken or bone broth and 1 part water with a tablespoon of bonito soup stock, Dashi. Allow the broth to simmer for at least 1 hour for a rich flavor. The fermented fish dried fish stock will add the umami flavor for a great miso soup or stir-fry. You can make just enough for a bowl of miso ramen or do like me and make enough to have ramen for at least two weekends in a row. I wouldn’t store it for longer than 2 weeks, though!

Next, you’ll need to make the spicy miso paste which consists of white and red miso paste, chili paste, onion, garlic, ginger, dashi, and sesame oil. Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and combine until it becomes a thick paste. Once the broth and paste are ready for serving, I add the cooked ramen and shrimp to a bowl with a tablespoon of the spicy miso paste and pour the broth on top. Allow the paste to distribute through the broth, top and you’re ready to enjoy miso ramen at the crib. In Japan, this “paste” is called Tare which means “sauce” and is used to season miso broth.

What You Need:

Miso Paste.

• 1/2 cup of white miso paste

• 1/2 cup of red miso paste

• 1/3 cup of red chili bean paste

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of dashi granules

• 1 small onion

• 2 tablespoons of ginger paste

• 3 tablespoons of sesame oil

• 3 tablespoons of sesame paste

Broth.

• 6 cups of chicken broth

• 3 cups of water

• 6 to 8 garlic cloves

• 2 tablespoons of dashi flakes

For Ramen.

• Ramen Noodles of your choice, I love Kyoto noodles and I use about 2 bundles per bowl.

• Soy-marinated eggs, sliced in half

• Oyster Mushrooms, cut into thin strips for topping

• Roasted or Fresh Corn, corn is so great in ramen- I love to keep a bag of frozen corn in my fridge to add to meals. You can use canned if that’s what is available.

• Baby Bok Choi, I like to saute with my mushrooms of choice in my wok before preparing ramen- although they can be enjoyed raw.

• Shrimp or Prawn, saute shrimp in salt and pepper or togarashi in a saute pan or wok.

• 1 to 2 bunch of Green Onion, thinly diagonally sliced.