Japanese Ramen Noodle Soup (Printable Version)
A comforting Japanese noodle bowl with rich miso broth, tender pork, soft-boiled eggs, and assorted fresh 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 oz fresh ramen noodles
→ Toppings
09 - 2 soft-boiled eggs, halved
10 - 7 oz cooked pork belly or chicken breast, sliced
11 - 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
12 - 1 sheet nori, cut into strips
13 - 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
14 - 3.5 oz bamboo shoots
15 - Corn kernels, to taste
16 - Toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced ginger, sautéing until fragrant and lightly golden, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
02 - Pour in the chicken or pork broth, soy sauce, miso paste, and mirin. Stir well to dissolve the miso. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes to develop depth of flavor. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove solids and return the clear broth to the pot. Keep warm over low heat.
03 - Prepare the ramen noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and divide evenly among four serving bowls.
04 - Soft-boil the eggs by gently lowering them into 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, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and spring onions. Cut the nori sheet into strips.
05 - Ladle the hot strained broth over the noodles in each bowl. Arrange the sliced meat, halved eggs, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, nori strips, spring onions, and corn kernels on top. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately while steaming hot.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The broth alone will make you close your eyes and exhale slowly, which is really the highest compliment any soup can receive.
- It looks intimidating but comes together in under an hour, and the toppings are basically an excuse to raid your fridge and get creative.
02 -
- Strain the broth before serving because biting into a piece of ginger halfway through your bowl is genuinely unpleasant and completely avoidable.
- Letting the broth simmer the full twenty minutes is not optional, as anything less leaves you with a thin, uninspired liquid that tastes like seasoned water.
03 -
- Miso should never be boiled aggressively because it dulls the flavor, so add it off heat or keep the simmer gentle and patient.
- Marinate your soft boiled eggs in a mix of soy sauce and mirin for even thirty minutes and you will have the most ridiculously flavorful ajitsuke tamago imaginable.