How to Make Miso Ramen

Miso ramen is a highly diverse dish that can be found in many variations. However, the foundation of the dish consists of a deliciously flavoured broth with fresh ramen noodles and toppings like egg, spring onion, nori, and corn. The unique broth has a savoury, nutty flavour and the noodles are chewy and bouncy, rather than soft and yielding.

With just a few basic ingredients, anyone can make miso ramen at home. In fact, the entire dish can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. The recipe consists of just three main components: noodles, soup, and toppings. 

While each component can be made from scratch, it is faster and more convenient to use some pre-packaged foods, such as packaged ramen which typically contains two to three servings of dry noodles and a concentrated soup base. Miso, a fermented soybean paste, is also a key ingredient.

How to Make Miso Ramen

Bring tasty miso ramen from the stove to the table in under 30 minutes with this simplified recipe. Remember, toppings are optional and meats and vegetables can be substituted for other options based on preference.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• ½ piece ginger
• ½ shallot
• 8g toasted white sesame seeds
• 8g roasted sesame oil
• 56g ground pork
• 3g Toubanjaing
• 25g white (shiro) miso OR red (aka) miso if you prefer a stronger taste
• 8g sugar
• 8g sake
• 177ml chicken stock/broth
• 3g sea salt
• Pinch of white pepper powder

Toppings (optional)

• 150g fresh noodles or 90g dry ramen noodles
• Spicy bean sprout salad
• Chashu pork
• Nori (seaweed) (Cut a sheet into quarters)
• Ramen egg (ajitsuke tamago)
• Finely sliced spring onion whites 
• Green onion (chopped)
• Tinned or fresh sweetcorn

Instructions:

1. Mince the garlic, shallot, and ginger into a bowl.

2. Grind the sesame seeds but leave some of the seeds unground for added texture.

3. Add sesame oil to a medium-size pot and place over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic, shallot, and ginger to the pot. Use a wooden spatula to stir until fragrant.

4.  Add the ground pork and raise the stove to medium heat. Cook the meat until it is no longer pink.

5. Add toubanjiang and miso and blend well with the ground pork.

6. Add the sugar and ground sesame seeds and combine.

7. Add the chicken stock and sake. Bring the contents of the pot to a simmer.

8. Add salt and white pepper to taste. 

9. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the soup to simmer.

10. Fill another large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Once done, strain the excess water from the noodle pot.

To Serve

Add a portion of the noodles to a serving bowl. Pour some ramen soup over the noodles and place the desired toppings on top. Serve immediately. 

Tip: If you don’t have time to make Miso Ramen from scratch, use a miso ramen soup concentrate. Just mix the soup concentrate with hot water, add noodles, and you have delicious ramen ready in minutes.