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Whip up a bowl of quick and easy homemade ramen with this simple yet bold and flavorful broth. Perfect for customizing with your favorite toppings, this easy dinner will delight everyone at the table!
Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines. I love trying to recreate all of the delicious flavors at home! You should definitely give this hibachi chicken, chicken katsu, and seared ahi tuna a try!
Quick and Easy Japanese-Style Ramen
Ramen is one of my favorite comfort foods, especially when the temperatures drop! It’s important to note that this is NOT the ramen that I’m sure we’ve all had at some point in life, college days maybe? The days before a paycheck when you realize you only have a couple dollars to your name. I’m sure we’ve all had similar experiences.
This recipe is inspired by traditional Japanese ramen. I love it because it has rich, savory broth and of course – all of the delicious toppings! For my take on this recipe, I added sauteed mushrooms, bokchoy, sliced green onions, grilled chicken, and of course soft boiled eggs! The best part about making homemade ramen is that you can customize the broth and toppings exactly how you want! You’ll have to try these yakitori skewers as well for a dinner inspired by delicious Japanese cuisine.
Ingredients Needed
Here is everything you need to make the tasty, savory broth, as well as some topping ideas! The great thing about making homemade ramen is that you can customize the broth and mix and match toppings to your liking. Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Sesame Oil: Used for cooking the vegetables in. I love using sesame oil to cook with because it adds the best nutty flavor.
- Minced Garlic: Makes the broth nice and savory!
- Ginger Paste: A classic ingredient in Asian cuisine. This adds zip to the flavor of the broth.
- Sliced Mushrooms: Regular brown mushrooms work great here! You can also use shiitake mushrooms.
- Chicken Stock: Chicken broth is typically what I have on hand and great for a savory soup base. If you want your ramen to have more of the classic Tonkotsu flavor, use pork broth instead. You can also use vegetable broth as a vegetarian/vegan alternative.
- Water: Adjusts the consistency of the ramen soup.
- Soy Sauce: Add a splash for savory flavor!
- Baby Bokchoy: I love adding greens to ramen. These can be chopped or left whole. You can also use spinach!
- Instant Ramen Noodles: You only want the uncooked noodles. Throw out those seasoning packets! You can also use fresh ramen noodles if you can find them.
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
Optional Toppings
- Grilled Chicken: I added sliced grilled chicken but you can also use pork or chashu. For a vegetarian protein, try adding tofu!
- Soft Boiled Egg: A must-add for ramen.
- Sliced Green Onions: Add extra flavor to the broth.
- Sesame Seeds: For garnish and nutty flavor.
How to Make Homemade Ramen
It’s so easy! Plus, this homemade ramen comes together in less than 30 minutes, making it a great option for dinner on busy weeknights. The family is going to love it!
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the sesame oil into a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add in the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in the sliced mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
- Add Liquids: Pour in the chicken stock, water, and soy sauce.
- Simmer: Then bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Cook Bokchoy: Add the bokchoy and then simmer for an additional 2 minutes to soften the leaves.
- Add Noodles: Remove the pot from the heat. Then place the ramen noodles in the hot pot of broth. Allow the noodles to sit for ONLY a couple of minutes until they loosen and soften up. The noodles will soften quickly, so this should be done right before serving.
- Transfer to Serving Bowls: Divide the ramen, veggies, and broth evenly into bowls.
- Add Toppings: Top the ramen with sliced grilled chicken and soft boiled eggs. Then garnish with toppings of choice and enjoy!
Making Soft-Boiled Eggs
No ramen is complete without some soft-boiled eggs. I steam my eggs, and anywhere between 7-9 minutes will give a good soft boiled egg depending on how runny you want it. 7 minutes will give a pretty runny egg while 9 minutes gives a more formed center.
Ways to Customize Your Homemade Ramen
This ramen broth comes together easily and it’s so simple to customize. You’re going to love it! Homemade ramen is the perfect winter meal. It just warms the soul!
- Want to Add More Flavor to Your Broth? Just sauté some aromatics: onion, garlic, ginger, miso, lemongrass. Feeling adventurous? Add in some sliced jalapeños. But be warned, the heat can get intense with just a small amount.
- Topping Ideas: For the toppings you can really do whatever you want. We have done sliced up pork, beef, bacon, in this instance we went for chicken. Toss in some spring onion, dried seaweed, chopped red peppers, and a soft boiled ramen egg for a pretty epic flavor combo. You can also add narutomaki- these are the flat, round, pink and white fishcakes traditionally added to ramen. You can find them at your local Asian market.
How Long Does Homemade Ramen Last?
Once the noodles and all of the toppings are added, you’ll want to consume your ramen within an hour or two. If you need to store your ramen, store the noodles and broth separately so the noodles don’t get soggy.
- Storing Leftover Broth: Store broth in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
More Hearty Soup Recipes
Feeling the urge to cuddle up with some comforting soups? Here are a few more of my favorite recipes to warm you up from the inside out! They’re always a hit with everyone in my family and SO easy to make! Need more dinner inspo? Find my full list of soup recipes here.
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Easy Homemade Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth of choice
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 5-6 leaves baby bokchoy, chopped or left whole
- 4 packs of ramen noodles throw out those seasoning packets!!
- salt and pepper to taste
Toppings:
- 1 pound grilled chicken, sliced
- 2 soft boiled egg, halved
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the sesame oil into a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add in the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in the sliced mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes or until softened.
- Pour in the chicken stock, water, and soy sauce.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the boychoy and simmer for an additional 2 minutes to soften the leaves.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Place the ramen noodles in the hot pot of broth. Allow the noodles to sit for ONLY a couple of minutes until they loosen and soften up. The noodles will soften quickly, so this should be done right before serving.
- Divide the ramen, veggies, and broth evenly into bowls.
- Top the ramen with sliced grilled chicken and soft boiled eggs. Garnish with toppings of choice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
