Ingredients
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into large dice
- ½ onion, peeled and cut into large dice
- ½ apple, cored, peeled and cut into large dice
- 1 celery stalk, cut into large dice
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ cup bacon fat (recommended), ghee or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 1½ cups ground pork
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kelp granules (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground sesame seed paste or tahini
- ¾ cup Shiro miso (white miso, which is lighter and sweeter)
- ¾ cup Akamiso miso (red miso, which is darker and saltier)
- 2 cups chicken bone broth or vegetable stock per serving. Note: Use either homemade stock or a high-quality store-bought variety.
- 6 tablespoons Miso Base for every 2 cups of chicken bone or vegetable stock
- 6 ounces dried or a handful of fresh noodles per serving. Note: A recipe for fresh noodles is available on my blog at BITLY.com/EPJRamenNoodles. Alternatively, fresh noodles can be purchased from a local ramen shop or specialty market.
- Dried ramen or chukka soba noodles may also be used. Gluten-free or rice ramen noodles are also available.
- Negi (sliced green onions), sweet corn, chashu (pork belly), half-cooked egg, bean sprouts, and nori (seaweed) squares for garnish
Instructions
Winters in Northern Japan are severe and the comfort and warmth of a good Miso Ramen have made it a daily staple for the people there. This recipe is for a super flavorful miso base, or misodare, that can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator (up to one week) or freezer (up to one month) to be mixed with chicken or vegetable stock and used as individual ramen soup servings or enough to feed your whole family. Whether you’re taking ramen to work for lunch or preparing it for a family meal at home, having the Miso Base on hand will be worth the prior labor because it’s practically instant to turn into ramen soup when you want it.
The quality of the miso makes all the difference here, so shop around and taste a variety of misos to find one that will add more depth.
Preparation
FOR THE MISO BASE
Winters in Northern Japan are severe and the comfort and warmth of a good Miso Ramen have made it a daily staple for the people there. This recipe is for a super flavorful miso base, or misodare, that can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator (up to one week) or freezer (up to one month) to be mixed with chicken or vegetable stock and used as individual ramen soup servings or enough to feed your whole family. Whether you’re taking ramen to work for lunch or preparing it for a family meal at home, having the Miso Base on hand will be worth the prior labor because it’s practically instant to turn into ramen soup when you want it.
The quality of the miso makes all the difference here, so shop around and taste a variety of misos to find one that will add more depth.
FOR THE RAMEN SOUP
Place a pot of water on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Have your noodles ready to place into the boiling water, but do not add the noodles until the rest of the ramen soup and toppings are ready.
Add the stock and the Miso Base to an appropriately sized soup pot and bring to a boil, constantly whisking. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer until ready to use. Right before serving, crank the heat back up to heat the soup to serving temperature.
Add the noodles to the boiling pot. If using fresh noodles, they take about one minute to cook. If using dried, they will need about two minutes. Drain the cooked noodles and fold them into individual serving bowls.
Immediately pour 2 cups of soup over the noodles. Top each bowl with desired toppings and serve piping hot.
