Miso is everywhere you look in the land of the rising sun – the salty umami flavour is a favourite in Japanese cuisine, from fine dining to street food. Nowhere, though, is the seasoning more popular than in the revered miso soup.
Bri Beaudoin uses white miso (it has a milder taste and lighter colour than the more popular red miso) in her Vegetarian Miso Ramen soup recipe in her new Evergreen Kitchen cookbook. She then adds 1 tbsp. of Indonesian sambal oelek hot sauce for a hit of bright spice. She’s also created a list of toppings for mixing and matching. We recommend adding the almost-hard boiled egg for an extra protein boost.
The broth can be made up to three days in advance – just store the broth in an airtight container in the fridge and prepare the noodles and toppings when you’re ready. – Bobbe Hayes
Spicy Miso Ramen Soup
Ingredients
miso ramen
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 4 large eggs
- 5 tbsp white miso
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 10 oz or 283g dried ramen noodles
- noodles
Toppings (Optional)
- smoked tofu thinly sliced
- watercress or baby spinach
- scallions thinly sliced
- toasted sesame seeds
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Start the Miso Ramen: In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to let the flavours infuse.
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs and set aside toppings: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Gently lower the eggs into the water. Adjust the heat, if needed, to maintain a gentle boil and cook the eggs for 6 1⁄2 minutes (adjust timing based on your desired doneness). Fill a small bowl with ice water and gently lower the eggs into the bowl to cool. Peel the eggs and set aside other toppings.
- Blend and season the soup: Working in batches if needed, transfer the soup to a high-speed blender. Add the miso, sesame seeds, sesame oil, sambal oelek, and rice vinegar. Blend until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the soup back into the pot, cover with the lid, and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
- Cook the ramen noodles: Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. (Be careful not to overcook.) Drain the noodles.
- Assemble: Divide the noodles among bowls, then ladle the soup overtop.
- Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Garnish each bowl with 2 egg halves and toppings of choice.