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

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Course Soup

Cuisine Japanese

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.