Japanese food has become popular in the last few years and today we are going to look at an incredible dish: Ramen. It has been out for a couple years now but I hadn’t tried ramen until a few months ago. I had a feeling I would love it and I was not wrong. I quickly started making my own Chicken Ramen Recipe at home and this is the result. Today’s recipe makes the most satisfying chicken ramen you’ll ever have and is so simple to make.
The once unusual sounding dishes, such as sushi, Tempura, Miso Soup and Matcha, are now familiar to most Europeans, Ramen is slowly becoming popular thanks to ramen bars opening in European cities. Do you like Japanese food? It is delicious, nutritious, and uses super-fresh seasonal products.
But is ramen a Japanese speciality?
Ramen noodles are originally Chinese style noodles, but it was in Japan where this humble bowl of soup has evolved over the years and has almost become Japan’s national dish.
But let’s talk more about ramen. This chicken ramen is such a flavourful dish; it is made of layers of noodles, tender meat, ramen egg, veggies topped with a rich broth. The secret why ramen is so tasty is down to its complex broth. Real ramen, like the one you will find in Japan, is made with a traditional broth recipe however I created mine with chicken broth.
My version is on the table in less than half an hour because I’m using store-bought chicken broth. It might not be completely authentic, but if you buy a high quality natural broth it will be as flavourful as traditional ramen recipe.
Ramen ingredients
Before we start cooking this recipe, let’s check out some of the different Japanese ingredients & condiments used to make ramen, these are easy to find in Asian groceries:
Mirin: It’s a type of rice wine similar to sake, but with a lower alcohol content and slightly sweet. It can be substituted for rice vinegar.
Soy Sauce : It has to be made with soy beans. Cheap soy sauce often contains flour so try to get a high quality soy sauce or Tamari sauce.
Pork Belly: a much more simple alternative to pork belly is to stir fry ground pork or use chicken breast for a healthier version as I have used in this recipe.
Ramen noodles If you can’t find noodles labelled “ramen,” you can still make a bowl of ramen with any fresh or dried egg noodle you find at an Asian market. I make ramen with soba noodles (buckwheat) and rice noodles as well.
Shitake mushrooms: If you can’t find fresh or dry shitake mushrooms in an Asian market use Chestnut mushrooms instead.
Now for the ramen toppings…we can keep it traditional and add: shiitake mushrooms, pak choy, seaweeds, bamboo… or add vegetables we have in our cupboards. The choice is yours!
All in all, ramen is a soup made with noodles, but still simple in essence. I encourage you to try this easy recipe for a soul warming chicken ramen. You can tell people it’s your own recipe, don’t worry I won’t tell 😉
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Easy Chicken Ramen Recipe using high quality, store bought chicken broth. Fast to make and the most satisfying chicken soup you’ll ever have.
- 1 L chicken broth
- 3 cm fresh ginger piece, peeled and sliced
- 2 Tbsp mirin (optional)
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1/2 leek, chopped
- 200 g dried ramen noodles (can also use rice noodles or soba noodles that are gluten-free)
- 4 large eggs
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 4 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 2 (160g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- Tbsp olive or sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 Tbsp sunflower or sesame oil
- 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced (can be substituted for mushrooms)
- 5 mushrooms, sliced
- 2 pak choy (or a handful of spinach leaves)
- 1 carrot, finely sliced
- Sliced green onion for garnishing
Whisk together 1 Tbsp mirin, ¼ cup soy sauce and ½ cup water or rice vinegar. Set aside. Prepare a bowl with cold water and ice cubes (if possible)
Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs, add a splash of vinegar and bring to the boil. Gently add the eggs into the boiling water, and allow to simmer for 7’(for a slightly-runny yoke) or 8 minutes (for a soft, cooked yoke). Remove from the pot and rinse under cold water to stop the eggs from cooking further. Leave them in the bowl of cold water and ice for 4’. After 4 minutes, gently peel away the shell. Place the eggs in the marinade and make sure they are completely covered or turn then from time to time to ensure they are evenly coated. Leave to marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight for a darker colour.
In a small bowl or zipper bag mix the soy sauce, oil and chilli flakes together. Place the chicken breast inside. Mix well. Leave it in the fridge for at least 30’ or overnight.
Heat a medium skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts in the hot pan and seal for 2' on each side.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for around 10' depending on how thick your chicken breasts are. Remove from the heat and allow the chicken to rest, covered, for a further 10'.
Place the cooked chicken breast on a chopping board and wait 5' for it to cool down. Slice the chicken breast and set aside.
Combine the chicken broth, fresh ginger, garlic, leek, soy sauce and 2 Tbsp mirin (optional) in a large pot. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 15’. Set aside. Heat again just before serving.
Cook the noodles according to the package. If using ramen noodles: add the ramen noodles to a pot of boiling water, simmer for 4’. Strain and rinse under cold water and divide the noodles into 4 large bowls.
For Pak choy: cook it in boiling water for about 3’. Transfer to a bowl of ice to stop it cooking and to keep its green colour. Drain and set aside.
For the Mushrooms: sauté the mushrooms and shiitake together in a pan with a bit of oil and sliced garlic for 3-5’ until tender. Set aside.
Add half pak choi, some mushrooms and the sliced chicken to each bowl. Then pour the hot ramen broth over them. Top with fresh spring onion, carrot sticks and the soft boiled egg. Serve immediately.
*You can add whatever toppings you like to your ramen.
*If you find that the broth you are using is too salty, add more water to the ramen broth.
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