Miso Ramen
This Miso Ramen is packed with flavor and it’s the perfect bowl of comfort. Best of all, it’s super easy to make at home!
Table of Contents
Soup for the Soul, and the Gut!
A delicious bowl of soup with dual purpose.
Like any good bowl of Ramen, this soup offers up all the comfort you need. But thanks to the Miso broth, it also supports gut health.
Miso is rich in probiotics which helps reduce the risk of inflammatory bowel disease and other issues with the digestive system.
What Is Miso Ramen?
In Japan, there are 3 basic Ramen soup flavors:
- Shoyu (soy sauce)
- Shio (salt)
- Miso (fermented soybean paste)
Miso Ramen broth is made up of miso paste and chicken stock. Because of the miso, the soup has a rich and velvety mouthfeel that brings together a mix of creamy and salty goodness.
It’s incredibly comforting and offers a healthy dose of protein and immune-boosting properties!
Types of Miso Paste.
In the US and Canada, Miso is categorized by color. The color is indicative of the length of fermentation and the depth of flavor—a paler miso will offer up a mild flavor whereas a darker miso is more concentrated.
Here’s a bit of a rundown:
White Miso (Shiro Miso)
This variety is made with less soybeans and a higher concentration of koji.
It has a pretty short fermentation period and is described as mild and sweet, which makes it ideal for soups, marinades, or vinaigrettes.
Yellow Miso (Shinshu Miso)
This variety is fermented for longer than white miso. It also contains more soybeans and barley.
As far as flavor goes, it’s definitely saltier and more acidic than white miso, but still acts as a flexible flavoring component in soups, stir-frys, or even compound butter!
Red Miso (Aka Miso)
It goes without saying that this darker variety has been fermented the longest and offers up a very concentrated flavor compared to its lighter counterparts.
It’s salty, tangy, and pungent, but awesome for adding flavor to heartier dishes.
And remember, with this one, less is more!
Mixed Miso (Awase Miso)
This miso offers up a blend of white and red miso so that you can take advantage of the delicate flavor of white miso with the richer, punchier taste of red miso.
It acts wonderfully as a multipurpose flavoring and it very popular in Japanese cooking because it’s so flexible.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
When it comes to building a Ramen bowl, I’m all about you having some of your own creative input.
There are a variety of ingredients that are suitable toppings for Ramen soup, and part of the fun is deciding on these for yourself!
I’ll list the important stuff, like what it takes to make the broth, and then I’ll list some suggestions for toppings.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ramen noodles (fresh are best, but Instant is fine)
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Sesame seeds
- Sesame oil
- Chili bean paste (La Doubanjiang)
- Miso paste (I use Awase here)
- Sugar
- Vegetable broth
- Sea salt
- White pepper
Ramen bowl toppings:
- Soft-boiled egg
- Fish cakes
- Scallions
- Nori (dried seaweed)
- Chili sauce, like Sriracha or Sambal Oelek
- Corn
- Carrots
- Sesame seeds
- Cooked bok choy
How to Make Miso Ramen.
Ramen bowls are complex in appearance, and sometimes the grocery list can look a little intimidating if you’re unfamiliar with cooking Japanese dishes at home.
But let me assure you that it’s easy, and you can totally do it!
Here’s what you’ll do to make this Miso Ramen:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger and shallot, and sauté everything until fragrant—about 2 minutes. Stir often to avoid burning.
- Bring the spicy bean paste, miso paste, and sugar to the pot, and stir to combine everything well. Then add the sake, vegetable broth, sea salt, and white pepper.
- Bring everything to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, get your Ramen toppings ready!
- Cook your noodles as per the instructions on the package, then drain them well and place them into bowls.
- Ladle the broth over the noodles, add your toppings, and dig in!
Useful Tools for This Recipe:
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Microplane
- Spoon or spatula
- Saucepan
- Soup ladle
- Ramen bowls set
Recipe Tips + Tricks.
- When choosing your Miso paste, remember that the darker the color, the more concentrated the flavor is. You’ll want to keep this in mind when adding miso paste to your broth. If you’re using darker miso, less is more, so add small amounts at first.
- For a nice and jammy soft-boiled egg, place an egg into a saucepan filled with water and bring it to a boil. Let the egg boil for 3-5 minutes, depending on how jammy you want it.
- To toast sesame seeds, put them in a dry pan and let them heat up over medium-low. Keep a close eye on them, shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so. When the sesame seeds are fragrant and toasty, they’re done.
Have You Made This Recipe?
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More Soups You’ll Want to Slurp:
Miso Ramen
Ingredients
Miso Ramen.
- ¾ lb fresh Ramen noodles or 2 packages of instant Ramen
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Chili Bean Sauce/Paste (La Doubanjiang)
- 3 tbsp miso paste *See notes
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sake
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Toppings to consider.
- Fish cakes
- Soft-boiled egg
- Sliced scallions
- Nori (dried seaweed)
- Radishes
- Sesame seeds
- Chili sauce Sriracha or Sambal Oelek
- Corn
- Carrots
- Cooked bok choy Pan-fried, grilled, or steamed
Instructions
- Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Bring the garlic, ginger and shallots to the saucepan and sauté everything until fragrant—about 2 minutes—stirring often.
- Add the spicy bean paste, miso paste, and sugar to the pot. Stir to combine, then add the sake, vegetable broth, sea salt, and white pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and let it go for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, get your Ramen toppings ready.
- Cook your noodles as per the instructions on the package, drain, and place them into bowls. Ladle the broth over the noodles, add your toppings, and dig in!
Notes
- Miso paste: the darker the color, the more concentrated the flavor. Keep this in mind when adding it to your broth.Â
- Soft-boiled egg: put an egg into a saucepan filled with water and bring it to a boil. Let the egg cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on how jammy you want it.
- Toasted sesame seeds: pop them into a dry pan and let them heat up over medium-low, shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so. When the sesame seeds are fragrant and toasty, they're done. Watch them closely, or they'll burn.
91 Comments on “Miso Ramen”
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I made this ramen for dinner last night and my family devoured it! So flavorful and delicious!Â
Love all the flavors and textures in this homemade miso ramen. It’s comfort food at it’s best.
I’ve been wanting to make my own ramen for years. Thrilled to find this recipe and already have my grocery list ready to go!
The best ramen. My hubby has asked for it again soon!
Beautiful! I love the ingredients and appreciate your tips and suggestions. Another winner from the amazing Dana. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely delightful Asian inspired soup! I refuse to eat ramen any other way now!
This ramen is a favorite in our house lately! I’ve made it several times and my whole family loves it!
I made this miso ramen for dinner last night and my family loved it! Definitely a new favorite in our house!
This is so comforting on a cold winter’s day and filled with so much good stuff! So many good-for-you ingredients in one bowl.
Absolutely!
I can’t wait to dig into a big bowl of this flavorful and comforting soup again.
It’s the best :)
I love ramen and this was the perfect recipe!
Thank you!
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! So hearty and delicious; worthy of a restaurant, indeed!
Thanks so much, Wendy. I appreciate that!
So delicious! This was my first time making ramen at home and I was so impressed with myself! lol Thanks for the easy-to-follow recipe.
Haha, I still feel that way every time I make a bowl. They’re really fun to top off and make pretty ;)
A delicious and healthy bowl of comfort. Perfect for curling up under a blanket and watching a movie.
The best kind of comfort :)
This Miso Ramen made me go Oooo and Ahhh!
Thank you!
Haha, you’re very welcome Charles!
What great flavors in this Miso Ramen. It’s hearty, comforting and wonderful.
Thank you!
This was such an easy and delicious ramen; exactly what I needed on a rainy day! Definitely, a new favorite; my whole family loved it too!
So happy to hear this, Sara!
Totally in love with the combination of flavors in the recipe here. Thanks for sharing , Making this soon
Thanks!
Literally so cozy and DELISH. My sister loves this recipe too!
Love to hear it!
Hearty, comforting and great flavors. I could go for a big bowl of this right now.
I’m craving it too ;)
This might be the best ramen I’ve ever had! So much umami flavor and so comforting. Definitely a repeat recipe!
Thanks, Maryanne!
I added a soft boiled egg and scallions on top. This literally warmed my soul while it was snowing outside! So good!
The soft-boiled egg is the best part ;)
Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing this!!
Thank you, Alison!
I’ve never made ramen from scratch before, but this turned out perfect! Such a comforting recipe when it’s chilly out!
Oh yes. I love gloomy rainy days specifically for curling up with bowls of soup like this ;)
I love my ramen with a very strong flavor and a lot of spice, so I changed up the recipe to add a little bit more of those things. It was so good!
I’m glad you could adapt it!
I love the idea of making this at home. It’s so much better when you can add the spices to your taste!
100%!
I made this recipe for my daughter who loves ramen and it’s become a staple over here now. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thrilled to hear it :)
What can I say? It was the perfect ramen soup… I think the sesame oil and the sake are game-changers in this recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Tavo! Glad you enjoyed it.
This is my new favorite Ramen recipe! I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome!
Loved this ramen soup! It was so comforting to have since it’s been a little chilly.
Yes! It’s such a great soup to curl up with :)
I kind of did this the other day. I had leftover ramen and takeout miso soup and combined them, and it was delicious! :)
Perfect!
So easy and tasty! The whole family loved it. Will make again!
Awesome to hear, Kris!
I had most of these ingredients at home already and found this to be so easy and so delicous!
That’s awesome, Ashley!
Love this delicious ramen! It looked a little intimidating at first glance but it was really easy to throw together for dinner tonight!
Ramen can totally look intimidating. A lot of complex flavors and eye-catching garnishes! But it’s so easy to bring together. So glad you went for it!
delicious Miso Ramen recipe. I was looking for a comfort bowl of noodles and came across this recipe. awesome! pinned
Excellent!
Miso is such a great flavour and these noodle bowls have endless possibilities. What a great weeknight dinner.
I too really love the rich flavor of a miso broth :)
This recipe is so delicious! We love ramen, so I made up a big batch of this last night. It’s all gone. LOL
Haha, you are MY kinda people!
Made this for lunch this week and it made my work week a little bit happier! Thanks for sharing!
Love this! Happy it made you happy :)
I love how healthy this dish is without lacking flavor!
Yes!
This is so tasty, easy and so beautiful! Going to try all the Misos! Yum!
They are definitely all worth trying!
Love Ramen, but have never made it at home. You make it seem easy and the pics are motivating. Thanks for the share Dana! P.S. Red-face – I’ll be eating this with a fork/spoon.
Thanks, Diane! I’m so happy that you found the post to be motivating. That’s an important aspect of this series for me — getting people to just go ahead and do it. And hey, a fork and spoon work! Chopsticks are easy once you get the hang of them, but until then, fork it :)
Yes! to all of this. I mean, ramen, right?! I love Asian flavours, so this looks perfect for a comforting dinner on a cold night.
Thanks, Gabby! Ramen for life, yo. That’s definitely the one plus about chilly weather — soup all day, every day.
I LOVE your photos in this post! They are so vibrant, and that ramen looks delish! I tried clicking on you Instagram link and it didn’t work, so you might want to check the URL. :)
Thanks so much Shareba! Gah, thanks for pointing that out. It’s linking to my old account. I’m going to have to go back and fix them all. Weekend project, haha :)
Dana, I’m LOVING this series! I’m looking forward to every part more and more. I love how you’ve made the recipes simple and to the point, yet packed with amazing detail and care. No crappy shortcuts – just good, honest food. Great job.
Thanks so much! I’m really happy with how it’s turned out so far. Kicking it off was so nerve-racking, but now I’m just pumped. I want to honor these dishes the way they deserve to be, and I want to motivate people to try for themselves!
I love soups like this. Hearty, simple and best of all comforting. The perfect all in one meal!
Thanks Markus! I agree wholeheartedly. A big bowl of soup is one thing, but a big bowl of homemade soup is a whole other level of awesome. You can just feel it nourishing you as you devour it.
Your photos are beautiful and you’ve presented the ramen so tastefully. I’m looking forward to following your series as it continues.
Thanks so much, Teresa! I’m so thrilled to have you on board for this series. It’s my first series, and a huge one at that, but people like you keep me going <3
What adorable, bright photos! I could use a bowl of this Miso Ramen for lunch!
Thanks, Bernice! Once you make one of these bad boys at home, you’ll be making them on the regular. It’s ridiculous how often I crave a big bowl of ramen — whether it be miso *or* shoyu :)
Ramen has always seemed like something that’s super difficult but you’ve made it look very simple and approachable. Love how this looks too!
Thanks, Amanda! I always thought the same, and when I decided to make it from scratch I thought it was going to be a messy scene, but it was super easy — not to mention a ton of fun to garnish.
Perfect healthy and warming soup to relax the stomach before the big excess of christmas! Never had fried fish cake… I’ll have to try it out! Beautiful recipe, once more! Great job!
Oh, the fried fish cakes are oh-so-good. I usually find mine in the frozen section at my local Korean market, and then I broil them for a few mins. to puff them up and slightly brown them. Dee-lish!
Thanks so much, Marie! I appreciate your constant support!