If you’re an Asian kid like me – or have good taste 😉 – you probably grew up on Cup Noodles, Shin, Sapporo, Ichiran (these are packaged ramen companies incase you aren’t familiar with them).
While I still enjoy packaged ramen, nothing beats the authentic flavors you find in restaurants. There are certain ramen spots in Japan that I dearly miss and can never fully replicate at home, no matter how hard I try. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to create a delicious, restaurant-quality bowl of ramen in your own kitchen.
How to Make Dashi: Japanese Cooking Stock
There are three main ways to make dashi, each with its own advantages in terms of flavor, ease, and time. I ordered them from most complex to simplest:
- Dashi from Scratch: Traditional dashi, made by simmering kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), is considered the best method. Soak the kombu in water, heat just below boiling, and add katsuobushi. This method is ideal for dishes with the purest flavor.
- Dashi Packets: Dashi packets, resembling tea bags, contain dried kombu, katsuobushi, and sometimes shiitake mushrooms or dried sardines. Just simmer the packet in water for a few minutes for a quick and flavorful broth. Buy dashi packets here from one of my most recommended dashi brands, Kayanoya.
- Instant Dashi (Hondashi): Instant dashi, often called hondashi, is a granulated or powdered form of dashi. Just a spoonful dissolved in hot water creates a quick and flavorful stock. This option is convenient and ideal for busy days. Buy hondashi here.
What Noodles to Use
In Japan, ramen noodles are often made from scratch. The process is an art. The noodles are typically crafted by hand or with a noodle-making machine. The resulting noodles have a perfect balance of firmness and elasticity. While making noodles from scratch can be a rewarding process, it’s not always practical. That’s why I love using J-Basket’s ramen noodles for my homemade bowls.
These noodles (available on Amazon and at most Asian markets) have that same authentic texture and chewiness you’d find in a Japanese ramen shop, making them my go-to choice at home. They’re made with high-quality ingredients that mirror the traditional noodle-making methods.
While nothing beats the experience of freshly made noodles, J-Basket’s ramen noodles are the closest I’ve found to the real deal at home.
Miso Ramen
- Total Time: 15 minutes
Description
Miso ramen is a Japanese noodle soup flavored with miso paste, offering a rich, savory broth often complemented by toppings like pork, vegetables, and a soft-boiled egg.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 5 cups dashi
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tbsp doubanjiang (adjust to desired spice preference)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- Pepper, to taste
- 2 servings ramen noodles
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- To a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of neutral cooking oil, along with the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant.
- Add in the dashi and allow to come to a simmer. Add in soy sauce, miso paste, doubanjiang, sugar, pepper, and sesame oil until well combined and dissolved.
- Cook the ramen noodles and divide into serving bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles.
- Add your desired toppings. Some popular options: sliced green onions, soft-boiled eggs (visit my link here to learn how to cook them – I have an easy recipe to air fry them as well!), sliced cooked chicken or pork, nori seaweed, sliced bamboo shoots, corn kernels, mushrooms, etc. To cook my chicken, I simply cooked 1 chicken thigh (per serving) for 5 minutes on high heat on each side, with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce added after flipping twice (2 tablespoons total).
- Serve hot and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
What are the main types of Ramen bases? Like besides miso what types are there?
Hi Felix – there’s so many! Soy sauce, shio (salt), tonkotsu, curry… all are so good in my opinion!
The miso base felt rich without needing a ton of broth simmering time.
I’m so glad to hear! Thanks for sharing, Selena! 🙂