Spicy Miso Soup with Ramen

This recipe for Spicy Miso Soup with Ramen is in partnership with the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO). All views are my own.

This spicy miso soup with ramen is the best out there!

It’s a fabulous compilation of ground pork, tender ramen noodles, bok choy, shitake mushrooms and a dynamite broth made from miso paste,creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, chili garlic paste, ginger and green onion.

The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it becomes. You’re going to absolutely love it!

How to make spicy miso soup with ramen

Featured Ingredients

• Eggs: Miso soup is delicious when topped with soft-boiled eggs.
  • You can certainly skip this step and leave off the soft-boiled eggs, but they’re tender and gooey and delightful.
• Bok choy: You can use several heads of baby bok choy or one large head, and I like to thinly slice the stalk base as well as the leafy green part.
  • Use up the whole plant!
• Mushrooms: Shitake mushrooms are best for this recipe, but whatever you have on hand, toss it in.
• Green onion: You’ll use both the white and green parts of the scallions.
  • You’ll sauté the white parts in the oil with the bok choy and mushrooms and the green parts will be used as a garnish before serving the soup.
• Ground pork: A half a pound will do. It’ll be browned up in hot oil before adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Ginger: And lots of it. Grab a 3-inch piece and peel and mince it. We want a super gingery broth!
• Miso paste: Only the best miso paste from JFOODO! I used their Marukome miso for this recipe.
  • Miso adds richness, flavor, and texture to the soup broth.
• Peanut butter: Your favorite creamy natural peanut butter (I like JIF or Skippy).
• Soy sauce: Low sodium soy sauce will add another dose of umami
• Chili garlic sauce: This is a double whammy for both heat and garlic flavor.
  • Another ingredient to help take your broth to the next level.
• Toasted sesame oil: Be sure to get the toasted kind! A little bit of sesame flavor goes a long way.
• Stock: Vegetable or chicken stock are best for this soup.
• Ramen: If you use packets of ramen noodles, discard the seasoning packets.
  • We have flavor taken care of with the other ingredients!
• Garnishes: Sesame seeds and chili oil, plus the green tops of the scallions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To make soft-boiled eggs:

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and heat to a gentle simmer. Using a slotted spoon, lower the eggs, one at a time, into the water.
2. Let simmer 7 minutes. Immediately remove the pot from the heat.
3. Gently drain the hot water from the saucepan.
4. Add cold water to the saucepan and fill with ice cubes.
5. Let the eggs cool in the ice water until they are cool enough to handle.
6. Gently crack each egg and remove the shells. Just before using, slice the eggs in half.

To make the miso soup:

1. Heat the oil to medium in a Dutch oven or soup pot.
2. Add the bok choy, mushrooms and the whites of the scallions and sauté 2-3 minutes or until slightly soft.
3. Set the green parts of the scallions aside. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the pot and place them in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Add the ground pork to the pot, adding a bit more oil if needed, and sauté 7-8 minutes or until browned, breaking the pork up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
5. Stir in the ginger, salt (if using) and black pepper and sauté an additional 30-60 seconds, until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
6. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the miso paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili garlic paste and sesame oil and stir to combine.
7. Stir the mixture into the pork until combined, sauteing for about 30-60 seconds.
8. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the ramen noodles and cook 7-8 minutes. Use tongs to break apart the noodles as they cook.
9. Let the soup simmer on very low heat at least 10-15 minutes to allow the broth to develop rich flavor.
10. The longer it simmers on very low, the more flavor it will have.
11. Ladle the broth into bowls. Use tongs to distribute the ramen and vegetables into each bowl.
12. Top each bowl with the soft-boiled eggs, sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil.
13. Garnish with the remaining sliced green onion tops.

Why we love miso

• Miso adds a rich umami flavor to recipes, both meaty and plant-based
• There are several types of miso, some are deeply salty and others are slightly sweet
• Miso can be used in savory and sweet dishes
• Miso can be used in many different types of dishes, like sauces, spreads, condiments, soups, marinades, pickled vegetables, mashed vegetables, as a glaze or to add to meat and seafood while cooking.
  • It can even be used in desserts!
• JFOODO miso is my favorite miso because it’s richer in flavor than other miso pastes I have tried. Here is a link to learn more about JFOODO!
• Miso is nutritious

Nutritional benefits of miso

Miso has a host of nutritional benefits and may help build a stronger immune system and improve digestion.

Miso is a source of:

• Protein
• Probiotics (miso is fermented)
• B vitamins
• Vitamins E and K
• Fiber
• Minerals like copper, zinc and manganese

Some studies show it may help improve LDL “bad” cholesterol, may reduce blood pressure, may protect against type 2 diabetes and may also promote brain health and improve mood.

Miso is high in sodium, so those who are watching their sodium intake should be mindful of portion size.

A little miso goes a long way, though, from a flavor and nutrient perspective.

You can read more about miso, how it’s made and how to use it in recipes here!

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

• Instead of bok choy: Try it with spinach, chard or another leafy green vegetable. Frozen or fresh will work fine.
• For the mushrooms: If you can’t find shitakes or don’t like them, use sliced white mushrooms or baby portabella mushrooms.
• Instead of ground pork: Try any ground meat, such as turkey, chicken or beef.
• For the miso paste: Use white or yellow miso paste.
• For the stock: Use vegetable or chicken stock.
• For the ramen: Use any Asian-style noodle or pasta.

Nutrition Considerations

• To make this gluten free: Use tamari (gluten free soy sauce) instead of soy sauce. Use rice noodles instead of ramen. Be sure all other packaged ingredients are gluten free.
• To make this dairy free: This recipe is dairy free.
• To make this vegetarian or vegan: Use crispy tofu (see recipe notes) instead of ground pork.
• To make this nut free: Swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or tamari. Be sure all packaged ingredients are nut free. Note the recipe contains sesame.
• To make this egg free: Skip the soft-boiled eggs.

Other recipes I know you'll love:

• Tuna Cucumber Sushi Rolls
• Spicy Sesame Noodles
• Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Deconstructed Egg Rolls
• Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps   

Spicy Miso Soup with Ramen

Print Recipe

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A fabulous compilation of ground pork, tender ramen noodles, bok choy, shitake mushrooms and a dynamite broth made from miso paste, creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, chili garlic paste, ginger and green onion.

• Author: Julie Andrews
• Prep Time: 15-20 mins
• Cook Time: 40-45 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins-1 hr 5 mins
• Yield: Serves 8
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stove-Top
• Cuisine: Japanese-Style, Chinese-Style

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 heads baby bok choy or 1 medium head bok chop, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and greens separated, divided
• ½-pound ground pork
• 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup miso paste
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 6 cups unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
• 6 ounces ramen noodles (without seasoning packets)
• Toasted sesame seeds and chili oil, for garnish

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Instructions

To make soft-boiled eggs:

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and heat to a gentle simmer. Using a slotted spoon, lower the eggs, one at a time, into the water. Let simmer 7 minutes. Immediately remove the pot from the heat.
2. Gently drain the hot water from the saucepan. Add cold water to the saucepan and fill with ice cubes. Let the eggs cool in the ice water until they are cool enough to handle.
3. Gently crack each egg and remove the shells. Just before using, slice the eggs in half.

To make the miso soup:

1. Heat the oil to medium in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the bok choy, mushrooms and the whites of the scallions and sauté 2-3 minutes or until slightly soft. Set the green parts of the scallions aside. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the pot and place them in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Add the ground pork to the pot, adding a bit more oil if needed, and sauté 7-8 minutes or until browned, breaking the pork up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in the ginger, salt (if using) and black pepper and sauté an additional 30-60 seconds, until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
3. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the miso paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili garlic paste and sesame oil and stir to combine. Stir the mixture into the pork until combined, sauteing for about 30-60 seconds.
4. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the ramen noodles and cook 7-8 minutes. Use tongs to break apart the noodles as they cook.
5. Let the soup simmer on very low heat at least 10-15 minutes to allow the broth to develop rich flavor. The longer it simmers on very low, the more flavor it will have.
6. Ladle the broth into bowls. Use tongs to distribute the ramen and vegetables into each bowl. Top each bowl with the soft-boiled eggs, sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil. Garnish with the remaining sliced green onion tops.

Notes

Serving Tip: Serve with seared cubes of tofu, if desired. To make them, remove a block of tofu from the package. Place it on a plate between two kitchen towels with a heavy pot sitting on top (this will dry out the tofu). Let it sit at least 1 hour. Cut the tofu into cubes. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the tofu and sear on each side 1-2 minutes or until a brown crust forms. Season with salt and black pepper as it cooks. (You may have to cook the tofu in batches as to not overcrowd the pan.) Add the seared tofu cubes to the bowls of miso soup as a garnish.

Cooking Tip: Creating a paste of miso, peanut butter, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil and adding it to the pork to sauté (prior to adding any liquid) allows the development of richer flavors than if you were to add the paste directly to the broth. The more you can layer flavors during the cooking process, the more flavorful the soup will be.

Cooking Tip: As soup sits, it will become more flavorful. It makes for great leftovers!

Storage Tip: Store the soup in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 5 days. The soft-boiled eggs are best to use shortly after cooking and are not best when stored. Make fresh soft-boiled eggs just before serving the soup leftovers. Store the sesame seeds separately and garnish just before serving.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
• Calories: 306
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 643mg
• Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 11g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 16g
• Cholesterol: 206mg