Miso Ramen Japanese Soup

By
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka is a freelance food writer and Japanese cookbook author.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/15/21
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Miso Ramen Japanese Soup

The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
335 Calories
15g Fat
34g Carbs
17g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 335
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 2521mg 110%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 31mg 156%
Calcium 97mg 7%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 483mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Miso ramen is a Japanese noodle soup with a broth seasoned with miso and served with a variety of vegetables and garnishes. The miso broth recipe for this dish is made from a combination of the chicken base, ground pork, and vegetables, while the noodles are fresh, pre-made chukamen Chinese-style noodles that cook quickly and taste quite good.

Some garnishes you may want to offer alongside the ramen include chopped green onion, hard-boiled egg (or soy sauce egg also known as shoyu tamago), fish cake (kamaboko) slices, roasted white sesame seeds, pickled bamboo shoots (menma), kikurage wood ear mushrooms, and boiled spinach.

1:27

Click Play to See This Traditional Miso Ramen Recipe Come Together

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"The miso ramen soup was satisfying and had excellent flavor. It was a very easy recipe to prepare and cook, and fast enough for a quick lunch or dinner. A sliced soft-boiled egg on top adds extra protein, or you could garnish it with chopped scallions or sesame seeds." —Diana Rattray

miso ramen soup with chopsticks and spoon
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon canola oil

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

  • 2 ounces ground pork

  • 2 ounces (1 small) carrot, cut into thin strips

  • 5 ounces (1 cup) bean sprouts, rinsed

  • 4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) chopped cabbage

  • 4 cups warm water

  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (or chicken base)

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

  • 4 tablespoons miso paste

  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 2 (5-ounce) packages fresh chukamen Chinese-style ramen noodles, or 2 (3-ounce) packages of dried ramen noodles

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Miso Ramen

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  2. Heat canola oil in a large deep skillet or a wok over medium heat. Add minced ginger, garlic, and ground pork to the skillet and saute until pork is done, about 5 minutes.

    Minced pork in a skillet

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  3. Add carrot, bean sprouts, and cabbage to skillet with meat, and saute together for a few minutes until vegetables are tender.

    Sauteing ramen ingredients

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  4. Pour warm water into the skillet. Season with chicken bouillon powder or chicken base, sugar, and soy sauce, and bring the soup to a boil.

    Soup ingredients in a skillet

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  5. Turn down the heat to low and melt miso paste in the soup. Add sesame oil, and then turn off the heat.

    ramen noodles in a bowl

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  6. In the meantime, prepare noodles. Boil water in a large pot. Put chukamen noodles into boiling water and cook for a few minutes, until noodles are al dente, or reach desired firmness. Drain noodles well and serve in two deep soup noodle bowls.

    Miso Ramen Japanese Soup in a bowl

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

  7. Pour the hot miso soup mixture with pork and vegetables over the noodles. Add optional garnishes, as desired.

    Miso Ramen Japanese Soup served with an egg

    The Spruce / Sonia Bozzo

Tips

  • If a Japanese or other Asian grocery store is not available to you, try substituting the fresh chukamen noodles with the dried noodles for making instant ramen. If you opt to use dried noodles for this recipe, toss out the seasoned soup base enclosed with the dried noodles as you will be making a delicious miso broth instead.

Recipe Variations

  • Substitute ground pork with ready-made, thinly sliced char siu pork from the deli section of your local Japanese or Asian market. Other types of ground meat also work, such as ground chicken, ground turkey, etc. If you like shredded chicken, this may be used as well.
  • For the miso paste, try white miso or awase miso which is a mixture of red and white miso paste.

How to Store

  • Miso Soup can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.
  • Ramen noodles should be kept in a separate container and will be freshest for 2 days. They can be kept longer but will tend to dry out.
  • You may freeze the soup (without the noodles) in a freezer container or zip-close freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Does miso paste go bad?

Miso paste is a fermented food and is best stored in the fridge. Miso can last for up to 6 months or longer. Discard miso paste if the flavor or smell is off or there are signs of discoloration or mold.