Simple Spicy Miso Ramen
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Ingredients
- 7 oz. dry ramen noodles or 14 oz. fresh ramen
- 3.5 oz. protein of choice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
For the spicy miso tare:
- 3 Tbsp. red miso paste
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. garlic minced
- 1 tsp. ginger minced
- 1 tsp. gochujang paste
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp. red chili flakes
- 1 Tbsp. tahini paste
- Toppings of choice see above
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the red miso paste, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochujang, sugar, sesame oil, chili flakes, and tahini. Mix until combined.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan or pot over high heat. Cook your protein of choice with 1 teaspoon of ginger for about 3 minutes or until browned. Turn the heat to medium and add the miso tare. Mix well.
- Pour in 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth and stir until the miso tare dissolves, creating a thick soup base. Then add the remaining broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Portion the cooked ramen noodles into four serving bowls. Pour spicy miso broth over the noodles until almost covered.
- Top with your ramen toppings of choice (I used bean sprouts, soft-boiled eggs, green onions, nori sheets, beni shoga, corn, butter, and atsuage).
Nutrition
Spicy miso ramen is an easy homemade ramen recipe that you can whip up within 15 minutes. This simple spicy miso ramen recipe is a comforting, flavorful, and satisfying meal that also happens to be healthy and easily made vegetarian or vegan.
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Miso Ramen Recipe
Now, you may be wondering, what does spice miso ramen taste like? Will I like it? Well, if you love miso-based ramen, then there’s no doubt. But even if you’ve never tried it, let me convince you.
This recipe uses a rich miso tare base for the broth that encompasses all the flavors in perfect harmony. You’ve got umami, sweet, salty, spicy, creamy, and even a little tanginess from beni shoga (iconic pickled red ginger).
Spicy miso ramen is entirely customizable, but we’ve included toppings and additions to guarantee a delicious meal. We’ve also got plenty of ideas in the Notes & Substitutions section that you won’t want to miss.
This spicy miso ramen is chock-full of vegetables and also gut-healthy thanks to the miso (made from fermented soybean paste). Who doesn’t love a delicious meal that is also yummy in your tummy?
With our recipe, you can easily make spicy vegan miso ramen or vegetarian miso ramen. We’ll show you how you can still get all the umami while following your dietary needs. Let’s go!
What Do I Need For This Spicy Miso Ramen Recipe?
To make the best spicy miso ramen at home, you’ll need to make a miso tare (a concentrated flavoring agent added to Japanese soups like ramen), get some good quality ramen noodles, and choose your favorite ramen toppings.
For the noodles:
- 7 oz. dry ramen noodles (or 14 oz. fresh ramen)
For the protein:
- 3.5 oz. protein of choice (minced pork, beef, chicken, or tofu)
- 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian)
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
For the spicy miso tare:
- 3 Tbsp. red miso paste (or a mix of red and white miso or just white miso for a milder flavor)
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. ginger, minced
- 1 tsp. gochujang paste (or Doubanjiang if you can find it)
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp. red chili flakes (or gochugaru flakes)
- 1 Tbsp. tahini (sesame paste)
For the miso ramen toppings (your choice):
- Moyashi (bean sprouts)
- Tamago (soft-boiled eggs)
- Green onions, diced
- Nori sheets (cut into squares)
- Beni shoga (red pickled ginger)
- Corn (fresh, unfrozen, or from a can works)
- Butter (1 tablespoon per person)
- Bamboo shoots
- Chicken cutlet, pork cutlet, or fried tofu (atsuage)
How To Make Spicy Miso Ramen At Home
Step 1: Prepare the noodles
If you’re using dry ramen noodles, prepare them according to package instructions. Drain them and set them aside.
Note that fresh noodles will take less time to cook. But you still want to boil them in water before adding the broth to release excess starch.
Step 2: Make the miso tare
In a small bowl, add the red miso paste, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochujang, sugar, sesame oil, chili flakes, and tahini. Mix until combined.
Step 3: Sauté the protein and mix with miso tare
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan or pot over high heat. Cook your protein of choice with 1 teaspoon of ginger for about 3 minutes or until browned. Turn the heat down to medium and add the miso tare. Mix it well.
Step 4: Pour the chicken or vegetable broth
Pour in 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth and stir until the miso tare dissolves, creating a thick soup base. Then add the remaining broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat.
Step 4: Assemble the Spicy Miso Ramen Bowls
Portion the cooked ramen noodles into four serving bowls. Pour spicy miso broth over the noodles until they’re almost covered.
Step 5: Garnish with desired toppings & enjoy!
Top with your ramen toppings of choice. I used bean sprouts, soft-boiled eggs, green onions, nori sheets, beni shoga, corn, butter, and atsuage from a local Asian market.
Notes & Substitutions
Make sure you don’t overcook the noodles or burn the miso tare. This spicy miso ramen comes together in less than 15 minutes, but you do need to supervise the entire process.
Wondering which ramen noodles are the best? It all boils down to personal preferences. Check out our ramen noodle guide to learn more about the types of ramen noodles, how they’re made, and which may be your favorite.
This recipe is easily made vegan by choosing tofu as your protein, vegetable instead of chicken broth, and soy sauce, amongst other ingredients. You can also use vegan butter to top the corn kernels. It’s the next best thing!
If you follow an omnivorous diet, you can up the flavor and use ground pork as the protein, mentsuyu instead of soy sauce, and chicken broth. Soy sauce already adds plenty of umami, but mentsuyu contains dashi which takes the umami to new levels.
You can learn more about miso in our article about Miso Storage. We also mention how the fermentation process or Maillard reaction can render different types of miso: intense red miso, mild creamy-yellow miso, and slightly sweet white miso.
Instead of topping your ramen with chashu, chicken cutlet, or atsuage, why not try something a little unconventional? Top your spicy miso ramen with Japanese chicken karaage, grilled shrimp, or BBQ pork belly burnt ends instead.
Some other amazing vegan topping ideas include vegan shrimp, crispy chickpea tenders, pan-seared vegetables, or miso-glazed tofu. Check out the next section for more ramen-topping ideas.
What Toppings Go With Miso Ramen?
Check out our article to learn more about the types of ramen broths and the best ramen toppings. I’m adding a few more ideas for the best toppings for spicy miso ramen here:
- Ramen eggs or Atjitsuke Tamago – eggs marinated in a soy sauce based sauce.
- Raw or blanched bean sprouts.
- Chashu – braised pork belly.
- Tofu or seitan cubes – either raw, baked, or pan-fried.
- Mushrooms and other pan-seared veggies.
- Shiraga negi – julienned white negi/leeks.
Of course, sweet corn, butter, nori sheets, and chopped green onions are arguably essential. But you’re welcome to get creative and add any toppings of your liking.
