30-Minute Shoyu Ramen

This Is the Soul-Warming Ramen You Need Right Now.

Sometimes you just need some tasty ramen in your life, but you’re not quite desperate enough to resort to a season packet. Then again, to make ramen at home the traditional way can take quite a while. The broth, called dashi, is traditionally made using kombu (dried kelp) and bonito flakes (dried, smoked, and sometimes fermented tuna). These ingredients help give the broth lots of umami flavor, but can be hard to come by on the road. This recipe is a relatively quick compromise. It uses fish sauce to get that umami fishiness and depth of flavor in an ingredient that you can find at most supermarkets.

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PREP TIME
5 minutes

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COOK TIME
25 minutes

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YIELD
4 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 shallot, finely minced

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1-inch piece of ginger, minced

• 4 oz sliced crimini or white button mushrooms (about 1 cup)

• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (See Note 1)

• 1 tbsp fish sauce (See Note 2 for a vegetarian/vegan substitute)

• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (See Note 1)

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce

• 1 head bock choy stalks, cut in half lengthwise

• 4 oz sliced shitake mushrooms

• 4 to 6 oz of dry ramen noodles (See Note 3)

Optional Additional Toppings

• Toasted sesame seeds

• Soft boiled egg

• Sliced scallions

• Sliced grilled 5-spice chicken

Directions

1. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the shallot starts to soften.

2. Add the sliced cremini or button mushrooms and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to brown.

3. When the mushrooms have some good color on them add the vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce.

4. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 18 minutes. At this point, add the bok choy and sliced shiitake mushrooms. Blanch the bok choy in the broth for about 2 minutes, then remove the stalks and divide them among the serving bowls.

5. Add the dry ramen noodles and cook in accordance with the package directions.

6. When the noodles are done, divide them between the four bowls, then pour the broth over top, making sure each bowl gets some of the tasty shiitake mushrooms.

7. Serve with the additional toppings of your choice.

Notes

1. I usually use homemade vegetable broth in all of my cooking, and I don’t add any salt. The broth that you get at the store has a fair amount of salt in it. So does soy sauce, even the low sodium stuff. If you are using store-bought broth, start with just 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and taste the broth for salt levels before adding any more.

2. The fish sauce can be omitted in this recipe to make it fully vegetarian/vegan, but I highly recommend leaving it in. If you do end up leaving it out, try to track down some kombu and add a couple of sheets in with the broth. Just make sure to remove them before serving.

3. The amount of dry noodles that you use will depend on how you like your ramen and the size of the package you get. If you like more noodles, go with 6 oz. If you like more broth, use 4 oz.