Miso Ramen

Ingredients

• 10½ ozRamen noodlesWheat noodles, cook as per package; mie or udon noodles work too
• 4 tbspMiso pastepreferably red miso, whisked smooth with hot broth
• 6⅓ cupsBrothvegetable, chicken or dashi stock as soup base
• 4 tbspSoy saucefor seasoning the broth
• 5¼ ozShiitake mushroomsliced or halved, fried or steeped in the broth
• 7 ozPak choibaby pak choi halved or cut into strips, as a topping
• 3Spring onioncut into fine rings or strips, for sprinkling
• 1 ozGingerpeeled, finely chopped or grated
• 2 clovesGarlicpeeled, finely chopped or pressed
• 4Eggboiled 6–7 minutes until jammy, halved as topping
• 4⅔ ozCarrotcut into fine sticks or diagonal slices
• 2Chillifresh in rings or 1 tsp sambal oelek instead, for heat
• 3 tbspOilfor frying aromatics, mushrooms and toppings
• 7 ozTofudiced as protein topping (optional)
• 7 ozTempehdiced, fried golden and glazed with hoisin (optional)
• 1 tbspHoisin saucefor glazing the tempeh (optional)
• 2 tbspPeanut butterstirred into the hot broth for body (optional)
• 2 tbspSesame seedstoasted, for sprinkling
• 2 tbspKimchiwith its juice for acidity and heat (optional)
• ⅔ ozKombufor a homemade vegetarian base stock (optional)
• Saltonly for the noodle water; the broth is salty enough from miso

Method

1. Clean the shiitake and slice or halve them, trim the pak choi and halve it or cut it into strips, cut the carrot into fine sticks or diagonal slices, and slice the spring onions into thin rings.
2. Peel the ginger and garlic and chop or grate them finely, then cut the chillies into rings.
3. Boil the eggs for 6 to 7 minutes until jammy, cool them under cold water, peel and halve them.
4. Cook the ramen noodles in plenty of boiling salted water according to the package instructions, then drain.
5. Heat the oil in a pan, soften the ginger, garlic and chilli briefly, then sear the shiitake over high heat. If you are using tofu or tempeh, fry it golden as well and glaze the tempeh with the hoisin sauce at the end.
6. Heat the broth until very hot. Whisk the miso paste smooth in a bowl with a little of the hot broth, stir it back into the pot, season with soy sauce and do not let the broth boil again. It needs no salt; the miso is salty enough.
7. Add the pak choi and carrot to the hot broth and let them steep over low heat for about 5 minutes.
8. Divide the noodles between four bowls, arrange the mushrooms, vegetables, tofu or tempeh and the halved eggs on top, and pour over the hot broth.
9. Scatter with spring onions, toasted sesame seeds and chilli rings, and serve straight away.

Tips and variations

Instead of ready-made broth, a homemade base is worth the effort: a vegetarian one from soup vegetables, ginger, garlic and kombu — wipe the kombu only lightly so the white bloom stays on it — or one from roasted chicken bones. Dashi works as a soup base too, then with courgette, celery and chives. Two tablespoons of peanut butter give the broth body; kimchi with its juice, or sambal oelek, make it sour and hot. Other additions: fried Hokkaido pumpkin, sweetcorn, spinach, black mushrooms or mung bean sprouts, and if you like, fried chicken strips, chicken caramelised with honey and mirin, or beef meatballs. Marinating the eggs overnight in soy sauce, mirin and ginger pays off when there is time. For the office, layer the raw ingredients, noodles and miso in a heatproof jar, pour over boiling water and let it steep for 5 minutes. Serve at once, while the noodles still have bite.