Miso ramen is one of my favorite soup noodle dishes! I think you’ll love the savory and nutty flavor of the broth. This is an easy ramen recipe anyone can make at home – and it only takes a few minutes!
Ramen is extremely versatile. In Japan, there are many different types of ramen available depending on what city you are visiting.
For example, if you travel to the south around Fukuoka, you will find that tonkotsu ramen (pork base broth) is their pride and specialty. Tonkotsu ramen wins my heart every time because it was the first flavor of ramen I ever tasted. My mother is from the south of Japan, so I was introduced to flavors from the Kyushu area at an early age.
Make your way towards the middle of the archipelago and you will taste shoyu ramen (soy sauce flavored ramen) in Tokyo.
Miso ramen is king in Hokkaido (the northern tip of Japan).
In all those different places, you will also encounter noodles that differ in width and length – and toppings ranging from corn, pork belly, pickled eggs, fish cakes (kamaboko) and bamboo shoots to name a few. Now for this miso ramen recipe, I’m using instant noodles because they’re the most easy to find pretty much no matter where you live. However you can use fresh noodles as well.
And to make the cooking process even easier, Ben and I made a video showing you how to make miso ramen from scratch.
Miso Ramen Ingredients
Napa Cabbage: Shredded or finely chopped cabbage adds a nice pliant crunch to the dish.
Carrots: Peeled and cut into thin strips, carrots will soak up the flavor of the broth while lending their fantastic sweetness.
Vegetable Oil: Any neutral oil will work for this miso ramen recipe.
Garlic: Great for a funky, sweet, pungent kick.
Scallions: There’s nothing like finely chopped green onions to add a summery, fresh element.
Dry or Fresh Ramen Noodles: Your choice. Fresh is my usual preference, but dry works surprisingly well (more on this in a sec).
Low Sodium Chicken Stock: Since we’re using miso paste in the soup base (which is quite salty), low sodium chicken stock will add a savory element without becoming overpoweringly salty.
Boiled Eggs: While this is an optional topping, once you have ramen with a boiled egg, you’ll never go back! Check out my ramen egg recipe here.
Miso Tare: For this recipe, I’m using a mixture of miso paste, mirin, sake, ginger and sesame oil. More on this in the next section!
Making the miso tare
Tare (垂れ) – pronounced ta-ray – is a Japanese term used to describe dipping sauces in dishes such as yakitori, nabemono, and gyoza. But when it comes to ramen, the word tare defines the flavor of ramen broth being served.
For this recipe, I’m using:
Miso Paste: This fermented soybean paste delivers deep earthy and umami flavors, with a slight hint of sweetness around the periphery. I use awase miso which is a blend of red and white miso. Read all about miso paste here.
Mirin: A sweet and tangy Japanese rice wine.
Sake: Another rice wine with a drier, salty edge to it.
Ginger: Fresh ginger lends its slow burn to the flavor profile without causing it to become spicy.
Sesame Oil: Toasted and nutty, sesame oil latches on to savory flavors so well. A little goes a long way!
Some recipes include sugar and soy sauce but I wanted to keep mine as simple as possible. You can obviously drizzle a little soy sauce later on if you feel like it.
Once the tare is made, it’s mixed with chicken or vegetable stock to create a cloudy ramen broth infused with umami and nuttiness.
How to make miso ramen
Mix the ingredients for the miso tare in a bowl and set aside.
In a medium sized pot, heat up chicken stock.
Then in a separate pot, bring about 6 cups of water to boil.
In the meantime, in a medium sized pan over high heat, add oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add cabbage and carrots and cook for 2 minutes until carrots are tender but still yielding a crunch. Set aside.
When water is boiling, add ramen noodles and cook. Follow the instructions on the package (usually about 3 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Stir well and top with scallions, cabbage, carrots and pickled ramen eggs. Serve hot.
Best Noodles For Ramen
If you haven’t made ramen at home before, you might be feeling a little confused about what type of noodles you should be using.
The general rule of thumb when it come to choosing your ramen noodles is to pick thick noodles for lighter broths and thin noodles for heavier broths. This way you get a nice balance of heavy and light in your bowl.
Tonkotsu ramen → thin noodles
Shoyu ramen → thick noodles
Best Noodles for Miso Ramen
I personally prefer thinner noodles for miso ramen. But in the end, it all boils down to what you like. Don’t fret too much and go with what you are craving.
Should I use dry or fresh noodles?
Again, that’s a personal choice.
I usually go for fresh noodles. But as you can tell from the images and video from this post, I’m just as happy using dried noodles when we run out of fresh ones. The best noodles are labeled ラーメン in the Japanese katakana syllabary. Fresh ramen noodles can be found in most Japanese supermarkets.
If you can’t find ramen noodles you can always grab a package of Chinese or Korean egg noodles, fried or dried, from your local Asia grocery store.
Miso Ramen Toppings
As you can see, this recipe is easy to prepare! While the suggested toppings below are optional, I highly recommend you try them!
One of my favorite things to do to is to add a ramen egg since they are so delicious and marry so well with the flavors of the overall dish.
Other options include:
Bean Sprouts
Shiitake Mushrooms
Menma (Seasoned Bamboo Shoots)
Chashu (Sliced Pork)
Chopped Scallions
I also personally like adding pan fried cabbage and carrots because they bring a different texture to the dish and make it more nutritious.
Now, those are all considered pretty standard ramen toppings. Ultimately, you can use whatever you want for ramen toppings since it’s your own yummy bowl. Have fun with it and make it as yummy, as crazy, or simple as you want.
Other Delicious Japanese Recipes to Try at Home
If you liked this miso ramen recipe, there’s more where that came from! Check out a few other yummy Japanese favorites:
Did you like this HomemadeMiso Ramen Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comment section below!
I recently developed a serious allergy to all legumes (so soy and every other kind of bean) and have been missing good ramen. Just as an experiment, I tried this recipe subbing shio koji with a dash of mushroom powder for the miso and Sriracha with a little Maggi seasoning (the red cap version) for the tobanjan. It was delicious! Not as good as it would’ve been with real miso, I’m sure, but still fantastic. Thank you!
I made this ramen tonight- it was filling and delicious! I had to make a couple of substitutions (bok choy instead of Napa, rice wine vinegar instead of mirin, dry sherry instead of cooking sake) but nonetheless it was packed with flavor and very satisfying- not to mention super easy to do. Thank you
That was unbelievable and so delicious! Easy too. Thank you for this recipe. I found fresh ramen noodles at my local asian grocer. I couldn’t find the Korean Bean Chili paste but subbed with a Chinese version. I even made the Ramen Eggs from your recipe. I’m in love with those and this dish. Slurpy heaven. 🙂
L.O.V.E. this recipe! I make it all the time now when I need a Japanese noodle fix (I lived in Japan for 3 years and now I can’t go long without a ramen boost). I was a little nervous about making ramen at home, but it’s a super easy recipe. (honestly, the video gave me the courage I needed to fire up the stove top… haha!)
Could I still make this dish if all my grocery store has is “minute miso”? (Made by Hikari) If so, how would I subtitle for it? I know it’s more of a liquid than a paste.
I would love to make this, so I have the minute miso can work!
Hi Crystal! I have never tried minute miso but after doing a bit of research I think you can use it and get a similar taste. You will need to use more of it to get the same flavor so I would suggest you try using 1/2 cup of minute miso for the miso tare and start with 1 cup of chicken broth per bowl (instead of two). Slowly adjust the flavor after taking a few sips until you are happy with the taste. Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you so much for responding! I managed to find both red and white miso paste after searching a couple times. Ends up they needed to restock it! This dish was great! I added a little bit of spinach, baby portobello mushrooms, couple pieces of pork and a delish medium cooked egg. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Caroline Caron-Phelps is a Japanese/French Canadian recipe creator, food blogger, and photographer. She showcases delicious, authentic Asian recipes, especially Japanese, vegan, and vegetarian, with beautiful photography, easy-to-follow instructions, videos, and practical recipe variations. Caroline has been featured on Bon Appetit, Shape Magazine, Self, Today Show, and more.
I recently developed a serious allergy to all legumes (so soy and every other kind of bean) and have been missing good ramen. Just as an experiment, I tried this recipe subbing shio koji with a dash of mushroom powder for the miso and Sriracha with a little Maggi seasoning (the red cap version) for the tobanjan. It was delicious! Not as good as it would’ve been with real miso, I’m sure, but still fantastic. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thank you so much Claire! 🙂
I made this ramen tonight- it was filling and delicious! I had to make a couple of substitutions (bok choy instead of Napa, rice wine vinegar instead of mirin, dry sherry instead of cooking sake) but nonetheless it was packed with flavor and very satisfying- not to mention super easy to do. Thank you
Thank you so much Sandra! 🙂
This has become a bit of a weekly staple for us. Very yummy
★★★★★
That was unbelievable and so delicious! Easy too. Thank you for this recipe. I found fresh ramen noodles at my local asian grocer. I couldn’t find the Korean Bean Chili paste but subbed with a Chinese version. I even made the Ramen Eggs from your recipe. I’m in love with those and this dish. Slurpy heaven. 🙂
★★★★★
L.O.V.E. this recipe! I make it all the time now when I need a Japanese noodle fix (I lived in Japan for 3 years and now I can’t go long without a ramen boost). I was a little nervous about making ramen at home, but it’s a super easy recipe. (honestly, the video gave me the courage I needed to fire up the stove top… haha!)
★★★★★
Delicious and so easy to make! I love the traditional Japanese flavors, they blend so well together. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
This was wayyy too strong with the sake. it also lacked the complex flavor I was expecting.
★★
Could I still make this dish if all my grocery store has is “minute miso”? (Made by Hikari) If so, how would I subtitle for it? I know it’s more of a liquid than a paste.
I would love to make this, so I have the minute miso can work!
Hi Crystal! I have never tried minute miso but after doing a bit of research I think you can use it and get a similar taste. You will need to use more of it to get the same flavor so I would suggest you try using 1/2 cup of minute miso for the miso tare and start with 1 cup of chicken broth per bowl (instead of two). Slowly adjust the flavor after taking a few sips until you are happy with the taste. Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you so much for responding! I managed to find both red and white miso paste after searching a couple times. Ends up they needed to restock it! This dish was great! I added a little bit of spinach, baby portobello mushrooms, couple pieces of pork and a delish medium cooked egg. Thank you for sharing this recipe!