Ingredients
Scale
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
- Red pepper flakes, to taste (I used about ½ teaspoon)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste (or more to taste)
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or to taste – the miso already adds quite a bit of salt)
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 cups ramen noodles (use fresh if you can – dried work in a pinch, just make sure to discard the included seasoning packet)
Toppings:
- 2 cups stemmed and chopped baby spinach leaves
- 1 shallot, very thinly sliced
- Soft-boiled or poached eggs (I usually do 1 egg per person)
- Chopped scallions
- Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Place a pot over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Render until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside (this will be used as a garnish).
- To the drippings, add the ginger, garlic, and lemongrass and sauté for 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes and stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer for 30 minutes and then strain out and discard the aromatics (garlic, ginger, and lemongrass). Stir in the miso paste, soy sauce, vinegars, and toasted sesame oil and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Make the soft-boiled/poached eggs at this point but do not drain the water when finished. Instead, return the water to a simmer and cook the ramen noodles for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- To serve, divide the baby spinach, shallot, and the cooked noodles between two bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and top each bowl with the crisped bacon, soft-boiled eggs, scallions, and hot sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from here.
Ingredient notes:
- If you cannot find fresh lemongrass in your grocery store, check the Asian/International aisle for jarred lemongrass in water. Works in a pinch!
- Miso paste can be found in the produce or refrigerated section of most grocery stores. You can also order it online. It has a strong flavor with a super salty punch, so start out with a little bit and add more as needed. I found that 1 tablespoon was perfect for me.
- The original recipe called for Chinese Black Vinegar, which I could not find anywhere for the life of me (except on Amazon). Not needing a millionth bottle of something in my pantry, I made do with a mix of balsamic and rice wine vinegars. While not as authentic, it still tasted great!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: soup
Keywords: homemade ramen recipes, easy ramen, bacon and egg ramen, comfort food soups, healthy ramen