Ramen is a flavoursome Japanese noodle soup. During our trip to Tokyo, this delicious dish was one of our favourites, perfect for the cold weather. Today we want to share with you our healthy Japanese ramen recipe, using buckwheat noodles.
There are different versions of the Japanese ramen, depending on which region in Japan you are at, but all of them are typically available throughout the entire country:
- Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is especially famous for its miso ramen. This recipe is typically topped with sweetcorn, butter, bean sprouts, finely chopped pork, and garlic. Sometimes they also add local seafood such as scallop,squid or crab.
- Tokyo style ramen consists of slightly thin, curly noodles served in a chicken broth with soy flavour. Some usual toppings are chopped scallion, sliced pork, egg and spinach. Ikebukuro, Ogikubo and Ebisu are three areas in Tokyo known for their ramen.
- Yokohama ramen is called Ie-kei. It consists of thick noodles served in a soy-flavoured pork broth. The standard toppings are roasted pork, boiled spinach, often with shredded onions and a soft or hard-boiled egg.
Healthy Japanese Ramen
Buckwheat noodles is another name for soba noodles, a type of noodle that became popular in Japan at the end of the 19th century. Made from buckwheat flour, these noodles are fat- and cholesterol-free. They're a good source of nutrients like manganese, lean protein and carbohydrates. Plus, soba noodles are gluten-free!
Ingredients:
- 4 packs buckwheat Ramen (soba) noodles
- 250g spinach
- 4 soft-boiled eggs
- 110g shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 250-500g small chicken thighs
- 500g Brussels sprouts, ends removed and cut in halves
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chilli paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- Sliced carrots, green onions, jalapeños, chilies, basil, coriander, limes, for serving
Method:
*Roasted Brussels Sprouts*
- Preheat the oven to 180°C degrees.
- On a large baking paper sheet, toss together the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, miso paste and pepper until the Brussels sprouts are well coated.
- Spread the sprouts in an even layer and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the Brussels sprouts are slightly caramelised.
*Ramen*
- Place a large soup pot over medium heat and add the sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute and then slowly pour in the chicken broth.
- Add the mushrooms, soy sauce and chilli paste.
- Bring the soup to a boil, add the chicken and then simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is well-cooked.
- Remove the chicken from the soup and add the spinach. Shred the chicken into pieces.
- Return the chicken to the soup along with the ramen noodles. Cook until the ramen is just soft, about 2 minutes.
- To serve, divide the soup among the bowls. Top with soft-boiled eggs and sprinkle the eggs with pepper.
- Add the sesame seeds and roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Enjoy it hot!
We hope you enjoy this healthy recipe of Japanese ramen! Do you have any other Japanese recipes that you would like to share with us? Tell us in the comments section below!
どうぞめしあがれ / Douse meshiagare! (Enjoy your meal!)
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