Miso piñon ramen

Ramen is a Japanese broth noodle soup, that actually originated from China! It became popular in the US, in the form of “instant ramen” – dried noodles with flavor packets, as I’m sure we all have had them before. In more recent years, a less instant version of ramen has become popular in the US. The kind with deeply flavorful broths, chewy noodles, and lots of fun toppings.

The key is in the broth!

The key to ramen is to have a really good broth, it’s the foundation for the flavor and mouthfeel. If you want to try making bone broth, we’ve got a video here! You can also buy broth at any grocery store, but try to find a quality broth. You can use any type of broth – beef, pork, chicken, vegetable – just know that flavor will be your foundation.

To add some more depth to our broth, we add roasted garlic – if you’ve never roasted garlic before, this may just change your whole life. We’ll blend the garlic with some piñon nuts, which adds toasty, creamy thickness to the broth. Lastly, we’ll add miso paste, which is a creamy paste of fermented soy beans. Miso adds a depth of umami and a hint of sweetness. So, combine the broth, roasted garlic, toasted piñons, and miso – you’re looking at a pretty tasty broth.

When we make our bone broth, we add kombu, which is a common ingredient is ramen, and other Japanese dishes. If you’d like to read more about using kombu to make what is called a dashi broth, check out this blog post from Just One Cookbook.

Our version adds roasted piñons and garlic, which adds creaminess and depth to the ramen. And the miso adds saltiness with a hint of sweetness. This ramen used some traditional Japanese flavors but also brings in a New Mexican twist with the pine nuts.

Another important aspect of ramen are the topping! You’ve got lots of options here. I always love to add a soft boiled egg, kimchi, seared mushrooms, and green onions (all pictured above).