Caramelized Onion Miso Ramen

This ramen soup is exploding with umami. It satisfies any craving for a rich, warm asian style soup. And it couldn't be easier. Take the time to properly give the onions a deep, golden, sweet caramelization, and from there the whole soup is ready in minutes. I love to add greens for extra nutrition and depth of texture and flavor, but for the kids (who, by the way, obsessed over it!) I leave it as a simple "noodle soup".

The recipe as written is vegetarian since I use chicken stock, but this could easily be made vegan with vegetable stock, or even water. In a traditional miso soup, only water is used for the broth. If you choose to do this you may need to add an additional tablespoon of miso paste. Always taste and adjust to your preferences. For ramen noodles, I love to use the Lotus Foods brand gluten free noodles. In this recipe, I use their millet and brown rice ramen. But, use any type that you love.

Let's talk quickly about miso paste. You can get red or white miso paste. Red is stronger and saltier while the white is more mild. In this recipe I use white miso paste, so if you have or can only find red miso paste, then start by adding only 2 teaspoons instead of tablespoons and adjust. Another note about miso is that it is fermented soy. Since it is fermented, that means that if its heated for too long it destroys the good bacteria, which why would we want to do that when we are trying to be gut-healthy? For this reason I add the miso when blending the onions and add to the hot soup at the very end just before serving. Happy cooking friends!

If you make and enjoy this recipe, be sure to share the love by tagging me on Instagram @theglowblueprint and follow along on Pinterest to save this and other recipes.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 large sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp oil, such as avocado

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth if vegan)

4 inch piece dried kombu (may omit if you don't have it, but easily found on Amazon)

3 squares ramen noodles

2 tbsp white miso paste

1 cup water

2 cups spinach

Green onions, sliced, to garnish

Sriracha, to garnish, optional

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add sliced onions. Stir often until they just start to become softened around the edges, about 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and add the garlic. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking low and slow for an additional 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. You want the onions to slowly soften and turn golden then a deep golden color, almost jam-like.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock and kombu until boiling. Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer until the onions are done. Once the onions are caramelized, add ramen noodles to broth, cover, and cook according to package instructions (usually 4 minutes). Add the onions, miso paste, and water to a high powered blender (such as Vitamix) and blend to form a smooth cream. If you do not have a blender, you can alternatively use a handheld immersion blender.

When the noodles are cooked, turn off heat, remove the kombu, and add the onion miso cream. Stir.

To assemble, add 1/2 cup raw spinach to a bowl and ladle noodles and broth over the spinach. Allow the warm soup to wilt the spinach for a couple of minutes, top with sliced green onions and a touch of sriracha if you prefer some spice. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe and love it, be sure to share a photo of your creation on Instagram and tag me @theglowblueprint!