Chicken Noodle Ramen
There’s a certain nostalgia tied to chicken noodle soup when you aren’t feeling your best. It’s one of those meals that most of us likely grew up eating when we were home sick from school, cuddled up on the couch with our favorite blanket, and watching cartoons trying to rest. Even as an adult, it’s one of the first foods that comes to mind when the temperatures drop and the seasonal cold hits.
One day this past fall, after feeling run down for a few days, the cravings for chicken noodle soup crept in.
But this time I wanted something more.
I still wanted the warmth and comfort of chicken noodle soup, but I wanted bigger flavors too. Something richer, saltier, and a little more filling. At the same time, I was craving ramen, so I ended up somewhere in the middle between the two.
This chicken noodle ramen was birthed from that idea. It keeps the comfort factor of classic chicken noodle soup, but builds upon it with a richer broth, grilled chicken, soft eggs, sesame oil, garlic, and enough flavor to make it feel like an actual meal instead of something that you only eat when you’re sick.
It’s not traditional ramen, and its definitely not the canned chicken noodle soup that most of us grew up with.
It’s somewhere in the middle.
Honestly, that’s probably why I like it so much.
Ingredients: (1 large bowl)
2 portions plain ramen noodles
1 grilled chicken breast (sliced)
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp chili paste (sambal or gochujang)
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp garlic paste
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp chicken bouillon
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tbsp butter
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp shredded carrots (steamed)
2 tbsp green onion
Optional: splash of rice wine vinegar or squeeze of lime
Optional: 1-2 ramen eggs
Instructions:
Start by grilling your chicken breast and slicing it into strips. I like getting a little char on the outside because it adds another layer of flavor once it hits the broth.
While the chicken cooks, build the broth in a pot with the chicken stock, soy sauce, chili paste, sugar, garlic paste, onion powder, and chicken bouillon. Let everything simmer together for 3-5 minutes so the broth starts to deepen and the flavors mellow together.
Add the ramen noodles directly into the broth and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
While the noodles cook, whisk together the egg yolk, butter, and sesame oil in the bottom of your serving bowl. Slowly ladle a small amount of the hot broth into the bowl while stirring constantly. This tempers the egg yolk and creates a silky, creamy base without scrambling the egg.
Pour the noodles and remaining broth into the bowl and stir until it all comes together.
Top with sliced grilled chicken, steamed carrots, green onion, and ramen eggs if you have them. Finish with a small splash of rice wine vinegar or lime juice to brighten the broth and balance the richness.
It’s simple food, but sometimes simple food is exactly what you need. Did I mention that it’s made from scratch too?