A warm bowl of ramen doesn’t have to be an ordeal of time or fuss, as this weeknight chicken ramen proves. Fortify store-bought chicken broth with some flavor enhancers and assemble your bowls in under 30 minutes.
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A bowl of ramen is a bowl of comfort. Masses of soft noodles dunked in a bowl of fragrant broth can send you to midweek—or late night—heaven.
Video: How to make Weeknight Chicken Ramen
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Chicken ramen during the week
Great ramen without the spice package
In Japanese culture and cuisine, ramen has been elevated to a high art form – clock Tampopo if you haven’t seen the movie yet. You become a believer.
It’s also so popular that you can find inexpensive packs of dehydrated ramen noodle soup on any supermarket shelf — quick comfort food slurped up by everyone from penniless college students to hungry office workers.
We’re striking a middle ground with this weeknight ramen: Bowls filled with chewy noodles, flavorful store-bought chicken broth, some veggies, a soft-boiled egg, and chicken slices.
You can often find fresh ramen noodles at a well-stocked supermarket these days, but dried noodles are fine too—just skip the seasoning wrap!
A quick but delicious ramen broth
This quick weeknight ramen relies on store-bought chicken broth, so use a brand you really like. (Here are the Simply team’s favorites!) Even better, if you make your own chicken broth regularly, now is the time to get it out of the freezer.
Sesame oil, garlic, ginger, carrots and green onions enhances the flavor of the broth, and a touch of brown sugar optionally adds a hint of sweetness.
How to make chicken ramen
Once you have the broth, the rest of this meal is all about assembling components.
- For the greens, pick any you might have around, like spinach, chopped kale, or chopped cabbage. So far so good, right?
- While the broth is simmeringcook the eggs in their shells and the pasta – use the same pot to cook both and save on the cleanup.
- Boil eggs to your liking. Nine minutes will give a firm yolk, but if you like it a little softer, remove the eggs after seven or eight minutes. Once the eggs are cooked, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook briefly.
All that’s left is to divide everything into bowls. Coriander, lime and tangy sriracha add some bright flavors to finish. That was easy!
More easy Asian noodle dishes
- Fast Chicken Pho
- Soba noodle soup with chicken and bok choy
- Vietnamese style noodle bowls with chicken
- Soba noodle bowls with spinach and poached egg
- Korean Spicy Cold Noodles
Easy Weeknight Chicken Ramen
This recipe calls for cooked chicken breast. If you don’t have one on hand, poach two chicken breasts in the chicken broth before starting the recipe, or get a roast chicken from the grocery store.
ingredients
For the broth:
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2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
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4 Middle spring onions thinly sliced, including part of the green part
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1 clove Garlic, chopped
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1 small carrotthinly sliced
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4 ounces ButtonCremini or Shiitake Mushrooms, Thinly Sliced Shiitake Mushrooms
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1 1/2 cups slim shredded Chinese cabbageSpinach, kale or other vegetables
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1 1 inch piece fresh gingerchopped
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6 cups low sodium chicken broth
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1 tablespoon Brown sugarOptional
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lime wedges, optional
For the soup:
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4 big eggs
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20 ounces fresh ramen noodlesor 12 ounces of dried pasta
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2 Middle cooked chicken breast halves, sliced (see recipe note)
For the garnish:
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soy sauce
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Sriracha or other hot sauce
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handful fresh corianderLeaves removed from stems
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lime wedges
method
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make broth
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and cabbage. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until vegetables soften.
Stir in the ginger and brown sugar (if using) and cook for 30 seconds. Finally add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
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Boil the eggs
While the broth is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil. Place a bowl of cold ice water nearby.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs still in the shell into the water. Simmer for 7 minutes for eggs that are soft and a little runny in the center, or 9 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
Crack the eggs into the bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to serve.
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cook noodles
Bring the pot of water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, 3 minutes or according to package directions. Drain in a colander.
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Assemble the soup
Divide the noodles among 4 large bowls. Pour the broth and vegetables over the noodles.
Take the eggs out of the ice water. Tap the shells with a spoon to crack them, then peel the shells. Pat the eggs dry and cut in half.
Top each bowl with the egg halves and the sliced chicken. Serve with soy sauce, hot sauce, coriander leaves and lime wedges.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 749 | calories |
| 20g | Fat |
| 95g | carbohydrates |
| 51g | protein |
