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A bowl of caramelized onion ramen with chile, choy sum, and soft boiled egg.
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4.80 / 5 votes

Caramelized Onion Ramen with Chile

This caramelized onion ramen with chile is a hybrid unlike anything else. Vegetable based ramen that takes inspiration from French onion soup, bringing together the best of both—brown miso, ramen noodles, chiles, caramelized onions, all topped off with soy eggs. East meets West, indeed.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Multicultural
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 437

Ingredients

  • Mild vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion (8 oz | 227 g), finely sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 fresh bird’s-eye chile, finely sliced
  • 6 1/2 cups store-bought or homemade vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons sake, rice wine, or dry sherry
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon brown rice miso*
  • 7 ounces ramen noodles
  • 1/2 pound choy sum, cut into 2 1/2-inch (6-cm) pieces
  • 4 soy sauce eggs or soft-boiled eggs, optional
  • Chile oil, for serving (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, warm 5 tablespoons of oil. Add the onions, garlic, and salt and stir to coat in the oil. Cook until the onions become translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and continue to cook, stirring every 5 minutes, until the onions caramelize and color, eventually breaking down to form a soft, sweet paste, 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Add the chile and stock, bring to boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sake or rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, and brown rice miso, stirring well to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
  • Cook your noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and stir in a little oil to keep them from sticking together.
  • Bring the broth back to a boil, add the choy sum, and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • To serve, divvy the noodles between four bowls and ladle the broth and greens over the noodles. If you’re serving the eggs, halve and pop on top of the bowls, and serve with some chile oil, if desired.

Notes

*WHAT IS BROWN MISO?

A key ingredient in Japanese cooking, miso is basically a cultured mixture of four things—soybeans, grains (like rice or barley), salt and koji (a mold). That’s the short explanation. What you need to know is that this paste is fermented and packs a major salty, funky, umami punch. Brown rice miso is a darker paste and has a more assertive, pungent flavor. It's best left to braises and soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Sodium: 3379mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g