Roasted Pumpkin Ramen

Boy do I just crave ramen sometimes. I am not a noodle person. I have no idea why I have this crazy noodle soup craving. Maybe it’s the cooler weather or the shorter days. Maybe it’s the cold I can’t kick. But all I want is a big, brothy bowl of Roasted Pumpkin Ramen.

Ya know, most people would just order in. There’s a ramen place about 0.5 blocks away from me. I could pick up the phone, walk down the street, and it would probably be ready by the time I arrived. Or I could pay the $3 delivery fee and continue to sit on the couch.

But I’m not most people. Instead, I poured over Pinterest and blogs and Wikipedia. I read lots of recipes. I Googled ingredients. Then I made a list, walked my butt to the grocery store, searched for ingredients, searched for ingredient substitutes, then spent an hour in the kitchen trying to conjure up the perfect bowl of ramen.

Roasted Pumpkin Ramen, to be exact. Because… pumpkin season, heyyyyy.

I wanted this recipe to be something anyone can make, so no obscure ingredients in my ramen. I also wanted to keep it healthy, so lots of vegetables and lots of steaming vegetables in miso broth. (Disclaimer: It does require a fair amount of pots, but each cooking technique is super simple.)

Here are some interesting tips I learned along the way:

• It’s okay to use chicken broth. For complexity, add ginger, soy, garlic, salt, etc. Miso is also readily available at most grocery stores.
• You can use any ramen noodle shape. If you use a lighter broth, balance it with a thicker noodle. It’s okay to use rice noodles too.
• Assembly is maybe the most important part! Wait until you’re ready to eat or your noodles will get too soft sitting in the broth. Then layer in all your veggies and meat.
• Now eat it fast!

Print

Roasted Pumpkin Ramen

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 33 minutes

Servings 4

Author Danielle Cushing

Ingredients

• 6 cups of water + miso paste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 eggs
• 8 ounces boneless pork shoulder sliced thin
• 1 cup cubed pumpkin
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 8 ounces fresh or dry ramen noodles
• chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, prepare 6 cups of miso broth according to package instructions. (Usual ratio is 1 tablespoon miso paste per 3/4 cup water). Add garlic. Bring to a simmer.
2. Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover your eggs. Do not add the eggs just yet. Bring the water to a simmer. Add the eggs and continue to simmer for 7 minutes. Remove the eggs, rinse under cold water. When they are cool enough, peel and slice in half. Rinse the saucepan, add fresh water, and place over high heat in preparation for the noodles.
3. Add some of the miso broth to a large, deep, rimmed skillet and place over medium heat. Arrange the pork slices in 1/4 of the skillet, and each of the vegetables in 1/4 of the skillet. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender and pork is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Turn pork halfway through. Add more miso broth if pork or vegetables start to dry.
4. Meanwhile, once the water in your medium saucepan is at a boil, add the noodles. Cook according to package directions, usually only 2-3 minutes. Drain.
5. Once all items are prepped, you are ready to assemble the ramen bowls. Fill each bowl about halfway with broth. Add your noodles. Top with pork, pumpkin, onion, and mushrooms. Garnish with sliced eggs and a pinch of parsley. Serve and eat immediately.