Miso Ramen

Suitable for vegetarians. Omit egg for vegan version. Serves 2.

Ramen is one of the most perfect comfort foods. The flavours are intense and exotic but also deeply satisfying and nourishing. The key to this is excellent broth. You can play around with toppings and even with the noodles, but the broth is what is going to hold the whole dish together. And in my opinion, the essential ingredient for a great broth is miso. It adds such a complex umami flavour to the dish that, I would argue, outshines any animal-based broth out there.

This recipe will only cover the broth and the toppings. Feel free to use whatever noodles you like, or make them yourself. I would recommend using fresh if you can find them. But the old reliable instant ramen noodles will work perfectly well.

Ingredients:

• 200g ramen noodles, 
• 2 cups vegetable stock, 
• 2 cups water, 
• 5g kombu, rinsed to remove excess salt, 
• 2 tbsp miso paste, 
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped, 
• 200g firm tofu, washed, cut into chunks, and patted dry, 
• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce, 
• Vegetables of your preference. I like to use 4-6 mushrooms, chopped (use shiitake if you can find them but otherwise, feel free to use whatever mushrooms you have on hand), and 8-10 stalks of long-stem broccoli, 
• 1 egg, 
• sesame seeds to garnish.

Method:

• Place a small saucepan of water over high heat until boiling. Add the egg and boil for exactly 7 minutes. Remove and place immediately in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. This will ensure that your egg has a runny centre. Crack the shell all around and gently remove it. Set aside for future use. Keep the water simmering as you will use this later to cook the noodles.
• Next, to prepare the broth, place a large pot over medium low heat and add the stock, water, and kombu. Add most of the spring onions, reserving some for for garnish later. Cover and let simmer gently for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and add the miso, stirring it in to make sure it is fully dissolved. You do not want to boil the broth once you have added the miso, so keep it over a very low heat and let it gently simmer until you are ready to assemble your ramen. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the kombu once ready to serve.
• Place a frying pan over medium high heat with 2 tbsp of oil. Add tofu and cook for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until a crispy, golden-brown crust has developed on each side.
• Remove the tofu from the pan and add to a bowl along with 2 tbsp of soy sauce and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat the tofu in the sauce.
• Place the pan back over the heat and add some more oil if necessary before adding the mushrooms and broccoli. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add a large pinch of salt to the boiling water and cook the ramen noodles for the instructed cooking time (this will differ between types of noodle).
• Drain the noodles and add to a bowl. Add enough broth to cover the noodles. Then add the tofu and vegetables. Slice the boiled egg in half lengthways and add on top. Garnish with reserved spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.