Ramen with Lemongrass-Ginger Broth

Soothing and warming, my ramen with lemongrass-ginger broth is like a savory elixir that just makes you feel comforted. Prepared in 20 minutes, this quick, easy, and flavorful ramen recipe is infused with healthy, aromatic ingredients such as fresh lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, and topped with your favorite additions such as fresh bok choy, shredded chicken, green onions and red chilis!

Oodles of Slurp-able Noodles

Whenever I think of a savory and soothing bowl of ramen in an aromatic broth, I think of it as a form of liquid therapy…

Steaming-hot ramen is such a pleasure to enjoy and always warms so deeply from within, making it one of the world's most beloved offerings to cozy up with when we're craving some TLC.

And here's an interesting little fact on how ramen is meant to be eaten, one which may be a little odd for those of us living in the western world: you’re actually supposed to “slurp” your noodles to properly enjoy this simple dish.

Believe it or not, in Japan it's actually considered rude not to slurp when enjoying ramen!

Fresh ramen noodles are silky and slightly chewy in texture when quickly boiled to perfection in about 2-3 minutes. And when bathed in an aromatic, hot, savory broth made up of a few delicious and good-for-you ingredients, and topped with a few bells and whistles, this dish becomes a complete meal that is utterly unique and deliciously pleasurable.

My ramen with lemongrass-ginger broth has become a favorite quick meal for my husband and I when we're craving light, healthy comfort in soup form, brimming with lots of fresh lemongrass and ginger, which is terrific for digestion.

Prepared so very simply and easily in 20 minutes, this ramen noodle recipe is just the the dish to enjoy when a big bowl of hot, silky-chewy, slurp-able noodles are what you crave, along with some fresh toppings to complete the picture.

It's total comfort food with a bit of Asian flair, and super easy to prepare at home!

How to Make Ramen In a Delicious Broth

A major part of what makes ramen so deliciously appealing and irresistible is the rich and aromatic broth that is ladled over top the ramen noodles.

Some broths, especially the meat centered ones, can require a longer cooking process to extract that richness from the pork or beef that is used.

But a delicious, homemade ramen broth can also be very simple, with just a few ingredients to create a flavor-packed experience.

For my ramen recipe here, I want to keep the ingredient list and the simmering/prep time short so that this recipe can be prepared whenever the craving hits, so I'm opting for a ramen broth scented with freshly minced lemongrass and thinly sliced ginger as the star ingredients in a chicken stock base.

I also add a couple cloves of fresh garlic and sliced green onion for savory flavor, and finish the broth off with a bit of shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and a teeny whisper of rice vinegar to round out the flavors.

Here's a glance at my ramen in lemongrass-ginger broth recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To begin, I add my chicken stock into a medium-large pot, then add to it all of my aromatic ingredients. I bring the broth to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and allow my ramen broth to gently simmer for 20 minutes. Then, I strain the broth.
2. While my lemongrass-ginger broth simmers, I cook my fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions (typically takes 2-3 minutes in boiling water until al dente), then strain and gently rinse them, keeping them warm.
3. To serve, I add my warm ramen noodles to a large bowl, ladle over some of my hot lemongrass-ginger broth, and top with fresh bok choy, shredded chicken, red chilis and green onions. (These can be added fresh to the bowl, or added to the hot, strained broth to warm through, if cold.)

Recipe

Ramen with Lemongrass-Ginger Broth

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This ramen with lemongrass-ginger broth is deliciously warming and aromatic, topped with chicken, bok choy, green onions, and chilis!

Category: Soup
Cuisine: Asian

Yield: Serves 4

Nutrition Info: 516 calories per ramen noodle bowl (with ½ cup cooked chicken)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 ¼ cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoons finely minced lemongrass (white part only)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
• 2 large green onions, sliced, plus more for optional garnish
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon shoyu, or soy sauce
• 20 ounces fresh ramen noodles (or 3 packages dry ramen, seasoning packets discarded)
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken, optional topping (rotisserie chicken is terrific)
• Sliced baby bok choy or spinach, optional topping
• Red chilis, sliced, optional topping
• Chili garlic sauce or chili oil, optional topping

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of the ingredients according to the ingredients list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To a medium-large soup pot, add the chicken (or veggie) stock, the ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and sliced green onions, and bring to the boil; then, cover the pot, reduce the heat and allow the broth to simmer very gently for 20 minutes.
3. While the broth simmers, prepare your ramen noodles according to the package instructions (add a couple of pinches of salt to the cooking water, to season the ramen.) Drain and keep them warm.
4. Once the broth has simmered for 20 minutes, strain the broth into a clean pot and discard the aromatics. Add in the 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of rice vinegar according to your taste, as well as the shoyu or soy sauce.
5. To assemble the ramen soup bowls, add equal portions of the warm, cooked ramen noodles to large bowls, and ladle over top roughly 1 ½ cups worth of the hot, lemongrass-ginger broth. Arrange your choice of toppings/garnishes over the ramen noodles such a shredded chicken, sliced baby bok choy, red chilis, chili garlic sauce or chili oil, and green onions, and enjoy hot. (You can also add the bok choy and chicken to the strained, hot broth if it is cold and you'd like to heat it through, then ladle over the ramen noodles.)

Tips & Tidbits for my Ramen with Lemongrass-Ginger Broth

• What type of ramen noodles to use: My preferred variety of ramen for this recipe is the fresh ramen noodles, which are deliciously silky and chewy. These are found in the refrigerated section of the market. (I use Kaedama Ramen by Sun Noodle, purchased at Whole Foods Market.) However, you can certainly use dry ramen blocks from the soup package as well (about 3), and discard the seasoning packets.
• Healthy, aromatic ingredients for a flavorful ramen broth: Some of my favorite flavors are lemongrass and ginger, so I use those to infuse my flavorful and easy homemade ramen broth. I finely mince the ingredients then allow them to simmer in a chicken stock base for 20 minutes, and that does the trick nicely.
• Fresh, colorful toppings and add-ins for ramen: Sliced baby bok choy (or even spinach) offers some fresh, vibrant greens to this bowl of ramen, which I love. I also like to add cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie is terrific for this), and sprinkle in sliced green onion, red chilis, plus a dollop of chili garlic sauce or chili oil for kick.
• Vegan ramen recipe: To make this ramen noodle recipe completely vegan, simply substitute vegetable stock (or mushroom stock) for the chicken stock. Also, leave out the shredded chicken, and substitute cubes of silken or firm tofu, or even mushrooms, for added texture.

Craving more delicious Asian-inspired recipes? Check out these Spicy Pork with Noodles, this Beef Fried Rice, this Coconut Curry Shrimp, or this Mongolian Beef, or this Shrimp Fajita Stir Fry!