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Shio Ramen (塩ラーメン) [Video]

Shio Ramen (or Salt-Flavored Ramen) is one of the most popular styles of ramen in Japan! Toothsome noodles are nestled in a base of dashi and clear chicken broth and topped with seasoned bamboo shoots, sliced chicken chashu, and jammy ramen eggs. It’s a bowlful of comfort and soul! This authentic and straightforward recipe is proof that you can enjoy restaurant-quality ramen at home.
{Vegetarian/Vegan options included}
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Cold Brew Dashi (Inactive)4 hours
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen - Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

For the Cold Brew Dashi (for vegan/vegetarian, see the Vegetarian Ramen Broth section)

  • 12½ cups water
  • ⅔ oz Kombu (edible kelp) (roughly 2 pieces; 4 x 4 inches, 10 x 10 cm per piece)
  • ⅔ oz dried Shiitake mushrooms (5–10 g per piece; my 4 pieces are ⅔ oz, 20 g)
  • ⅔ oz Iriko/Niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies)

For the Ramen Broth (for vegan/vegetarian, see the Vegetarian Ramen Broth section)

  • 12 cups Cold Brew Dashi (see above)
  • 1½ lbs ground chicken
  • 1 knob ginger
  • 1 Tokyo Negi (Naga Negi; long green onion) (separated; for the broth, use some of the dark green tops and the Y-shaped section where the leaves meet the stalk; substitute with several green onions)
  • ⅔ oz Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (I used thick shavings; for thin shavings, use the same amount in weight or 2 packed cups)

For the Chicken Chashu (skip for vegan/vegetarian)

  • 1 boneless skin-on chicken breast (you can get bone-in chicken breast and ask the butcher to remove the bone or remove it yourself; use 2 chicken breasts, 4 cups water, and 40 g salt if you want to use the large center cut or attractive slices)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 20 g
  • freshly ground black pepper

For the Aroma Oil

  • 1 chicken skin (from 1 chicken breast; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
  • some dark green tops of the Tokyo Negi
  • light green leaves of the Tokyo Negi
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ cup neutral oil

For the Shio Tare (dipping sauce)

  • ½ cup Cold Brew Dashi (for vegan/vegetarian, use vegetable stock)
  • ½ cup sake
  • 2 Tbsp mirin
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp fish sauce (optional; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
  • ¼ cup (40g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ⅙ oz Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (I used thick shavings; for thin shavings, use the same weight measurement or ½ cup)

For the Noodles and Toppings

  • 4 servings fresh ramen noodles (1¼–1½ lbs, 566–680 g fresh noodles; 13 oz, 360 g dry ramen noodles; for gluten-free, use GF ramen noodles)
  • outer layers of the Tokyo Negi‘s white stalk (to make shiraga negi (white scallion topping; use the remaining inner core for the Aroma Oil)
  • 1 green onion/scallion
  • 4 Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) (skip for vegan)
  • 1 Chicken Chashu (for vegetarian/vegan, grill king oyster mushrooms, eggplant, or fried tofu)
  • ¼ cup Menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) (you can buy it at a Japanese grocery store or on Amazon; you can make my Quick Menma Recipe)

For the Vegetarian Ramen Broth (optional)

  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups vegetable stock/broth
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ oz Kombu (dried kelp) (roughly 6 x 6 inches, 15 x 15 cm per ½ oz or 15 g)
  • 1 oz dried Shiitake mushrooms (my 6 pieces are 1 oz, 30 g)

Instructions

Before You Start...

  • I measure my ingredients using a kitchen scale. For the best results, I highly recommend making the Cold Brew Dashi overnight, or at least 4 hours in advance. You simply need to add the dried ingredients to the water, then leave it to steep.

To Make the Cold Brew Dashi and Ramen Broth

  • Gather all the ingredients for making the Cold Brew Dashi and ramen broth. You can keep the ground chicken in the refrigerator for now.
  • In a large pot, combine 12½ cups water, ⅔ oz Kombu, ⅔ oz dried Shiitake, and ⅔ oz Iriko/Niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies). If you use several pieces of Kombu, count them so you know how many pieces to remove later.
  • Let it steep overnight (preferably) or at least 4 hours. Do not steep longer than 12 hours or the Kombu will turn slimy and the Dashi will be bitter. During summertime or hot weather, keep your pot in the refrigerator for food safety.
  • After steeping, reserve the specified amount of this dashi (½ cup, 120 ml) for making the Shio Tare later. Set it aside.
  • Thinly slice 1 knob ginger into about 3 slices. Cut and separate 1 Tokyo Negi (Naga Negi; long green onion) into four sections: 1) the white stalk; 2) the Y-shaped piece where the white stalk and light green leaves meet; 3) the light green leaves; and 4) the dark green tops. Reserve the outer layers of the white stalk for the Shiraga Negi (white scallion topping) and the stalk‘s light green core for the aroma oil (See Step 2 of “To Prepare the Toppings“ for how to remove the core). For making the soup, we‘ll use half of the dark green tops plus the Y-shaped piece (see center top of the photo, below right).
  • To the pot of 12 cups Cold Brew Dashi add 1½ lbs ground chicken, the ginger slices, half of the Negi‘s dark green tops, and the Y-shaped Negi piece.
  • Set the pot on the stove over medium heat. Using a wooden spatula, gently break apart the ground chicken while you heat up the stock. Do not leave any big chunks of chicken. Slowly bring the stock to a gentle boil to extract the flavor from the Kombu. Right before the liquid boils, remove all the Kombu pieces that you counted earlier and discard them.
  • Lower the heat and simmer the stock for 30 minutes. Remember to keep the stock gently simmering but not boiling. As we‘re using ground chicken, we do not need to skim the scum from the stock. During this time, you can start making the Chicken Chashu (see below).
  • After 30 minutes of simmering, add the thick shavings (Atsukezuri) of ⅔ oz Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and gently simmer for another 10–15 minutes. If you are substituting with thin shavings (Hanakatsuo), add them to the simmering stock and cook for just 30 seconds, turn off the heat, and let the Katsuobushi steep for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Drain the stock in a fine-mesh strainer (especially if you‘re using thin shavings) over a large pot. I‘m using an 8-cup measuring cup to measure the total amount of soup. For 4 servings, I had 8½ cups of ramen soup after cooking. I then transferred the soup to the large pot. You can repurpose the spent ground chicken to make All-Purpose Miso Sauce, Soboro Don, Soboro Ankake, Keema Curry, Kimchi Soup, Kabocha Pork Stir-Fry, Mapo Tofu, and Mapo Eggplant.
  • Keep the pot of soup uncovered while prepping the other ingredients. The moisture will continue to evaporate, allowing the soup to develop more concentrated flavors.

To Make the Vegetarian Ramen Broth (Optional)

  • Gather the ingredients for the vegetarian ramen broth. Set a large pot over medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil and stir-fry 2 tsp grated ginger and 2 cloves garlic (minced) until fragrant.
  • Add 4 cups vegetable stock/broth, 4 cups water, ½ oz kombu (dried kelp), and 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms. Slowly bring it to a simmer. When it almost reaches a simmer, remove the kombu from the liquid and discard it. Continue to simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set it aside. Keep the pot of soup uncovered while prepping the other ingredients. The moisture will continue to evaporate, allowing the soup to develop more concentrated flavors.

To Make the Chicken Chashu

  • Gather all the ingredients for the Chicken Chashu. The amount of salt is based on Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
  • Remove the skin of 1 boneless, skin-on chicken breast with a knife and your hands. It should come off easily by pulling and tearing. Next, cut the 1 chicken skin into 1-inch pieces.
  • In a small pot, combine 2 cups water, 2 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I recommend using a small pot instead of a large one so you don‘t need much liquid. If you have to use a large pot, double the amount of water, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil.
  • Once boiling, add the chicken breast, making sure it is covered by the liquid, and lower the heat to medium. Put an Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top of the chicken so it is completely submerged in the liquid. Make sure to keep it gently simmering (not boiling) for 25–30 minutes.
  • Around the 25-minute mark, check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken using an instant-read thermometer. If it reads 165ºF (74ºC), transfer the chicken and some cooking liquid to a plate and cover with plastic so it will not dry out. Let it cool on the kitchen counter. You can discard the cooking liquid or repurpose it as a seasoning (it‘s a very salty chicken stock). If you don‘t have a thermometer, cook the chicken for 25–30 minutes. If you have a very thick chicken breast, you may need to cook it a few minutes longer. Guessing the chicken‘s doneness is difficult and it is possible to overcook it, resulting in dry meat. Having a thermometer takes the guesswork out of testing the doneness.

To Make the Aroma Oil

  • Cut some dark green tops of the Tokyo Negi into julienned strips and finely mince them into small pieces. You can also light green leaves of the Tokyo Negi (the inner core) leftover from preparing the Shiraga Negi (See Step 2 of the “To Prepare the Toppings“ section below). Simply score the white stalk of the Tokyo negi and peel off the outer white layers to reveal the core.
  • Cut the remaining half of the Negi‘s dark green tops into pieces 2 inches (5 cm) long. Mince 1 clove garlic (or use a garlic press). Note: The garlic clove is missing from the photo.
  • In a small frying pan, add ¼ cup neutral oil, the chicken skin pieces, light and dark green parts of the Negi, and minced garlic. Turn on the stove to medium low.
  • Cook for 10–15 minutes, slowly extracting the flavor from the chicken skin, garlic, and Negi.
  • Drain the oil using a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Press and squeeze the oil out of the cooked ingredients using a wooden spatula. Set the Aroma Oil aside and discard the cooked mixture.

To Make the Shio Tare

  • Gather all the ingredients. A note about salt: Many American chefs and recipes use Diamond Crystal (DC) brand kosher salt as their standard salt, and so do I. Different types of salt have different-sized granules, so the weight of salt in one tablespoon can vary. In general, DC kosher salt requires about twice the amount by volume as table salt (DC kosher salt is 10 g/tablespoon and table salt is 20 g/tablespoon). For accuracy, it‘s best to measure by weight. You may experience some trial and error until you figure out the right adjustment based on what brand you use.
  • In a small pot, add all the ingredients except for the Katsuobushi: ½ cup Cold Brew Dashi, ½ cup sake, 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp fish sauce, and ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
  • Whisk the liquid and bring it to a gentle boil on medium heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add ⅙ oz Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
  • If you are using thick shavings, let them cook for 5 minutes and drain the Shio Tare in a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl. If you are using thin shavings, let them cook for 30 seconds, turn off the heat, and steep for 10 minutes; then, drain into a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl. Set the Shio Tare aside.

To Prepare the Toppings

  • Gather the rest of the ingredients.
  • To make the Shiraga Negi (white scallion topping), score the white stalk of the Tokyo Negi and peel off the outer white layers. The light green inner core can be used for the aroma oil. Cut the outer layers of the Tokyo Negi‘s white stalk into pieces about 2 inches (5 cm) long.
  • Next, finely julienne these outer white layers. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes to remove the bitterness. Drain and set aside.
  • Thinly slice 1 green onion/scallion and set it aside. Measure ¼ cup Menma (seasoned bamboo shoots).
  • Slice 4 Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago) in half using a fishing wire or cheese cutter (that‘s what I use). A knife doesn‘t give a clean cut, but you can use it. I top each bowl with 2 halves of ramen egg.
  • Cut 1 Chicken Chashu into thin slices, about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick.
  • Optionally, if you have a kitchen butane torch, you can sear the surface of the Chicken Chashu for a nice charred flavor and to warm it up a little bit.

To Assemble the Shio Ramen

  • To cook the ramen noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, bring the ramen broth back up to a simmer over the stove. Lastly, set up all the ramen toppings on the kitchen counter so you‘re ready to serve when the noodles are finished cooking.
  • In each ramen bowl (the typical size is 850–1000 ml), add 2 Tbsp Shio Tare and 1 Tbsp aroma oil. As I explained in the “To Make the Shio Tare“ section, the saltiness in the Shio Tare may vary. You will need to test the perfect ratio of your soup, Tare, and oil a few times. My formula is 2 Tbsp Shio Tare, 1 Tbsp aroma oil, and 350 ml ramen broth (using the ramen bowl I have).
  • Loosen up 4 servings fresh ramen noodles with your hands before adding them to the boiling water. Cook the noodles, stirring once in a while, according to the package instructions. Tip: I usually undercook my ramen noodles a bit so they are firm and toothsome, to my liking.
  • When it‘s almost time to drain the noodles, pour the hot broth into each of the ramen bowls. I place a kitchen scale underneath the bowl so I can measure the exact amount of broth (350 g) for each bowl.
  • Drain the noodles, shake off the excess water, and transfer to the individual bowls filled with hot broth.
  • Next, arrange the noodles in the bowl for an attractive presentation. First, lift the soup-soaked noodles high and straighten them. Then, when the noodles are neatly aligned, fold the noodles from the edge of the bowl and place them over the noodles in the soup. This is an optional step, but ramen shops typically do this so the ramen looks pretty.
  • Quickly and neatly arrange the ramen toppings. Serve immediately.

To Store

  • You can keep the leftovers in separate containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and a month in the freezer. Boil the noodles right before serving.

Notes

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.