Chicken Ramen with Bok Choy & Soy Eggs

Ditch the seasoning packet! Homemade ramen may take more time but it's worth it for the deep, impressive flavor.

Kathy Gunst Reviewed by Dietitian Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD
Reviewed by Dietitian Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD
EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2016; updated October 2022

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Recipe Summary

active:
30 mins
total:
1 hr 30 mins
Servings:
6

Nutrition Profile:

Nutrition Info
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How to Make Chicken Ramen

This healthy chicken ramen recipe features tons of vegetables and soy eggs, which are hard not to eat just on their own. Here are tips on how to make it:

Make the Soy Eggs

These soy-marinated boiled eggs are the perfect topping for this ramen. To save time, make them in advance. Follow the recipe through Step 3, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. One of the marinade ingredients is mirin; a sweet, low-alcohol rice wine essential in Japanese cooking.

Prepare the Chicken & Stock

For a flavorful stock, we use bone-in chicken leg quarters. Feel free to use bone-in chicken thighs or bone-in chicken legs, just make sure to use about 2 1/4 pounds. After simmering the stock with aromatics for an hour, the chicken is shredded into bite-sized pieces. You can prepare the chicken and stock up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate separately until ready to assemble the ramen.

Boil the Noodles Separately

We boil the noodles separately for a clear ramen broth. If you cook the noodles in the broth, they release a lot of starch. The starch turns the broth cloudy and thickens it. By cooking the noodles separately, we retain the texture of the noodles and keep the broth clear.

Use Miso Paste

We use red or white miso paste in this recipe. Miso is a fermented bean paste made from barley, rice or soybeans. It's available in different colors; in general, the lighter the color, the more mild the flavor. Look for miso alongside the refrigerated tofu in the store. It will keep, in the refrigerator, for more than a year.

Add the Vegetables

Towards the end of cooking, we add carrots, bok choy and scallions. The soup is quickly brought to a boil and then removed from the heat. This prevents the vegetables from overcooking. Cilantro is stirred in for extra flavor.

Additional reporting by Jan Valdez

Ingredients

Soy Eggs
Chicken & Stock
Ramen
Garnishes

Directions

  • To prepare soy eggs: Combine soy sauce (or tamari), sake, mirin and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wide-mouthed pint jar.

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  • Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 5 minutes for softer yolks or 6 minutes for firmer yolks. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Peel when cool enough to handle.

  • Add the eggs to the jar; if they aren't fully submerged, add a little more soy sauce (or tamari) to cover. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

  • To prepare chicken & stock: Combine 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, ground ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub onto meaty side of chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, meaty-side down, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Combine the chicken in the pot with onion, chopped carrots, celery, sliced ginger, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board to cool; discard the skin. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Strain the stock; discard the solids.

  • To assemble ramen: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook noodles in the boiling water for 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain and rinse.

  • Meanwhile, mix soy sauce (or tamari), miso, chile-garlic sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl into a paste. Heat canola oil and ginger matchsticks in a large pot over medium heat until sizzling. Add the paste and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add carrots, bok choy and scallions and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the reserved stock; bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup cilantro.

  • Divide the noodles and chicken among 6 large shallow bowls. Ladle the soup over the top. Place half an egg in each bowl (reserve the extra egg for another use), nestling it in so the hot broth warms it up. Serve the garnishes on the side.

Equipment

Wide-mouthed pint jar

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:
about 2 1/4 cups
Per Serving:
465 calories; protein 32.8g; carbohydrates 42.3g; dietary fiber 4.4g; sugars 4.6g; fat 17.7g; saturated fat 3.4g; cholesterol 210.5mg; vitamin a iu 14608.5IU; vitamin c 26mg; folate 69.7mcg; calcium 148.3mg; iron 3.5mg; magnesium 55.3mg; potassium 872.2mg; sodium 906.2mg; thiamin 0.2mg.
Exchanges:

2 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1/2 medium-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat
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