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–+ servings

Shio Ramen From Scratch

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soaking Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 
 

Broth

  • 2000 ml water preferably soft or filtered
  • 10 g dried kelp (kombu)
  • 15 g dried scallops (conpoy) or packing liquid from canned clams/scallops or clam juice
  • 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) green part cut in half/quarters, or regular leek/onion/shallot green
  • 20 g ginger root
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 200 g ground chicken or ground turkey or chicken wings/drumsticks
  • 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Flavored oil

  • 3 tbsp lard or duck fat or chicken schmaltz
  • 3 tbsp Japanese leek (naganegi) white part, finely diced, or substitute leek/onion
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced

Tare

  • 4 tbsp sake or all white wine if unavailable
  • 2 tbsp white wine dry
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tsp salt high quality sea salt or blend sea salt and rock salt
  • 1 tsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) or white soy sauce (shiro shoyu) or regular dark soy sauce in a pinch

Noodles and Toppings

Instructions 

Broth (30 mins)

  • Measure 2000 ml water into a pot and add 10 g dried kelp (kombu) and 15 g dried scallops (conpoy). Soak for 30 minutes. While you wait, cut 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) into rough pieces that will fit in your pot, wash and thickly slice 20 g ginger root, and peel and press 2 cloves garlic with the flat side of your knife so they crack a little.
    dried kelp and dried scallops in a pot of cold water
  • After 30 minutes, place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 200 g ground chicken and bring to a gentle simmer. When bubbles start to appear 82-90℃ (180-194°F), remove the kombu and scallops.
    ground chicken in pot of water with kombu and scallops
  • Add the Japanese leek, ginger and garlic from earlier. Reduce the heat and gently simmer on low for 30 minutes uncovered. Skim the foam occasionally to keep the broth clear and avoid stirring. While you wait, prepare the flavored oil and tare.
    dropping garlic cloves into shio ramen broth

Flavored Oil & Tare

  • Grab a small pan and add 3 tbsp lard, 3 tbsp Japanese leek (naganegi) and 2 cloves garlic . Heat on low and keep a close eye on it, while you wait you can make the tare. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the leek and garlic turns golden. Avoid browning as this can make the oil bitter.
    finely chopped Japanese leek (white part) frying in lard in a small frying pan
  • In a separate small sauce pan, add 4 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp white wine, 1 tbsp mirin and 2 tsp salt. Heat on medium, mixing until the salt has dissolved into the mixture. Boil gently for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in 1 tsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu). Set aside for later.
    making tare for shio ramen using sake, white wine, salt, mirin and light soy sauce

Broth (Straining)

  • After 30 minutes of simmering, use a mesh spoon to scoop out the ground chicken and aromatics. Turn off the heat, add 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and steep for 2 minutes.
    Adding fresh katsuobushi (bonito flakes) to a second batch of katsuo dashi
  • Place a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl and line with two layers of kitchen paper (or cheesecloth/coffee filters). Strain the broth without pressing or squeezing.
    straining homemade shio ramen broth through kitchen paper over a sieve lined bowl
  • Measure how much liquid is left, and top up with hot water so that each portion will have 350ml of broth (1.5 US cups). For 4 portions, you will want to top it up to 1400ml (6 US cups).
    clear shio ramen broth in a heatproof mixing bowl (steel)

Noodles & Assembly

  • Boil 4 portions ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Aim for al-dente.
    homemade ramen noodles cooking in a pot of water
  • Divide the tare, broth and cooked noodles evenly between serving bowls, then drizzle the infused oil and golden aromatics on top.
    spooning crispy fried leeks over shio ramen in a bowl
  • Top with finely chopped green onions, soft-boiled eggs, seasoned bamboo shoots (menma), yuzu zest and deli meat of choice. Serve up and enjoy!
    homemade shio ramen from scratch topped with soft boiled eggs, cured ham, menma bamboo shoots, crispy fried leeks and chopped green onion.

Notes

You can stretch the soup to make more than 4 servings.
This broth is seasoned on the lighter side. Taste and adjust with a touch of usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce) if you prefer more saltiness.
You can repurpose leftover ground chicken by frying it up to make soboro don or chicken rice balls, and leftover kombu to make kombu onigiri.
Ramen restaurants usually add tare to each serving bowl and then top it up with the broth, but for easy serving at home, you can mix the broth and tare together before dividing them between serving bowls.
Avoid fatty pork belly chashu as the topping to keep broth balance light. I honestly think deli meats (not too smokey ones) work far better for this broth.
Fridge: Clear chicken-kombu broth can be cooled quickly and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Broth freezes well in portioned freezer bags for up to 1 month.
Serving ideas: Classic Pork Yaki Gyoza, Vegan Tofu Gyoza, Shrimp Gyoza, Chicken Gyoza
Note: The nutritional value is based on when you drink up the soup (we don't drink up the soup when it comes to ramen in Japan)