Shoyu ramen with chicken and egg Recipe
Shoyu ramen is an aromatic noodle soup in a broth seasoned with soy sauce, with tender chicken and a soft-boiled egg. In Japan it’s a typical quick, filling after‑work lunch or an evening stop at a small ramen shop. The homemade version isn’t as complicated as it seems and gives you a bowl full of warming umami.
This shoyu ramen combines a deeply savoury, soy‑based broth with tender chicken, mushrooms and just‑set eggs, giving you a restaurant‑style bowl at home without complicated techniques or hard‑to‑find ingredients.
Chef's tips
Don’t rush the broth – even those extra 10–15 minutes of gentle simmering noticeably deepen the flavour. Always taste and adjust the saltiness at the end, because different soy sauces vary in intensity. If you have time, cook the eggs a bit earlier and chill them well; they peel more easily and keep a neat shape in the bowl.
How to serve
Serve the ramen piping hot with extra soy sauce and chili oil on the side so everyone can adjust the flavour to their liking. You can also add toppings like toasted sesame seeds, bamboo shoots or a little butter for extra richness.
Ingredients
- chicken thigh - 500 g
- ramen noodles - 300 g
- chicken stock - 1.5 l
- soy sauce - 80 ml
- mirin - 40 ml
- oil - 1 tablespoon
- garlic - 3 cloves
- ginger - 20 g
- spring onion - 3 piece
- egg - 4 piece
- mushrooms - 4 piece
- Chinese cabbage - 150 g
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- salt - 2 pinches
- pepper - 1 pinch
Preparation
- Pour hot water over the dried shiitake mushrooms and set aside for 20 minutes until they soften. Then slice them thinly and reserve the soaking liquid.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel the ginger with a teaspoon and grate it on a fine grater. Slice the white parts of the spring onion thinly and set the green parts aside for garnish.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onion and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until they become very fragrant but do not brown.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and fry for another 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and the mushroom soaking liquid (be careful not to pour in any grit from the bottom). Bring to a boil.
- Add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes so the flavours meld.
- Cut the meat from the chicken thigh into thin strips. Add to the broth and cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the meat is tender and easily pulls apart.
- Slice the Chinese cabbage into strips about 2 cm wide. Add to the soup for the last 5 minutes of cooking so it softens but stays slightly crunchy.
- Meanwhile, cook the eggs: place them in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil, then cook for 6.5–7 minutes from the moment the water starts boiling so the yolk stays slightly creamy. Immediately transfer the eggs to very cold water, peel and cut in half.
- Cook the ramen noodles separately according to the package instructions, usually 3–4 minutes in boiling water. Drain after cooking and briefly rinse with warm water so they don’t stick together.
- Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper if needed. The broth should be distinctly salty and full of flavour, as it will be the base for the noodles.
- Divide the noodles between bowls. Pour over the hot broth with pieces of chicken, mushrooms and cabbage.
- Top with the egg halves, sprinkle with the green parts of the spring onion and serve immediately while the soup is very hot.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
Making ramen at home may seem intimidating, but this version proves that with a good stock and a few simple Japanese seasonings you can get a comforting, slurp‑worthy bowl any day of the week.
