Quick Ramen Noodle Soup
This Quick Ramen Noodle Soup only takes 15 minutes to make, and gets its great depth of flavor and richness from two secret ingredients. This is the perfect weeknight meal that’s fast and easy to customize.
I was really tempted to call this something like “faker’s ramen noodle soup” because instead of the 3 days that an authentic ramen requires, this one takes about 15 minutes and has a ton of flavor.
Despite its short cooking time, we start with a ton of aromatics as the base and add plenty of umami so the broth takes on a deeply rich flavor, without a long simmering time!
So if you’re a fan of ramen soup but don’t feel like spending three days simmering chicken bones and pork bones, definitely give this one a try. It’s a good compromise between instant ramen using that questionable seasoning packet, and the real stuff.
It also reminds me of another one of my favorite meals: Ramen Noodle Stir Fry. You can never go wrong with Asian noodle dishes!
Tips for Best Results
Use good soy sauce and fish sauce – To add umami to the broth, we will use soy sauce and fish sauce. Make sure to use good quality brands, as there’s HUGE variability there. My favorite brands of soy sauce are San-J, Lee Kum Kee, and Kikkoman. Stay away from La Choy as well as grocery brands. For fish sauce, I recommend Red Boat or Tiparos.
Use fresh aromatics – To make the broth really flavorful and aromatic, we’ll start with fresh garlic, scallions, and ginger. Make sure to use the fresh stuff from the produce section, and not jarred ginger. It makes a big difference!
Save the noodles until the very end – Make sure that the broth is exactly to your liking in terms of seasoning before adding the noodles. For the best eating experience, you won’t want to risk overcooking the noodles, so they should be the very last thing you add.
Another bonus to this recipe is that all of the ingredients should be easy to find in any typical grocery store. I love visiting asian markets sometimes for unusual things, but there’s nothing there that’s very out of the ordinary.
In other words, anyone can make this! College students rejoice in leaving those instant ramen noodles behind 😂
Step by Step Overview:
Start by adding minced garlic, sliced scallions, grated fresh ginger, cooking fat, and sriracha to a big soup pot or large saucepan:
Cook for about a minute, over medium-high or medium heat, until the scallions have softened and the garlic smells aromatic, but isn’t scorching. These ingredients make for a really flavorful soup.
Then add chicken stock (or broth) and beef stock:
As I mention in the full video below, I like adding a mix of the two broths because it keeps the flavor of the soup from being one-note. The mix gives a really nice flavor.
Recommended Broths
I once did a taste test comparing several brands of chicken broth, and the differences were staggering. Since you’re not making the broth yourself from the whole bird, a lot of the deliciousness hinges on starting with a good broth. My favorite brands are Imagine and Swanson, but you may want to do your own taste test with the options available at your local grocery store.
I also recommend determining if you prefer broth or stock more. Although many people think of them as interchangeable, they are different. Broths are typically made more with meat whereas stocks are made more with bones, giving a different type of mouthfeel. Either will work here, it’s just personal preference.
Next, add soy sauce and fish sauce to the pot:
These are the secret ingredients that give the rich broth a depth of flavor and complexity.
Finally, drop in some ramen noodles, and eggs if you’re making them, and cook for three minutes, until the noodles are al dente:
How to Serve
Serve the ramen noodle soup with extra green onions, or any other toppings you wish to add. If you enjoy it, add a teaspoon of sesame oil or chili oil for more aroma.
To increase the protein, I sometimes add leftover Crockpot Chicken Breast, Roasted Pork Tenderloin, or Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. A soft-boiled egg is also a great addition.
More of my other favorite soups are this Quick Chicken Noodle Soup, Carrot Coconut Soup, and Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili. Enjoy, my friends! And here is a step-by-step video of the ramen soup if you’d like more guidance.
Recipe Variations
Mushrooms – Add sliced mushrooms at the beginning with the aromatics. Shiitake mushrooms are great, as are maitake or “hen of the woods” mushrooms.
Vegetables – Add thinly sliced baby bok choy or any quick-cooking vegetable you wish at the beginning with the aromatics.
Recipe Tips and FAQ
If possible, I recommend storing the noodles and the broth separately, as otherwise, the noodles will become overly soft. Keep both separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, but I recommend storing the noodles and the broth separately. Keep in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
The stovetop and microwave are best. For the stovetop, heat the desired amount of broth in a pot over medium high heat, until boiling. Then add the noodles and serve. For the microwave, heat the desired amount of broth in 30-second intervals until boiling, then add the noodles and serve.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Quick Ramen Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking fat of choice *
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger
- 4 scallions sliced (white and green parts)
- 1/2 tsp chili sauce or sriracha
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp fish sauce**
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 4 eggs optional
- 12 ounce package ramen noodles
Instructions
- Place the cooking fat, garlic, ginger, scallions, and chili sauce in a dutch oven or large pot and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and the scallions start to soften.
- Add the chicken stock, beef broth, fish sauce, and soy sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Taste and adjust as necessary (I add about a cup of water to reduce saltiness).
- Add your eggs, if cooking, and the noodles to the boiling soup, and cook for about 3 minutes (the noodles I use require about 3 minutes, but follow the package instructions).
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
77 Comments on “Quick Ramen Noodle Soup”
My kids literally came running when they smelled this cooking! It is so good! I didn’t add the hot sauce because I was cooking for them, but it was still so flavorful. Another hit.
I just came across this recipe today. Is there anything to substitute for the beef broth? I can not have beef products but I feel just chicken would not give the flavor profile needed. Thank you!
Hi Courtney, I would try a vegetable broth instead, which should give it a nice flavor too. Enjoy!
So good, I’ll definitely make it again.
If you wanted to add meat (like think sliced ribeye) at what point would you add it?
Is there any replacement for the chili and fish sauce. I never use either and I don’t think I will use either ever again. Thanks!
I know this was an old comment but I thought I’d respond anyway 😀 She told others who asked about the chili sauce to try another hot sauce. I was wondering myself about the fish sauce and looked online for a “fish sauce substitute”. There were many suggestions. I’m going to try low sodium soy sauce.
this is totes amaze! i never thought that I can make ramen using very simple ingredients! although I have a question, instead of using stock, can I use bouillon cubes as an alternative? canned stocks are not really that common here (i’m from Philippines btw) and kinda expensive. hope to hear from you soon. Rainy season has started here and I’m planning to try this one of these rainy days. 😀
Hi Josh, awesome! Yes, bouillion cubes will work, just make sure you look at the package to equal the right amount of stock. Enjoy!
i am a japanese girl. chicken and beef stocks together? at first i was like, wow… i need to do that. my second thought was… why did i not come up with that myself? almost sounds, “duh” if you sit down and think about it, right? my third thought was, shut up and write this recipe maker a thank you note. love love love. the fact that you know what is traditional, took the time to educate those that might not know, and also love to play in the kitchen and feel free enough to do “you” is enough for anyone that claims to be into eating and cuisine study. those that see otherwise are not even worth consideration. bottom line = taste and healthful ingredients. i am going to cook this bowl of yummy and appreciate it as a quick solution kitchen helper that happens to get close enough to compete in flavor profile with the big guys. brilliant score for team shortcut! grateful 🙂
Loved reading your thoughtful comment!! I hope you get to try this quick noodle soup and enjoy it!
Delicious! New favorite recipe! I once added extra Siracha for a spicier soup…loved it!
So happy to hear that Deb!
I have a quick question. Do you cook the eggs before you put them?
I must say that this ramen is fantastic! I lived in Japan for 4 years and this is just tlike the mom and pop ramen shop I would go to. The only thing different was instead of egg they had slices of pork tenderloin! When I made this, I tweaked it a bit only because it was what I had on hand; I used garlic grapeseed oil and garlic chili sauce. Thanks for this post and allowing me to relive my days in Japan! This recipe will be a regular!!!
Thanks Stacey, really glad you thought highly of this quick ramen noodle soup!!
Hi!
I made this yesterday and enjoyed it a lot! So is that what American ‘real’ ramen tastes like? 🙂 Nice to experience it and also nice to not use my packet ramen. I always feel guilty and yes a little sick after eating a pack but I’m trying to never return.
I used egg noodles and they took positively ages to boil in the ramen soup.
Thanks for this!
Glad you liked the ramen!! Funny enough I’ve actually never cooked or purchased egg noodles, but I know those are thicker so would probably take a while.
This looks amazing and i’m drying to try it. May you tell us exactly what kind or type of chili sauce we need to use, because there’s a ton out there and I’m a kitchen virgin, lol.
Thank you for your recipes. I’ve tried a few and they were huge hits.
Take care.
Hi Shirley, the goal is to get just a little bit of spiciness, so you can more or less use anything. I happen to use Lee Kum Kee’s chili sauce (comes in a little jar) but I think sriracha would work fine too, which is very easy to find. Hope that helps! Thanks for the nice comments, glad you enjoy the recipes. Happy cooking!
This is my kind of comfort food! Delicious!
love this. . I’m always looking for a quicker way to make ramen at home and don’t touch the package stuff!
These look so much better than the ones I would attempt in my home all the time. Love these!
This sounds great! Can you tell me what you mean by chili sauce? Is it like Siracha sauce? Thanks!
Hi Margery, sriracha would work here. There are quite a few brands who sell “chili sauce” which comes in a small jar and is basically just chiles with (sometimes) garlic and a few other things. But just a little heat I find is nice for the soup. Not essential though. Enjoy!