Shio Ramen

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On cold winter days, a bowl of Shio Ramen is ultra comforting! This ramen is packed with flavor and chewy noodles, all topped with menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) and served with braised pork and jammy ramen eggs.

The broth takes just 45 minutes to make and can easily be made in advance! We like this Almost as much as we love our favorite tan tan ramen or this incredible duck ramen.

If you’re a long time reader, you know we love easy and flavorful ramen recipes! This Instant Pot ramen with caramelized pork is one of our favorites, and this spicy chicken ramen or Korean ramen take less than 30 minutes to make!

And, if you need another quick ramen recipe, this leftover turkey ramen is a great option too! And for a lighter ramen, this vegetarian ramen is delicious!

While this shio ramen takes a little longer to prepare, it’s totally worth it. We like to top it with soft boiled ramen eggs and kakuni (Japanese pork belly), but the topping possibilities are endless. I’ve included suggestions towards the end of this post!

Check out the Shio ramen story!

Why this recipe works

1. While the ingredient list is long, the broth and the menma are easy to make and take just 45 minutes!
2. It can easily be made in advance! You can make the broth and menma and cook the noodles all in advance and then assemble the ramen when ready to enjoy!
3. The broth is simple but flavorful, and the menma is the perfect topping. While seasoned bamboo shoots may sound simple, it adds a depth of flavor to the ramen and a slightly crunchy texture!
4. The ramen eggs and braised pork are optional but they can be made ahead for a quick ramen topping. I highly recommend adding both!

What is shio ramen?

It’s a Japanese ramen noodle dish that is primarily seasoned with salt. It differs from shoyu ramen, which is primarily seasoned with soy sauce, and miso ramen, which is seasoned with miso.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the end of this post. 

For the base of the ramen broth, you’ll need 8 cups of chicken stock. While I used store-bought here, you can also use homemade like this crockpot chicken broth. You can also substitute pork broth.

To season both the broth and menma, the recipe calls for dashi powder. This is a Japanese soup stock that is usually made from dried kelp, bonito flakes, and/or anchovies.

You'll also need mirin as additional seasoning for the broth and menma. This is a sweet Japanese rice wine that adds to the depth of flavor in this ramen. While it adds a unique flavor, if it’s not something you can find, you can try substituting dry sherry.

In addition to mirin, you'll also add one tablespoon of sake to the broth. Sake is similar to mirin, but not as sweet. You can also substitute dry sherry for the sake.

For the ramen noodles, I used 8 ounces of dried ramen noodles (cooked to package instructions) but you can also use fresh ramen noodles, if you prefer. You can even use the prepackaged ramen noodles (the cheap ones from the grocery store) and just discard the seasoning package.

Step by step instructions

Cover the shiitake mushrooms with boiling hot water and let sit for about 20 minutes, until softened.

While soaking, add the chicken stock, dashi, MSG, mirin, sake and salt to a large pot.

Squeeze the excess water from the mushrooms and slice (removing the stems). Set aside.

Add the mushroom liquid to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth.

Place some noodles and corn in a bowl. Pour the broth over the top and top with mushrooms, pork (optional), nori sheets, green onions, ramen eggs and menma (below).

How to make menma

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated.

Expert tips

1. If you’re adding ramen eggs and braised pork as toppings, I recommend making them in advance. The pork takes some time to make and the eggs need to marinate overnight.
2. If you’re planning for leftovers, be sure to store the noodles and broth separately. Otherwise, the noodles will soak up the broth.
3. Once you’ve soaked the mushrooms, be sure to squeeze out the excess moisture as they’ll be used as a topping for the ramen.
4. To get a clear and light broth, don't skip the step of straining the broth once it’s finished simmering.
5. Since ramen is salty, especially shio ramen, I recommend using a homemade or low sodium chicken broth so you have better control over the amount of salt in the ramen broth.

Common questions

More Japanese inspired recipes

• Chicken Katsu Curry
• Tsukemen
• Hibachi Steak with Fried Rice and Ginger Sauce
• Instant Pot Japanese Curry
• Instant Pot Sushi Rice
• Japanese Souffle Cheesecake

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!