On ramen...the real stuff

[pampered_mom]

I've watched a number of bits here and there on tv where they talk about ramen...not the cheap stuff in US grocery stores, but the real stuff. Either that or I've often watched "No Reservations" where breakfast is a big broth bowl of goodness.

I'm looking for grain-free, egg-free breakfast ideas and the thought hit me that I could do something ramen-esque, but sans noodles with maybe extra veg instead. I know that a number of dishes that I've seen include some sort of meat, but as long as it wasn't tofu (though tempeh would be ok) perhaps a veg option might help with my budget.

Any recipes out there for the real stuff?

[KempsMama]

Subbing to see if you get some good ideas.

[bremen]

ummm ramen means noodles. ramen without the noodles would just be broth.

what do you mean when you talk about wanting something like ramen? are you thinking something like miso soup?

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by bremen 

ummm ramen means noodles. ramen without the noodles would just be broth.

what do you mean when you talk about wanting something like ramen?

All I'm looking for is real ramen recipes...the kind that you make from scratch. The real stuff that has quite a bit more going on in it than just broth and noodles. I can adjust from there to fit our needs.

ETA: Making a god broth...one that has some depth of flavor and does more than just stand in for water...can be somewhat more involved than it may seem. I'm assuming that if it's a meat based broth that it is something like a bone broth, but are we talking your standard bone broth? Should the bones be roasted first or not? Is pork traditional or something else? Are there non-western ingredients involved? What other kinds of additions are made? I've seen pork, but then what is traditional for veggies? Any sea veggies?

If going with miso is there a specific base broth that goes with it? Is miso ever added to a bone broth base or something else? Are ther other permutations to any of this that I may have missed? Are there other dishes like ramen in other cultures that I might want to explore either in conjunction with or on a separate path?

I don't want to end up with a close approximation...most of the miso broth recipes that I've made from some well known vegetarian cookbook authors were less than stellar. I'm looking for as authentic as I can get it without traveling overseas. I don't want something that's been reinterpreted for a "western" palate.

I came across the Momofuku cookbook in the library catalog, anyone know if this might be a good place to start?

TIA!
Edited by pampered_mom - 5/8/11 at 5:34pm

[cristeen]

Pho is the Vietnamese version. Japanese is often Udon or Soba.

Since you're grain free, you might want to check out bean thread noodles which are made from mung beans. I can also sometimes find soba made entirely from buckwheat (many are mixed w wheat though). Korean sweet potato noodles are sw pot and mung bean.

As for the broths, those can be very specific. Japanese dashi is made from kombu and bonito. Chinese can be made from plain chicken w ginger or more complex with ham and other flavors. I have a book on Asian noodles, but very few of the recipes are soups. And in a quick amazon search, all the books have the same problem. You'd probably be better off searching online for ethnic bloggers and their recipes. In a quick look through my ethnic cookbooks though, many are just using a basic chicken or beef broth.

[mumkimum]

this noodle soup recipe is the closest thing I've made (recently) to what I think you're looking for.  Not exactly 'authentic', but not too tamed down flavor-wise and it is pretty veg heavy (and would be tasty without the noodles, since it's just poured over them anyway). 

As for miso - I've done miso for breakfast.  I don't think it's common at all to use a bone broth but I think it would work fine (unless it would react with the miso?) - I've always done a simple carrot & onion cooked with sesame oil and water for my base (sometimes add cabbage, sometimes add seaweed) and dash of tamari.  What is nice (esp. as a breakfast dish) is that it tends to be best in small batches, so I'll make 1-2 cups and not too much more at a time.  I've tended to like darker miso better and add quite a bit (but I'm not sure it's actually grain free? I'm thinking I've preferred brown rice miso?  Dunno if that is a problem.).

Traditional veggie broth wise - I know I've seen kombu & dashi used frequently to make a simple flavored broth or used with other flavored veg/spices.  I think when I've read about macrobiotics I found a variety of recipes using those (and probably some good miso soup recipes) so that might be a good avenue of research for recipes.  Can't think of any specific books at the moment.

[alittlesandy]

I make a very simple soup that we love but might not be appropriate for hard-core purists. I saute green onions, leeks, and mushrooms in a little olive oil, then add organic vegetable broth (from a carton, whatever brand is cheapest). I simmer this for about ten minutes, then add a few splashes of soy sauce and sriracha sauce and generous handfuls of bean sprouts. Sometimes I make it with rice noodles (a sort of mock pho) and sometimes I don't.

[Chicky2]

A friend of mine is Thai, and speaks very, very little English, but we seem to communicate well in the kitchen.  One of her methods for making a good broth is to use stock of any kind, add some fish sauce, some mushroom soy sauce (MMM!), a bit of oyster sauce, shitake mushrooms (rehydrated and soaking water added back in), then add some cutely sliced carrots (she makes her into flowers but I don't bother in the quantities I need!), some snow peas, and some spring onion.  Then she might pour that over rice stick, or udon, bean threads, or rice, or whatever she has.  It's really flavorful.  Oh, and some fresh cilantro on top is great.

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by pampered_mom 

Originally Posted by bremen 

ummm ramen means noodles. ramen without the noodles would just be broth.

what do you mean when you talk about wanting something like ramen?

All I'm looking for is real ramen recipes...the kind that you make from scratch. The real stuff that has quite a bit more going on in it than just broth and noodles. I can adjust from there to fit our needs.

ETA: Making a god broth...one that has some depth of flavor and does more than just stand in for water...can be somewhat more involved than it may seem. I'm assuming that if it's a meat based broth that it is something like a bone broth, but are we talking your standard bone broth? Should the bones be roasted first or not? Is pork traditional or something else? Are there non-western ingredients involved? What other kinds of additions are made? I've seen pork, but then what is traditional for veggies? Any sea veggies?

If going with miso is there a specific base broth that goes with it? Is miso ever added to a bone broth base or something else? Are ther other permutations to any of this that I may have missed? Are there other dishes like ramen in other cultures that I might want to explore either in conjunction with or on a separate path?

I don't want to end up with a close approximation...most of the miso broth recipes that I've made from some well known vegetarian cookbook authors were less than stellar. I'm looking for as authentic as I can get it without traveling overseas. I don't want something that's been reinterpreted for a "western" palate.

I came across the Momofuku cookbook in the library catalog, anyone know if this might be a good place to start?

TIA!

You're conflating a bunch of stuff here so I think its pretty important to clarify what exactly you are looking for.  As posted above Ramen is a noodle not a broth.  It is usually served in a Japanese dashi-based broth which (as cristeen posted) is made with kombu and bonito flakes...sometimes also with shitake mushroom water added.  So the only meat in traditional Japanese broth is bonito (which is fish) or sometimes anchovy stock.

But there are lots and lots of different Asian-style broths and they are all unique.  Dashi is one, miso is one, soondubu jjigae (my favorite) is a spicy Korean broth served with soft tofu, light chinese stocks (like those for wonton soup) are usually made with both pork and chicken meat and bones, Tom Yum Thai soup has lemongrass, lime leaf and galangal (and sometimes shrimp paste).  So it depends on exactly what you want.  Lumping everything together and calling it "ramen" is confusing and misleading.

ETA:  Now if you're just going for something good but not necessarily authentic I usually eat chicken bone broth simmered for a bit with ginger and garlic an then mixed with miso.  It is really great.  If I am feeling a need for spice then I'll add some chili sauce.  This is also good with greens, tofu, carrots, you name it.
 

[alittlesandy]

The OP said she wants something "ramen-esque, but sans noodles with maybe extra veg instead" so I don't think she means strictly ramen in the traditional sense. I got the impression that she just meant a hearty, grain-free, Asian-style soup.

By the way, reading this thread is making me HUNGRY.

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by alittlesandy 

The OP said she wants something "ramen-esque, but sans noodles with maybe extra veg instead" so I don't think she means strictly ramen in the traditional sense. I got the impression that she just meant a hearty, grain-free, Asian-style soup.

By the way, reading this thread is making me HUNGRY.

I know but she seems to be looking for an Asian-style broth so I figured she should know some of her options.  I wasn't trying to be snarky.

[alittlesandy]

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl 

I know but she seems to be looking for an Asian-style broth so I figured she should know some of her options.  I wasn't trying to be snarky.

Oh, I know! I didn't see it as snarky at all. I was just trying to help clarify her desires. Hope I didn't come off as snarky either. By the way, I LOVE your idea of adding garlic and ginger to the broth. OMG that sounds good.

[oiseau]

I did a lot of experimenting a few months back to come up with a good ramen recipe. I loosely follow this recipe: Tonkatsu Ramen. The stock is so rich and yummy. I don't use quite as many bones as he does, but I still get a good amount of stock (I stick with about 2lbs of pork neck bones and 2 lbs of bony chicken parts like backs and wings).
I serve it with soba or udon noodles, corn, nori, a hard-boiled egg and fish-cake. I think the broth would be perfectly fine over veggies though for an awesome soup. I bet it would be good with bok choi or napa cabbage. (Actually, my favorite restaurant meal is shabu-shabu which is thinly sliced meats and veggies cooked in broth at the table. The veggie plate at our favorite restaurant includes bok choi, napa cabbage, watercress, mushrooms--shitake and enoki, broccoli and corn).
That blog I linked to above has a bunch of interesting soup/stew ideas. Also, if you have an abundance of time, another place you might be able to get some Japanese inspired soup/stew ideas is the Cooking With Dog channel on Youtube. It's really entertaining and has cool recipes!

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by oiseau 

I did a lot of experimenting a few months back to come up with a good ramen recipe. I loosely follow this recipe: Tonkatsu Ramen. The stock is so rich and yummy. I don't use quite as many bones as he does, but I still get a good amount of stock (I stick with about 2lbs of pork neck bones and 2 lbs of bony chicken parts like backs and wings).
I serve it with soba or udon noodles, corn, nori, a hard-boiled egg and fish-cake. I think the broth would be perfectly fine over veggies though for an awesome soup. I bet it would be good with bok choi or napa cabbage. (Actually, my favorite restaurant meal is shabu-shabu which is thinly sliced meats and veggies cooked in broth at the table. The veggie plate at our favorite restaurant includes bok choi, napa cabbage, watercress, mushrooms--shitake and enoki, broccoli and corn).
That blog I linked to above has a bunch of interesting soup/stew ideas. Also, if you have an abundance of time, another place you might be able to get some Japanese inspired soup/stew ideas is the Cooking With Dog channel on Youtube. It's really entertaining and has cool recipes!

Oh, this...this right here is precisely what I was looking for. Thank you so much!

[Chicky2]

Wow.  That looks so good.  I HAVE to make this!
 

Originally Posted by oiseau 

I did a lot of experimenting a few months back to come up with a good ramen recipe. I loosely follow this recipe: Tonkatsu Ramen. The stock is so rich and yummy. I don't use quite as many bones as he does, but I still get a good amount of stock (I stick with about 2lbs of pork neck bones and 2 lbs of bony chicken parts like backs and wings).
I serve it with soba or udon noodles, corn, nori, a hard-boiled egg and fish-cake. I think the broth would be perfectly fine over veggies though for an awesome soup. I bet it would be good with bok choi or napa cabbage. (Actually, my favorite restaurant meal is shabu-shabu which is thinly sliced meats and veggies cooked in broth at the table. The veggie plate at our favorite restaurant includes bok choi, napa cabbage, watercress, mushrooms--shitake and enoki, broccoli and corn).
That blog I linked to above has a bunch of interesting soup/stew ideas. Also, if you have an abundance of time, another place you might be able to get some Japanese inspired soup/stew ideas is the Cooking With Dog channel on Youtube. It's really entertaining and has cool recipes!