Ramen noodle soup is a comfort food favorite. This ramen recipe uses Japanese flavors to season tender pieces of pork, scallions, ginger, and spinach. Making the soup is easier than ever, because it’s made in a slow cooker!
Soups can be an experience. Holding a warm bowl of broth and breathing in all of the flavors before that first spoonful. Taking the time to let yours simmer in the slow cooker for hours will only add to that tantalizing aroma.
And then there’s Ramen.
For most of America, particularly the younger crowd, Ramen means fast and cheap. Grab a four pack for a dollar, or throw a “Cup of Noodles” into the microwave. It doesn’t have to be that way. Ramen as an ultra fast convenience food does it a huge disservice. When you blend all of the spices together, and let it simmer in a meaty broth, Ramen can become something that you’ve never imagined. Refined, hearty, and so much better than microwaved.
If you want to try out more of my easy Asian themed recipes, these are sure to please your tasters!
Slow Cooker Asian Lettuce Cups and Thai Chicken Wings
Asian-Spiced Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Asian Pot Stickers
If you’ve tried my Japanese Pork Ramen Noodle Soup recipe or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram @passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.
Slow Cooker Japanese Pork Ramen Noodle Soup
asianIngredients
- 2 onions - minced
- 6 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 oz shitake mushrooms - stemmed and sliced thin
- 1 ½ lbs boneless country-style pork ribs - trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- 3 3- oz packages ramen noodles - flavoring packets discarded
- 6 oz baby spinach - about 6 cups
- 2 tbsp white miso - plus extra for serving
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce - plus extra for serving
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 scallions - sliced thin
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds - toasted
Instructions
- Microwave onions, garlic, and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to slow cooker.
- Stir broth and shitakes into slow cooker.
- Season pork with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker.
- Cover and cook until pork is tender, 6 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.
- Transfer pork to cutting board, let cool slightly, thin shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Let soup settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.
- Stir in noodles and spinach, cover and cook on high until noodles are tender, 3 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in shredded pork, miso, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil, and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Season with additional miso and additional soy sauce to taste. Serve with scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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It’s ironic – the Sous Chef and I were talking just this weekend about buying ramen noodles, throwing away the “sodium packet” and revamping them ourselves! Nice work!
I love me some good noodle soup!! I’m going to have to try this when I get a chance.
I’ll read anything to get this bowl of ramen.
Oh you’re hilarious – a bunch of us always seem to read and recommend the same series. Not sure if you’ve read any of these or are interested but these have all been enjoyable (all series): House of Night, Vampire Academy (highly recommend), Sookie stackhouse – southern vampire series, and Fever series. They’ve all got some romance/lusty aspects but there’s action too.
Yum. I love ramen. This looks awesome.
This is what I would wanna eat all the time 🙂 It looks so comforting and delicious 🙂
Sounds great! 🙂 I also love making soups like this in a rice cooker. Great flavor profile!
Wish I could have some of this for lunch right now. Awesome flavors!
Ooh, Kita! This dish looks just wonderful! I was thinking about buying ramen, throwing out the packets, and doing my own thing with them 🙂 Thanks for providing us with a deliciously awesome recipe. I can just feel the comfort!
looks so good. you are the slow cooking machine. Your place must smell delicious all the time!
too hardcore for the romance. I like it. I hope you find something entertaining to read soon 🙂
Recipe looks delish!
For books – try Patricia Briggs – strong, kick-ass main female character, werewolves, vamps, no sparkling anywhere 🙂
I just want to cuddle up to a HUGE bowl of this!!
This looks delicious. Gonna try it as soon as the weather gets cooler. I love Rachel and company, my favorite vampire books. I’ve also given up on the Laurel K. Hamilton books. Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy? No vamps or werewolves or fairies and such, but lots of great action! I found you via foodgawker, off to check out more. Happy reading!
This looks delicious, but the post is pure gold! You are SO funny! Boomshakalaka?! Dramatic lack of glitter? AWESOME!
OMG- I cant wait to try this!!! I just had ramen tonight so its totally on my mind.
Yummmm! Congratulations on top 9 today! 🙂
Hi Kita, Congrats on the top 9! Sorry can’t really recommend a light reading, I’m reading a book on Zen Buddhism. I’m with you on the romance books, can’t do that. Vampire books only from Ann Rice. Your ramen looks like the perfect meal to sit and read a good book. So yummy!
Any light reading I do is usually in the detective genre like Sue Grafton’s series “alphabet series”: A is for Alibi etc. or epic/family sagas. I could use a bowl of steaming hot ramen right now – we’re having a cold snap here in Cali! Congrats on the Top 9!
Wow, I want some now! and congrats on top 9! 🙂
Made the Ramen today and it was delicious! Even my 7 and 4 year old boys loved it and both were asking for more. Yeah, I made a few minor adjustments (mostly because I don’t have a crock pot), but found this recipe to be a winner that will fall into our winter rotation of meals, I’m sure. My oldest was already asking if there was any left, and if he could have it tomorrow night for dinner.
As far as a good read-just finished When She Woke by Hillary Jordan–could barely put it down!
Try Patricia Brigg’s “Moon Called”. Ignore the cover are and flavor text. It’s a solid piece of fiction that’s exactly what you’re describing. There’s a bit of a love interest thing, but it’s subtle and there’s no boomshakalaka. It’s a solid bit of story telling from a competent author.
And by the way, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Wowzers this looks absolutely delicious! But I do have a question. The final result looks amazing, but the slow-cooking route of the pork seems like a long time, and I don’t have much patience! Do you have any suggestions for doing this in a slightly faster way? I really really want to give it a go.
Thank you thank you
Oh geez…raaammmmennnn!!!! Been hankering for the good stuff lately and the stuff in the restaurant is terribly expensive… never would have gone the slow cooker route, though, thank you very much. On to reading material;
My wife has got me hooked on the following –
Ilona Andrews – The Edge Series and the Kate Daniel’s Series (itty bits of romance but a lot more hard core chick butt kickin’)
Patricia Briggs – The Mercy Thompson Series
Jim Butcher – The Dresden Files Series
Rob Thurman – Cal Leandros Series
Shelly Laurenston – anything, it’s all were-critter related. The “romance” is pretty spotty (but pretty graphic), but the characters and stories are hilarious.
Enjoy!!!
I made this today, and it was fabulous! My husband kept saying, “wow this is really good”! I will definitely be making this again! Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I make this all the time now! So good.
Could this be made vegetarian using shrimp instead of pork?
You could make it with shrimp instead of pork, I would just add them as needed and not let them over cook. 🙂
Do you think bok choy instead of or with spinach would work? I love broth soups! Local place does a veggie noodle soup to die for. I have wanted to try to recreate but can’t get the broth right. I am going to try yours.
I think bok choy would be great in this. I would make sure that it has enough time to get nice and tender. This is good – but I don’t think anything beats an authentic great soup. Those bone broths are amazing!!