Miso Noodles
Published May 24, 2023•Updated Sep 26, 2024
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With savory miso sauce and fresh herbs, miso noodles might be the most delicious thing you can create with a pack of quick-cooking instant ramen. Discard that flavor packet and make this saucy noodle dish.
If versatile, easy recipes are your thing, these miso noodles are for you. It’s no secret that instant ramen noodles are a staple in my kitchen. These budget-friendly, quick-cooking noodles are the foundation of some of my favorite weeknight dinners, including Chicken Ramen Stir-Fry, Beef and Broccoli Ramen, and Easy Miso Ramen just to name a few.
If you have instant ramen noodles in your pantry, you’ve got dinner. And miso noodles are a great place to start! Here’s how!
Ingredients for Miso Noodles
- Instant Ramen Noodles – Use three standard 3-ounce Instant Ramen packets, and toss the seasoning.
- Tamari or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – Either one works well!
- White Miso Paste – White miso paste is a mild and sweet type of miso.
- Rice Vinegar – For a sweet, vinegary sauce.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – Toasted sesame oil is such an amazing ingredient. The nuttiness in the oil really brings these miso noodles together.
- Honey – For a touch of sweetness. Use maple syrup for a vegan version.
- Scallions / Green Onions and Cilantro – Fresh herbs add bright flavor and color to the noodles.
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic – Aromatic ginger and garlic build layers of flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes or Hot Sauce – Up to you, but if you want these noodles to be spicy, they’re great with the addition of red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce.
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What is white miso?
White miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, salt, and koji. This versatile Japanese ingredient is used to add savory flavor to tons of different dishes. Of the 1,300 different miso pastes available, the two most recognizable are white miso and red miso.
My neighborhood grocery store sells the white miso pictured below. I also use Shiro Miso which has a similar flavor and can be found at Whole Foods. Asian markets that specialize in Japanese ingredients have a large variety of miso pastes that are fun to experiment with.
How to Make Miso Noodles
- Make the noodles. Add noodles to boiling water and cook according to package. Drain and reserve some of the cooking water.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the tamari / soy sauce, miso, vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and honey.
- Saute the aromatics. Saute green onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
- Assemble. In a large bowl, combine the noodles, aromatics, and sauce. Fold together and add reserved cooking water to thin the sauce.
- Serve warm. Garnish with red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
Recipe Tip
Miso noodles are irresistibly tasty on their own, but you can also top them with a fried egg or your favorite protein.
Use the miso sauce on everything from chicken, fish, and tofu, to veggies.
Variations
- Add veggies – Adding grilled, sauteed, or fresh veggies to dishes like these miso noodles is easy, and will add more crunch, nutrients, and flavor. Shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, and bok choy are easy additions.
- Try different noodles – The delicious sauce and aromatic herbs are the real star of this dish, which means you can substitute just about any noodle and still have the same amazing flavors. Try soba noodles, udon noodles, glass noodles, or vermicelli.
- Make it vegan – To make vegan scallion noodles, use maple syrup in place of the honey.
- Make it gluten-free – Use gluten-free noodles and gluten-free Tamari. Also check that the miso paste is gluten free (some versions are not).
FAQs
We suggest ramen noodles to make the miso noodles, because they are available just about everywhere. Their squiggly, curly shape also gives ramen a fun texture. If you have soba, udon, or glass noodles in your pantry, you can absolutely use those too.
There are limitless possibilities when it comes to toppings for these noodles. A fried egg is all you need for a simple, hearty meal. Marinated, baked, or fried tofu is also a great addition. If you’re in the mood for a meat protein, roasted, shredded, or grilled chicken or shrimp are greathere.
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Miso Noodles Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
- Nonstick Skillet
Ingredients
- 9 ounces uncooked ramen noodles (three standard 3-ounce Instant Ramen packets work well, but discard the seasoning)
- 2 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 10 stalks scallions / green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cilantro leaves, chopped (this should take about one large bunch of cilantro; measure before chopping)
- red pepper flakes or hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water for the noodles to a boil. When the water is boiling, cook the ramen noodles according to package directions. Reserve ⅓ cup of the cooking water. Drain well.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the tamari / soy sauce, miso, vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and honey. (Note: It’s okay if some small lumps remain.)
- Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the green onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Move the pan off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
- Add the noodles and herb mixture to the bowl with the sauce. Gently fold everything together. Slowly add in the ⅓ cup of reserved cooking water from the noodles to loosen up the sauce as you stir.
- Serve the noodles warm with some red pepper flakes or hot sauce on top if you’d like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made these tonight…so delicious and easy! I had impulse bought some fresh ramen noodles and wasn’t sure what to do with them, but this turned out to be a great use. The fish sauce in my fridge had expired, so I used a dab of anchovy paste instead.Very easy and totally hits that take out chinese itch, possibly even better. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked these Molly! Thanks so much for letting us know. (P.S. – great name! It’s our daughter’s name too!)
Really a garbage recipe. I gave up noodle packs a long time ago and if you check your analysis you will see why. All that in a .25 cent pack of noodles?
Hi Frank – it’s a great point. Some people already have ramen noodle packets around their kitchen, which makes this recipe super convenient (note that the recipe does not use the seasoning packets that come with packaged ramen noodles). Check out the notes I include with the recipe though – I buy this style of noodles in bulk here in Thailand (without the seasoning packets) but any type of noodles will work for this dish.
Thank you Jess for the nice recipe. Have a great day, learn lots, and teach us.
I love noodles! The flavours used here sound so asian and delicious…I have to try this! Would you mind checking out my blog Jess?
Jess, I just made this (am snarfing down a bowl as I type) with just a couple of modifications. I left out the fish sauce (obviously) and was out of red pepper flakes (it was on my grocery list and everything!) so I finished it off with a few dashes of hot sauce. I found whole wheat curly ramen noodles, which are surprisingly good. I’m already looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Katie! So glad you liked them – I would love to find whole wheat curly ramen noodles – amazing!
Oh, yeah These look great. And i love that they use raman noodles.!!!
This is SO my kind of food. Can’t wait to make it.