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.
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.
Tips
- 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.
More Recipes that Use Instant Ramen Noodles
- Sesame Garlic Ramen Stir-Fry
- Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry
- 30 Minute Shrimp Teriyaki Noodle Bowls
- 20 Minute Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles
- Thai Noodle Mason Jars with Peanut Dressing
📖 Recipe
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 ½ 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
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
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.
melissa@IWasBornToCook
I could dive into a big bowl of these right now...
Lisa~~
Lisa does have a gorgeous blog and you picked a wonderful recipe. Totally delicious and really perfect for CNY.
I'd love for you to check out my SRC entry Lemon Almond Biscotti.
Lisa~~
Stephanie
What a lovely combination! I often think of noodle bowls as being soy sauce, chicken, or miso-flavored, but we'll have to try this at home the next time I buy scallions.
Jess
I LOVE miso, Stephanie, but this was such a nice change. All those herbs make it so fresh and bright tasting. Different than the comfort food feeling of those miso flavors, but really delicious.
Shelby
These look yummy and sounds like there is enough sweet heat to make it very addicting to me!
Jess
So true Shelby - that's just what it is - "sweet heat". I love that combination as well!
kirstenskitchen
I love noodles! Yummy..I think I could veganize this 🙂
Jess
I thought the same thing, Kirsten - this could easily be made to be vegan-friendly. I had originally wanted to top it with marinated roasted tofu, but didn't have time - next time though!
Noelle (@singerinkitchen)
Wow, I cannot wait to make this.
DessertForTwo
Hi! I'm glad you commented on my site so I could find your site! I'm intrigued! I love the sound of this recipe.
The super bowl doesn't seem like a big idea until you miss it. I know how that goes. I grew up in the South, and didn't think it was such a big deal until I moved away. I miss it daily 🙂
Jess
I love your site Christina - since there are just two of us around here as well, I so love having access to recipes that are downsized! Moving away certainly makes you appreciate the place you grew up, doesn't it? I bet you miss football season in the South - I have friends who grew up in Texas and everything revolved around football!
Lisa
OH, I'm soo glad you loved my noodles, and thank you for all the kind words!! I hope I get your blog soon! Love it!
Jess
Lisa I absolutely loved this recipe - such a fantastic combination of flavors, and so easy! I will definitely be making these again and again!
Lisa
Jess, just wanted to update you. We made these last night with ramen noodles (brilliant idea, btw!), and this is the way we want them from hereon in! So much lighter (we didn't feel as 'logy' after eating them) and the sauce seems to stand out a little more as opposed to the heavier Chinese egg noodles! Thank you for that idea!
Jess
Lisa - thanks so much for letting me know! And thank YOU for the great recipe in the first place - I've made them a couple times since then and once with another kind of noodle, but I agree that there's something that just works with those ramen noodles.
Leigh
I'm drooling just looking at these noodles!
Katie (The Muffin Myth)
Oh man, this looks like the perfect dish for this time of year where I live. Hot gingery noodles to combat the cold days (I'm officially sick of snow). The Hus is going away for about 10 days coming up, and I'm arming myself with an arsenal of single lady treat dinner recipes so I don't just eat crackers the entire time. This is def going on the list, and will likely be consumed while watching several back to back episodes of my favourite guilty pleasure shows. Thanks!
Corey @ Learning Patience
I never use fish sauce...always sounds gross! :-(~
xoxo from Trinidad
Jess
Corey! Silly girl - you are such a food person AND you eat fish! You've got to try cooking with it - I promise you can't taste anything fishy but it really makes lots of dishes extra delicious!
Xin
Such a simple dish, but yet so yummylicious with the scallions! I love to add a dash of sesame oil to my noodles; it works wonders on the fragrance. 😉
Jess
It's so true - I love the flavor of sesame oil in noodles - it gives it that slightly smokey flavor I love!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness
Very comforting! I have made a simple version of yours. Just with green onion and ginger. I love that yours have cilantro, shallots and fish sauce. I will definitely try this out during Chinese new year. 🙂
Jess
I could definitely see doing a simpler version in a pinch, using whatever I have in the fridge - I'm sure it's hard to go wrong with this recipe!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
These are the prettiest Asian noodles ever! I could get lost just staring in that bowl of curly q's. Sesame oil, honey, red pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar...that's me right there! Great flavor combos!
CJ @ Morsels of Life
Looks like a quick and easy, yet flavorful recipe! I'll have to give it a try. 🙂
Debra
We have been watching Chang's "Mind of a Chef" on PBS plus I love his publication, "Lucky Peach" and I have been dying to use ramen noodles in something. This looks so good and I think I have everything in the pantry. (Sorry you missed the Superbowl commercials!) 🙂
Jess
I've never seen his show Debra, but I'll have to check it out! I lived in New York for a time, and became completely obsessed with the whole line of his restaurants and all the creative foods he came up with.
Cassie | Bake Your Day
This is stunning! Pretty sure I'm making it for my lunch today. Love this!
Elizabeth@ Food Ramblingse
What a great twist on ramen!
Jane, The Heritage Cook
Stunning and definitely on my To Make list!
Kate
What a great pick for SRC! these look so good - already pinned them!
Sarah
This is SO my kind of food. Can't wait to make it.
Margaret
Oh, yeah These look great. And i love that they use raman noodles.!!!
Katie (The Muffin Myth)
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.
Jess
Katie! So glad you liked them - I would love to find whole wheat curly ramen noodles - amazing!
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes
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?
Liz
Thank you Jess for the nice recipe. Have a great day, learn lots, and teach us.
Frank Mosher
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?
Jess
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.
Molly
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!
Jess
Glad you liked these Molly! Thanks so much for letting us know. (P.S. - great name! It's our daughter's name too!)