Ramen
ラーメン · Ramen
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Ramen is one of those lunches that gets a cheer when it shows up on the preschool menu. This is the school-kitchen version: a light, clear soy-sauce soup built on chicken stock and simmered with green onion, poured over noodles and topped with chashu pork, wakame and sweet corn. The noodles are cut short and boiled a little longer than usual so they are soft and easy for small children to manage, and a quick rinse washes away the extra saltiness so the whole bowl stays mild.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 90 gfresh ramen noodlesFresh Chinese-style wheat noodles sold refrigerated in Japan for ramen and stir-fried noodles. Substitute: Dried ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet) or thin spaghetti.
- 0.5 gdried cut wakameSmall pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
- 22.5 gchashu (Japanese roast pork)Soy-marinated roasted pork sold in sliced or block form at Japanese grocers, often used as a ramen topping. Substitute: Sliced ham or leftover roast pork.
- 18 ggreen onion (naga negi)Japanese long onion, thicker and milder than Western scallions. Substitute: Scallions or the white part of a leek.
- 13.5 gcanned corn
Seasonings
- 270 gwater
- 4.8 gsoy sauce
- 0.3 gsalt
- 1.2 gchicken stockA light, Chinese-style chicken bone stock, usually made in Japan from granules. Substitute: Any light chicken stock or broth.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- fresh ramen noodles (生中華めん)
- Fresh Chinese-style wheat noodles sold refrigerated in Japan for ramen and stir-fried noodles. Substitute: Dried ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet) or thin spaghetti.
- dried cut wakame (カットわかめ)
- Small pieces of dried wakame seaweed that rehydrate in a few minutes and are used in soups and salads. Substitute: Any dried seaweed for soup, or omit.
- chashu (Japanese roast pork) (焼き豚)
- Soy-marinated roasted pork sold in sliced or block form at Japanese grocers, often used as a ramen topping. Substitute: Sliced ham or leftover roast pork.
- green onion (naga negi) (ねぎ)
- Japanese long onion, thicker and milder than Western scallions. Substitute: Scallions or the white part of a leek.
- chicken stock (鶏ガラスープ)
- A light, Chinese-style chicken bone stock, usually made in Japan from granules. Substitute: Any light chicken stock or broth.
Directions
- 1
Soak the wakame in water to rehydrate it, then chop it finely. Cut the chashu into 5 mm dice and thinly slice the green onion into rounds.
- 2
Put the water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the green onion and the seasonings and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
- 3
Put the chashu in a frying pan and stir-fry over low heat for about 3 minutes. Boil the wakame for about 5 minutes, then rinse it under running water to cool.
- 4
Cut the noodles in a cross to shorten them, then boil them for 2 minutes longer than the package directions. Rinse under running water to wash away the saltiness.
- 5
Place the noodles in a bowl and pour the soup over them. Top with the wakame, chashu, and corn.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 283.5 kcal | 567 kcal | 283.5 kcal |
| Protein | 13.2 g | 26.4 g | 13.2 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55.8 g | 111.6 g | 55.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 2.7 g | 5.4 g | 2.7 g |
| Calcium | 31.5 mg | 63 mg | 31.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 283.5 kcal | 13.2 g | 3 g | 55.8 g | 2.7 g | 31.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 567 kcal | 26.4 g | 6 g | 111.6 g | 5.4 g | 63 mg | 1.5 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
