Ina Garten Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup Recipe

Ina Garten Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup is a Japanese-inspired main course featuring tender shredded chicken and soft noodles in a fragrant ginger broth. This quick stovetop meal uses fresh spinach and soft-boiled eggs to create a satisfying, nutritious dinner.

If you do nothing else, grate the fresh ginger right before you need it. That’s the difference between a broth that tastes bright and one that tastes flat. I used to think the ginger in the jar was fine, but the heat of fresh ginger is what actually balances the salty soy sauce.

The carrots need to be sliced into very thin matchsticks so they soften at the same speed as the noodles. Without that fine cut, you’ll end up with crunchy vegetables and overcooked ramen. I find that using a rotisserie chicken makes this the fastest mid-week meal in my rotation.

Ina Garten Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup Ingredients

• 1.5 litres (2.5 pints) chicken stock
• 450g (1lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 3 packs ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 medium carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 150g (5oz) baby spinach or bok choy, chopped
• 3 soft-boiled eggs, halved
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Sliced red chilli and sesame seeds for serving

How To Make Ina Garten Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup

1. Sauté aromatics: Heat the sesame oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute until you can smell them. Make sure the heat isn’t too high as garlic burns fast and becomes bitter.
2. Add broth and seasoning: Pour in the chicken stock and soy sauce and stir well. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down so it stays at a steady simmer.
3. Cook noodles and vegetables: Add the carrots to the pot and let them simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the ramen noodles and cook for 3 minutes or until they are soft and pull apart easily.
4. Add chicken and greens: Stir in the shredded chicken and the spinach or bok choy. Cook for 2 minutes until the leaves have wilted and the chicken is hot all the way through.
5. Assemble bowls: Taste the broth and add salt and pepper if it needs more seasoning. Divide the soup between bowls and top each one with half a soft-boiled egg, spring onions, and the fresh chilli.

Recipe Tips

• Cook eggs separately. Boil your eggs for exactly 6 minutes then drop them into ice water to get that jammy yellow centre.
• Dry the noodles. If you aren’t eating the soup immediately, cook the noodles in plain water and add them to the bowls at the table.
• Use high-quality stock. The liquid is the base of the whole dish, so use a good chilled stock rather than a crumbly cube.
• Swap the greens. If you don’t have spinach, pak choi or even thinly shredded kale work well as long as you remove the tough stems.
• Add a citrus finish. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the bowl right before eating to cut through the richness of the sesame oil.
• Prep the chicken early. Shredding a cold chicken breast is much easier than doing it while the meat is steaming hot.

What To Serve With Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup

This soup is a full meal on its own, but it pairs well with crispy vegetable gyoza or steamed prawn dumplings. You can also serve it with a side of smashed cucumber salad topped with plenty of toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar.

For a crunchier side, try spring rolls or a plate of pickled ginger and radishes. These sharp flavours help balance the savoury depth of the chicken broth.

How To Store Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup

Fridge

Store the broth and chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not store the noodles in the liquid or they will absorb all the broth and turn into a thick paste.

Reheat

Pour the broth into a small saucepan and heat on the hob over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add fresh noodles or your leftover cooked noodles for the final 60 seconds to warm them through.

Freeze

You can freeze the broth and shredded chicken in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. Always cook fresh noodles when you defrost the soup to maintain the right texture.

Ina Garten Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 6):

• Calories: 385
• Protein: 28g
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 930mg

Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

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