When it comes to comfort foods, classic chicken noodle soup is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I enjoy it so much, I like to experiment with different ways to make it based on what I have in my pantry, and my newest obsession has to be this ramen noodle hack. The thin and chewy texture of ramen noodles just can’t be beat; they work perfectly in this cozy soup. For even more flavor upgrades, I added some spins inspired by Chinese and Japanese cooking. It’s still the easy soup you know in love, but with some worthwhile additions and shortcuts. Here’s everything you need to know.
How To Make Ramen Chicken Noodle Soup
INGREDIENTS
- Vegetable & Sesame Oil: Too much sesame oil would make the final dish taste nutty, so I added some neutral oil to offset it. It also has a lower smoke point, so combining them is essential. You can use only vegetable oil if that’s all you have on hand.
- Yellow Onion: If you don’t have yellow, then white or Vidalia (sweeter) is fine to use in this recipe.
- Carrots: Another popular ingredient in the mirepoix of chicken soup ingredients, carrots are sweet and tender against a salty soy-flavored broth.
- Celery: I couldn’t include carrots without celery, and it’s a subtle taste that adds a little welcome texture.
- Red Bell Pepper: The addition of sweet bell pepper differentiates this from a classic chicken soup, making it reminiscent of a stir-fry.
- Scallions: Scallions add that vegetal onion and garlic essence to any dish. It’s especially common in Japanese miso soup and ramen variations, so it was important to include it in this recipe.
- Garlic: No soup recipe of mine will go without garlic. It’s an essential base ingredient and background note to highlight the best flavors. It just makes soup feel so much more cozy.
- Ginger: Ginger sets itself apart as a feel-good, heal-me ingredient in any soup; I had to use it here.
- Kosher Salt: I use Morton or Diamond Crystal kosher salt when cooking. Season the soup to your liking and taste as you go!
- Chicken Broth: I prefer to use a store-bought broth (homemade is even better) and season as needed. Because there is soy sauce in this recipe, you’ll want to be mindful of sodium levels—go with a low- to no-sodium broth.
- Soy Sauce: This is a must ingredient in a ramen-based soup. Soy sauce adds the salty, umami flavor to the broth, and it deepens the color of the soup too.
- Rotisserie Chicken Breast: My favorite hack for this soup is using your favorite store-bought rotisserie chicken. That way, you can focus on making the soup base perfect.
- Ramen Noodles Packs: The star of the soup is the ramen, of course! Any brand or variety will work, just make sure to toss the seasoning packets.
- Chili Oil: This is not only a personal favorite, but a necessary topping to pull this soup together. I love Lao Gan Ma chili crisp!
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
In a large sauce pot over medium heat, combine the vegetable and sesame oil. Sesame oil has a lower smoke point, so I mix it with a neutral oil to impart the nutty flavor. The onion, carrot, celery, and red pepper go in at once and will begin to sweat; the onions will turn translucent in 7 to 8 minutes. Ginger and garlic are more delicate, so add those later on and season with salt. I suggest 1 tsp. personally.
At this point, you can add the chicken broth and soy sauce. Taste for seasoning and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the rotisserie chicken and scallions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. If the rotisserie chicken is already warm, then you won’t need to heat it very long. The scallions will soften slightly as well.
Cook the ramen noodles according to the packet, 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and separated in a pot of boiling water. Make sure to discard the seasoning packets or reserve them for later use. Ladle the soup over a bowl of ramen noodles and drizzle with chili oil; it’s the best part!
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the noodles separately: Cook ramen noodles separately so that the noodles don’t soak up the broth and turn mushy. I also recommend storing them separately or making a fresh batch if you reheat leftovers.
- Use low-sodium: I opt for low-sodium or no-sodium broth so I can control the amount of seasoning. Soy sauce adds the salt we’re looking for, but you can use a low-sodium one as well.
Storage
Store soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Be mindful that rotisserie chicken may be made a day in advance, so it could have a shorter shelf life once added to the soup. If you prefer to make the soup base ahead, you can boil the noodles off when ready to eat.
