Justin & Meredith Winokur's Kitchen Cooking Notebook
Sitemap ·
Our Recipe Book ·
Steven's Recipe Book ·
Ann's Recipe Book ·
Meal Ideas ·
Copied Recipes
Random ·
Random Links
Home > pages > LLM-Discussions > 2026 > 2026-01 > 2026-01-25_Quick_Tahini_Miso_Ramen.html
Quick Tahini Miso Ramen
/pages/LLM-Discussions/2026/2026-01/2026-01-25_Quick_Tahini_Miso_Ramen.html
You are viewing revision c9c5fa53 from 2026-02-27 16:51:48 -0700.
See current version
and other versions
Links are to the current pages which may not exist or have changed.
ID-based links may not work. Internal links have [@rev] links to this revision
or add ?rev=c9c5fa53 to a URL.
See the help page for more information.
Help me design a quick homemade Ramen recipe using tahini, miso paste and store-bought broth or better than bouillon aiming for about four servings
Base
8 cups (2 quarts) store-bought broth (chicken/veg) or 8 cups water + Better Than Bouillon to taste
3–4 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste (start with 3)
1/3 cup tahini (well-stirred)
2–4 Tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
1–2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
Aromatics / heat (recommended)
4 cloves garlic, grated/minced
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1–2 Tbsp chili oil or chili crisp (optional)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
Noodles + add-ins
4 portions ramen noodles (fresh or dried)
4–6 cups quick-cook veggies (any mix): baby spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, shredded cabbage, frozen corn/edamame, scallions
Optional protein: 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, sliced tofu, or soft-boiled eggs
Finish
Boil the base: In a pot, bring broth (or water + bouillon) to a gentle simmer.
Make the flavor paste (prevents tahini clumps): In a bowl whisk together:
Best texture: boil noodles in a separate pot, drain, then portion into bowls.
One-pot option: add noodles to broth and cook, but they’ll thicken the soup more.
Add veggies/protein: Simmer quick veggies 1–3 minutes until just tender. Warm protein through.
Serve: Ladle broth over noodles. Finish with scallions, sesame, chili oil, and nori.
Creamier / richer: add 1–2 more Tbsp tahini or a splash of unsweetened soy milk.
More “ramen shop” savory: add 1–2 tsp bouillon even if using boxed broth; or add a pinch of MSG if you use it.
More tang: add another 1–2 tsp vinegar/lime at the end.
Spicier: chili crisp + a pinch of cayenne or gochugaru.
Veg-heavy: mushrooms + bok choy + spinach + corn
Chicken: rotisserie chicken + cabbage + scallions
Tofu: cubed tofu + edamame + spinach + sesame seeds
Egg: soft-boiled eggs + nori + scallions + chili oil
If you tell me what broth type you have (chicken/veg/beef) and what noodles (instant/dried/fresh), I can tune the salt ratios and cook timing.
Are you sure about that amount of vegetables? That’s almost a one-to-one ratio.
Yes—4–6 cups of vegetables for 4 servings is intentional and pretty typical for “loaded” noodle soup: it works out to 1–1.5 cups veg per bowl in an 8-cup broth base.
That said, the “right” amount depends on which vegetables:
Leafy greens (spinach, bok choy): they collapse a lot. 4–6 cups packed turns into roughly 1–2 cups cooked total, so it won’t feel like a one-to-one ratio in the bowl.
Bulky/crunchy veg (cabbage, mushrooms, carrots): they keep their volume. For those, use less.
If you want a more noodle-forward bowl, use this guideline for 4 servings:
Light: 2–3 cups total (about 1/2–3/4 cup per bowl)
Balanced: 3–4 cups total
Loaded: 4–6 cups total (especially if mostly greens)
2 cups mushrooms or cabbage (sliced/shredded)
2 cups leafy greens (packed spinach/bok choy)
That reads like 4 cups raw, but eats more like ~2–3 cups once cooked.
If you tell me the specific veg you’re planning (e.g., spinach + mushrooms + cabbage), I’ll give exact cup amounts for that mix so it doesn’t crowd the noodles.
Is that the right amount of tahini?
For 4 servings (about 8 cups broth), 1/3 cup tahini is a solid “medium-creamy” amount. It comes out to a bit over 1 Tbsp per bowl.
Use this range depending on how creamy you want it and how strong your tahini is:
Light / subtle: 3 Tbsp (about 1½ Tbsp per 2 servings)
Medium (what I wrote): 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp + 1 tsp)
Rich / “tantan-style” creamy: 1/2 cup
Two practical notes:
Tahini varies a lot in intensity and bitterness. If yours is strong/bitter, start at 3 Tbsp and add more after tasting.
Keep the soup below a boil after adding tahini + miso, and temper with hot broth first (whisk in 1 cup hot broth) to keep it smooth.
If you want a very exact target: start with 3 Tbsp tahini + 3 Tbsp miso, taste after it’s mixed in, then add tahini in 1 Tbsp increments until it hits the creaminess you want.
Is there anything else I should be thinking about or considering?
Salt control (big one): broth/bouillon + miso + soy sauce stack fast. Start light (especially on soy and bouillon), then adjust at the end. If it gets too salty, add hot water and rebalance with a splash of vinegar.
Don’t boil after adding miso/tahini: keep it at a bare simmer/steaming. Boiling can dull miso flavor and make tahini separate or get grainy.
Texture management: cook noodles separately if possible. Noodles left in the pot keep absorbing broth and can turn it thick/starchy.
Emulsify for smoothness: whisk tahini + miso with a ladle of hot broth before adding to the pot. If it still looks split, whisk harder or use an immersion blender for 10–15 seconds.
Balance triangle:
Umami: miso/bouillon/soy
Fat: tahini + (optional) sesame oil
Acid: rice vinegar/lime
A little acid at the end makes the whole bowl taste brighter and less heavy.
Heat strategy: add chili oil/chili crisp per bowl so everyone can choose spice level, and the pot doesn’t turn bitter/spicy as it sits.
Protein timing: pre-cooked chicken/tofu goes in at the end just to warm. If using eggs, cook separately (soft-boil) and halve on top.
Make-ahead idea: mix a “ramen concentrate” in a jar (tahini + miso + garlic/ginger + soy + vinegar). Refrigerate 3–5 days. To serve: whisk 2–3 Tbsp concentrate per bowl with hot broth, add noodles and toppings.
Common fixes:
Too thick: add broth/water.
Too bitter: more acid + a tiny pinch of sugar/honey.
Too flat: more miso (in small amounts) or a few drops sesame oil + acid.
Too rich: add more broth and extra vinegar/lime.
If you tell me which broth you’re using and whether your miso is white/yellow/red, I can give tighter starting amounts for salt and miso strength.
What is the trick of making Ramen noodles with regular pasta with baking soda in the water?
It’s a texture-and-chemistry hack: adding baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the cooking water makes it alkaline, which changes how wheat proteins and starch behave so regular pasta tastes closer to ramen.
What the alkalinity does
Firmer, springier bite (“chew”): alkaline conditions strengthen gluten structure and reduce the mushy feel.
Less sticky surface: starch gelatinizes a bit differently, so strands stay more distinct.
Slight “ramen” aroma/flavor: a faint alkaline note similar to kansui (alkaline salts used in ramen noodles).
How to do it (works best with thin pasta)
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Add baking soda:
1 tsp per quart (4 cups) of water is a good starting point.
For a stronger effect, go up to 2 tsp per quart, but it can taste soapy if you overdo it.
Add pasta and cook until just past al dente (often 1–2 minutes longer than the box). You want it cooked through but still bouncy.
Drain and rinse briefly to remove excess alkalinity and surface starch.
Toss with a little oil (optional) if it will sit before serving, then add to hot broth.
Best pasta shapes
Spaghetti, thin spaghetti, angel hair, capellini (closest to ramen)
Fresh egg noodles also work well (use less baking soda)
What to watch out for
It can foam up when you add baking soda—use a larger pot and don’t add it right at a rolling boil if you’re worried about boil-over.
Too much baking soda can taste metallic/soapy. Start low.
The noodles can turn slightly yellow (normal under alkaline conditions).
If you tell me the pasta type you have (spaghetti vs linguine vs etc.), I can give a tighter cooking-time target and baking-soda amount.
Combine this all into one recipe for me to follow. Add an introduction too. Style it like Americas Test Kitchen
This weeknight ramen borrows the core idea behind Japanese sesame-based bowls: build a concentrated flavor paste, then dilute it with hot broth for a soup that’s creamy, savory, and bright. Whisking tahini and miso with a ladle of hot broth before adding it to the pot prevents clumping and keeps the soup silky. For the best noodle texture, cook noodles separately and add them to the bowls at the end. If you don’t have ramen noodles, a small dose of baking soda in the pasta water raises alkalinity and gives regular spaghetti a springier, ramen-like chew.
8 cups (2 quarts) store-bought chicken or vegetable broth or 8 cups water plus Better Than Bouillon (see note)
2 cups sliced mushrooms or 2 cups shredded cabbage (optional but recommended)
2 cups packed leafy greens (spinach or chopped bok choy), plus more to taste (optional)
1/3 cup tahini, well stirred (see note)
3 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste (see note)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce, plus more to taste
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice), plus more to taste
1–2 Tbsp chili oil or chili crisp (optional)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
Option A: Ramen noodles
Option B: “Ramen-style” spaghetti
12 oz thin spaghetti or spaghetti
1 Tbsp baking soda (for ~3 quarts water)
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or 14–16 oz tofu, warmed in broth
4 soft-boiled eggs
Sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, nori, extra chili oil
Simmer the broth. Bring broth (or water + bouillon) to a gentle simmer in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms or cabbage, if using, and cook until just tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
Make the tahini–miso paste. In a medium bowl, whisk together tahini, miso, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil (if using), and sesame oil (if using).
Temper to prevent clumps. Ladle 1 cup of the hot broth into the tahini–miso paste while whisking constantly until smooth and pourable.
Finish the soup (no boiling). Reduce heat so the broth is steaming but not boiling. Whisk the tempered tahini–miso mixture into the pot. Add leafy greens and cook until wilted, 30 to 60 seconds. Taste and adjust with more soy sauce for salt, miso for depth, and vinegar/lime for brightness.
Cook noodles (choose one method).
Option A (ramen noodles): Cook noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain well.
Option B (spaghetti hack): Bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add baking soda (water will foam briefly). Add spaghetti and cook until just past al dente (typically 1 to 2 minutes longer than box timing). Drain and rinse briefly under hot water to remove excess alkalinity.
Serve. Divide noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle hot soup over noodles. Top with chicken/tofu, eggs, scallions, sesame seeds, nori, and extra chili oil if desired.
Bouillon baseline: If using Better Than Bouillon, start with about 2 tsp per cup of water (16 tsp total / 5 Tbsp + 1 tsp), but add gradually and taste—saltiness varies by flavor.
Tahini range: 1/3 cup yields “medium-creamy.” For lighter broth, use 3 Tbsp; for richer, use 1/2 cup.
Miso strength: White/yellow miso is gentler and best here. If using red miso, start with 2 Tbsp and increase to taste.
Vegetable volume: 4 cups total vegetables makes a balanced bowl; go up to 6 cups if most are leafy greens (they collapse).
Make-ahead concentrate: Whisk tahini–miso paste (Step 2) and refrigerate up to 3 days. To serve, whisk with hot broth as in Steps 3–4.
If you want this to land closer to a specific style (more tantanmen, more shoyu-forward, or milder), say which broth and miso you have and whether you prefer spicy.