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Vegetable Ramen with Soft-Boiled Egg

Vegetable Ramen with Soft-Boiled Egg reads umami 7.8, salinity 5.3 and richness 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.8 · Salinity 5.3 · Richness 4.8 · Funk & Ferment 4.3 · Allium 3.6 · Earthy 3.4 · Nutty 3.0 · Sourness 2.9 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Sweetness 1.6 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0

What's in it (15)

• eggs — 400 g
• low-sodium beef broth — 1420 g
• shiitake mushrooms — 237 g
• oil — 27 g
• cremini mushrooms — 227 g
• garlic — 9 g
• ginger — 15 g
• miso paste — 44 g
• soy sauce — 30 g
• rice wine vinegar — 11 g
• salt — 5 g
• baby bok choy — 100 g
• ramen noodles — 255 g
• scallions — 300 g
• dark sesame oil — 5 g

Time & effort: about 45 min (40 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 78 kcal, 3.8 g protein, 3.9 g fat, 6.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in the eggs and boil until the whites are just set and the yolks are jammy, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then peel; halve just before serving.
2. Meanwhile, combine the vegetable broth and dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mushrooms have softened and the broth tastes deeply savory, 15 minutes. Strain, reserving both the broth and the mushrooms; thinly slice the rehydrated mushrooms and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cremini mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed until deeply browned on the first side, 4 minutes, then stir and cook until browned all over, 2 minutes more.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the reserved shiitake broth along with the soy sauce and rice vinegar, and stir the sliced rehydrated shiitakes back into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot broth into a small bowl and whisk in the miso paste until smooth, then stir this mixture back into the pot (whisking the miso separately keeps it from clumping or scorching, so its flavor stays bright instead of boiling flat). Season with the salt; keep the broth warm just below a simmer.
7. Add the bok choy to the broth and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. While the bok choy cooks, bring a separate pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes for fresh noodles (or according to the package for dried); drain well and do not rinse.
9. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle the broth, mushrooms, and bok choy over the top. Finish each bowl with a halved soft-boiled egg, a scatter of scallions, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣汤) — Chinese
• Chicken Lettuce Wraps — Chinese-American
• Mushroom Stroganoff with Egg Noodles — American
• Moo Shu Pork — Chinese-American
• Potstickers (锅贴) — Chinese

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.