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This crockpot crispy caramelized pork ramen noodle soup with curry roasted acorn squash is some real deal Ramen. The mixture of flavors and broth – oh my!! Ramen has always been one of my favorite things to eat and now it’s one that I love to make AND eat – YUM.
Growing up I pretty much lived on Ramen Noodle Soup. Especially during the cold fall and winter months. If you live in northeast Ohio, especially along the lake, like I used to, you know that those months can be brutal. Comforting soup is the best cure-all. The rain, the freezing rain, the snow, the ice, the bitter cold – with no sunshine for days.
UGH.
Ramen, and maybe a roaring wood burning fire, can restore sanity. I would come home from school, boil the water, add the noodles + seasoning and cuddle up on the couch with a big blanket (if I was lucky, the fire was going too), my hot bowl of ramen and either a re-run episode of Gilmore Girls or 7th Heaven.
Ok, that was my ideal day. I cannot say how often that truly happened because I had five other brothers living in the house as well. Getting the TV all to myself meant that I was probably still in grade three, four or five because for some reason those grades got out at 2:45pm. The rest of the grades got out at 3:15 (middle school + high school) and 3:55 (lower elementary school). For the record, Kensington (my upper elementary school) was by far my favorite school, for the sole reason that while attending, I got out earlier than all my siblings. This meant that I had at least an hour alone with my mom after school. With five other siblings + my dad all fighting for her attention, this was obviously the best thing ever to me. It was rare that it was just us girls in the house so I always loved that time after school. Unless of course I had a boatload of homework. Then I was stressed to the max and HAD to get it done right-away (issues).
It’s probably clear I was a total freak. No denying it. I mean what kid does their homework literally right after school? I wouldn’t eat or do anything till it was all done. Mental issues? Yes, yes, yes, I had them and still do, but now they are in different forms…
I have not actually had Ramen Noodle Soup, with the seasoning pack and all, in years because my mom and I sadly found out (at way too young of an age) that Ramen was basically a bunch of processed junk that we did not want to be putting into our bodies. I still remember the day my aunt Alyssa called and broke the news that our beloved Ramen probably wasn’t the best thing to be eating. Daily. And yes, even as a kid I never wanted to eat junk food unless my mom made it from scratch, meaning all her cookies, cakes, K-bars and pies where fair game. I didn’t even like chips. See, total freak.
Last year I made this Thai peanut chicken ramen that I still love and make all the time with angel hair pasta, but this fall it was time for a new Ramen. And um, I have to say that I have totally upped my Ramen making game.
The caramelized pork does the trick. It’s pretty awesome, but I still think the egg… or maybe the curry roasted acorn squash (can’t decide) are my favorites. Together they honestly make the most perfect bowl of ramen.
Bonus, the pork gets cooked all day in the crockpot too. It’s the best way to make this because not only does it make dinner easy, but the pork gets cooked low and slow and creates an incredible broth. Seriously, the broth is out of this world good. There is a little work to do before dinner, you have to roast the acorn squash and get the pork all crispy + caramelized in the skillet, but I promise the extra efforts will be so worth it. You do not HAVE to make the pork all caramelized and crispy. It’s still going to be good if you don’t, but I highly recommend taking the extra ten minutes to do so. It takes the meal to a whole new level. Plus, it totally makes this a Bahn Mi Ramen Noodle Soup.
And the squash, well it’s the perfect fall topping to add to Ramen. I wouldn’t do it any other way. So good.
And those noodles, while nothing will ever compare to real deal Ramen noodles.
Crockpot Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup w/Curry Roasted Acorn Squash.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 2018 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Soup
- 2-3 pounds pork shoulder roast or butt
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth plus more of needed
- 1/4-1/2 cup + 2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce <--Use low sodium
- 1/4 cup + 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce optional
- 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek chili paste, or to taste
- The juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cups wild mushrooms left whole - or button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 packs Ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
- 4 soft boiled or fried eggs for serving
- Chopped carrots sliced jalapenos, cilantro + green onions, for serving
Curry Roasted Acorn Squash
- 1 medium acorn squash seeded + diced
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon curry powder I use spicy curry
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the pork to the bowl of a crockpot. Pour the chicken broth, 1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce (depending on your taste), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and fish sauce over the pork. Add the thai red curry paste, ginger, sambal oelek, juice of 1 lime, Chinese five spice powder, black pepper and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours (I recommend going low and slow).
- About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, curry powder, miso, brown sugar and a good pinch of pepper. Add the cubed squash to a greased baking sheet and pour the curry mixture over the squash. Toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing a couple of times during cooking. You want the squash to be lightly browned and crisp.
- Meanwhile, remove the pork from the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Cover the crockpot and crank the heat up to high. Lightly shred the pork with two forks or your hands.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot, add enough pork to cover just the surface of your skillet, do not over crowd the skillet. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pork, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, toss. Allow the pork to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir and allow the pork to continue to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes total. Remove the pork from the skillet, repeat with the remaining pork. Keep the pork warm.
- Add the Ramen noodles to the crockpot and allow them to cook 5 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, stir in only half of the pork. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with extra caramelized pork, curry roasted acorn squash and an egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper, Add the carrots, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro if desired. Happy slurping!
Love this bowl. It’s everything you could ever want in soup.
Made this for cozy winter dinner w close family. Loved but the recipe could be written better. Suggest have the ingredient list segments for the pork slow cook, the caramelized pork, the squash, and the add-ins. As it is now, it’s easy to mix up the ingredients and amounts used for each of these steps esp while hosting a party. The video doesn’t follow the recipe correctly, btw. I’ll make again!
Hi Lisa,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
This was truly amazing. It will be my go to winter weather meal from now on!
Hey Diana,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for testing it out! Have a great week! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
This soup was so good! We used our own homegrown pork, eggs and acorn squash. The flavor of the broth was my favorite!
Go Bucks!
Amber
Hi Amber,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
Hi there!!
Love this recipe!!! The pork kinda makes it for me. So good! Do you think there’s a way to prepare the pork in the recipe and then freeze it (maybe before the crisping)? You know, for when a ramen craving strikes!
Thanks!
Vino
Hi Vino,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Sure, I would just cook the pork and freeze:) Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you substitute chicken for the pork?
Hey Gwen,
Yes, chicken would also work well for you. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
So many kinds of ramen noodles, would be great to know what kind. Also, went to 3 stores for miso paste, no luck. Will order it for next time but is there a substitute in a pinch?
Hi Linda! You can sub fish sauce or soy sauce for the miso paste! So sorry about that! As far as the ramen noodles, you can use whatever kind you prefer! xTieghan
I have made this recipe with a few tweaks about 4-5 times and I use oceans halo noodles https://www.amazon.com/Oceans-Halo-Noodle-Ramen-Organic/dp/B07W6RRK1Q/ref=sr_1_1_0o_wf_mod_primary_alm?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI89a_oO_t9AIVg7LICh089AeJEAAYAiAAEgJyh_D_BwE&hvadid=557477020275&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9001991&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16081307996091754751&hvtargid=kwd-900785254061&hydadcr=7496_13185767&keywords=halo+ramen+noodles&qid=1639848390&sbo=m6DjfpMzMLDmL8pSMKX8hw%3D%3D&sr=8-1 Also sometimes I find miso in the refrigerated aisle with tofu and alternative dairy products. Good luck, this recipe is so good, I am making it today for our 1st snowy day in Boston.
Absolutely amazing – we’re in food heaven ? I just need a little lie down from eating too much ?
Hey Kate,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
My husband said this might be the best thing I’ve ever made ? he only likes HBH recipes haha. This one I will be making again for sure!
Is there an instant pot conversion for the pork?
Hey Jennifer,
I would cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. For best results I would cut the pork into larger chunks. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. xTieghan
very delicious and flavorful!
Hey Nia,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Every single element of this dish was delicious and could stand on its own. The pork, the curry squash…… Im stuffed but it still sounds so good. Also, my houser smells amazing. My only error was not reading through the directions fully (will I ever learn?) For a slow cooker recipe it needed more finishing at the end than I expected, which is 100% my fault for not reading. I stuffed my slow cooker pot into the fridge and reheated it the next day to finish the recipe, when I had more time. Teagan, I love how creatively you used a slow cooker for this recipe. I’ll be making this (and literally every other recipe of yours I’ve tried) again.
Hey Kate,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
This ramen was SO FLAVORFUL! It was perfect for a cold Sunday with nothing else to do. The recipe was easy to follow. We substituted sweet potato for the acorn squash and it was awesome.
I wish we had put more chicken stock in it; after we finished dinner, it ended up being mostly noodle left. Not a big problem (the noodles are so good and we’ll eat as a pasta), but just something I’d change next time!
Hey Grace,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
So delicious and very versatile!
Thanks so much Whitney!! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe sooooo many times. I love it!! It got me hooked on Chinese five spice. 10/10!
Hey Sara,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I have never made pork ramen before, but this was so yummy! I didn’t make too many changes because my mom always taught me to follow a recipe as is the first time. Used 1/3 c soy and 4 c low sodium chicken broth + 2 c ginger miso broth that I got from Trader Joe’s. I also added a second T of brown sugar half way through cooking. I will definitely be making this again. My only alteration for next time will be to cook the noodles separately because they soak up the broth, making leftovers a moot point the next day.
Hey Brittany,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This is a staple dish for us in the winter!! So good, so easy. I don’t do the acorn squash because I didn’t think it added much to the dish and it was more work than necessary.
Hey Aija,
I am so glad you have been enjoying this recipe, thanks for making it! xTieghan