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Keeping warm with this Feel Good Spicy Ramen with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Shallots. Because there’s nothing better on bitter cold days than a steaming bowl of ramen. Made with chicken, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, greens, and plenty of spice, this ramen is healthy, quick, and made all in one pot. Each bowl is topped with crispy bacon, shallots, and eggs, for the best bowl of homemade ramen, that’s even better than a restaurant.
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It seems as though everyone is currently dealing with frigid winter temperatures and plenty of snow. I guess that makes sense, since here in the U.S we are in the dead of winter. After reading through emails and comments, it’s clear that everyone has the very same thing on their minds, soup! And not just any soup, specifically Ramen.
Since this has been the most requested recipe, I wanted to listen to you guys and come up with a healthy, quick, and easy ramen that would be both satisfying and delicious.
And here is it. And yes, it is good.
I will not lie, I have so many ramen recipes already living on HBH. I love them all so much (especially this Thai Peanut chicken ramen…have you made it??). But this ramen feels a little more traditional, yet still with my own little (Korean) twist.
Let me explain.
First off, I made this ramen all in one pot, on the stove-top. Meaning no slow cooker or instant pot. Don’t get me wrong, I love both the slow cooker and instant pot, but sometimes the stove-top is just the way to go. Promise, this recipe is still quick and simple.
Here are the details.
Start of by cooking the bacon, which adds huge amounts of rich flavor to the soup. Once the bacon has crisped, use the fat left in the pot, to make the crispy shallots. Yes, crispy shallots. So addicting. So delicious.
Both the bacon and shallots are crisped up in a pot, and then removed to a paper towel lined plate. Then all of the remaining ingredients are added to that very same pot. Now, for my (Korean) twist – Gochujang. If you’re not familiar, Gochujang is Korean chili paste. It’s spicy with a little sweetness, and it’s extremely flavorful. It’s not traditional, but wow it adds so much flavor to the soup, along with a really nice spicy kick. If you’d prefer, you can use Thai curry paste in place of the Gochujang, but I highly recommend the Gochujang. It truly makes this bowl of ramen better than any other.
Everything else is pretty simple. I used plenty of ginger, a little soy sauce, sweet potatoes, and lots of fresh wintry greens. I suppose the sweet potatoes may be a bit odd. But I love not only the color they add, but also their touch of sweetness. It’s a really nice balance to the heat that’s happening throughout the soup.
And of course, no bowl of ramen is complete without the toppings, they’re the best part after all, right?
Bacon, crispy shallots, and a soft-boiled egg, the perfect trio. Oh, and toasted sesame seeds and green onions too. Each and every last bite is so good.
Salty, a little spicy, warming, noodley, and bursting with so much flavor. I cannot get enough.
PS. Thanks so much to all you guys who are leaving me comments, DM’s, and emails. You truly are my number one source of inspiration, and I read each and every one of your messages. LOVE when you guys send me recipes suggestions (like this ramen) and sometimes even your family recipes. It’s the best source of inspiration for me!
If you make this feel good Ramen, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Feel Good Ramen with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Shallots
Ingredients
- 4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
- 3 small shallots, thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoons sesame or extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces wild mushrooms, torn
- 1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (korean chili paste), using more or less to taste
- 2 small sweet potato sliced into 1/4 inch rounds or half moons
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 4 squares ramen noodles
- 4 cups shredded Tuscan kale
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4-6 soft or hard boiled eggs, for serving
- toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain on a paper towel lined plate. 2. To the pot, add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pot to the paper towel lined plate. The shallots will crisp as they dry. 3. If there’s a lot of bacon grease left in the pot, drain it off. Set the pot over high heat, add the sesame oil and mushrooms, and cook until caramelized, about 3-5 minutes. Add the ginger and cook another minute. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and Gochujang. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken and sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender.4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. 5. When the soup is done, shred the chicken using 2 forks. Stir in the kale and cilantro, cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. 5. To serve, divide the noodles between bowls and ladle the soup overtop. Top with eggs, shallots, bacon, green onions, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Could the broth be made ahead and frozen? Then defrost and serve with freshly boiled noodles?
Hi Reggie! Yes, of course! Just know that the noodles will not absorb the flavor of the broth though! Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Are squares of ramen the only type of ramen noodles?
Hi Carol! No there are some in boxes and made out of different things. Is that what you are asking! There should be plenty of options in the asian section of the grocery store! xTieghan
I want to make this soooo bad but I personally cannot handle gochujang.. any substitutes that may work well??
Hey Brady! You can use your favorite hot sauce. That will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I loved this recipe! I wanted to make something comforting and warm and I knew I could steer to your blog and books to help 🙂
you always make winners and everyone that tasted this loved it!
That is so amazing! Thank you Kelly! xTieghan
no questions, but thank you. a sister came over and tried it, raved about it, and then finished the rest of the pot, so im thinking it could have just been our personal preferences.
besides the shallot not crisping and the soft boiled egg not coming out (which are the only things that could be troubleshot), the flavors were just,….. bland in one direction but overpowering in the other. i think this one in particular really was just the flavors that didnt bode well with what we wanted.
husband kept pointing out little things he didnt like, and i found myself doing the same.
its ok, it happens.
that being said, i do like a lot of recipes on your blog. (one that sticks out in my mind like a sore thumb is the beer braised chicken. which i made beer bread with. and served with beer. oh my gosh and the mango nectarine salsa chicken. we’ve made that one like 6 times.)
Hi Angie! That is so amazing to hear, thank you! It makes me so happy to hear that you and your sister loved this and others! xTieghan
Not gonna lie, I had such high hopes for this ramen, because most recipes I get from your blog end up fantastic.
Long story short, it kinda failed for us 🙁 the shallots wouldn’t crisp, the eggs wouldn’t cook properly, the flavors of the soup just didn’t meld together. I was very very sad and definitely felt defeated.
Oh well, not everything will always work out.
Hi Angie! I am really sorry to hear that! Are there any questions I could help you with? Please let me know! I hope you love other recipes of mine as well! xTieghan
Do you have a vegetarian version of your ramen?
Hi Sarah! I do not, but you can simply omit the chicken from any of my Ramen recipes and use vegetable broth to make the soups meat free. The bacon can also be omitted from the recipe as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Pretty much perfect!
Thank you! xTieghan
The recipe worked great until I realized that you are promoting square ramen which contains a lot of preservatives. All I want is a recipe that is honest and has noooooo preservatives
Hi Lisa! The ramen that I use and that is linked on this recipe actually only has two ingredients… Organic brown rice flour and organic millet. I do not see any preservatives in the ingredients, but if you have more information please let me know! From what I have read, these are a very healthy alternative to regular ramen noodles. Thank you for your comment and I look forward to hearing back from you! xTieghan
Here to say that I have tried so many recipes for homemade ramen and it always comes out just barely better than instant, ugh. This one is different and its perfect.
I am so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much Casey! xTieghan
This ramen recipe is so perfect! The sweet potato was surprisingly wonderful and after simmering in the soup, it adds so much depth of flavor! Thank you for another amazing dish!
Thank you Macy! So glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
My boyfriend and I made this for Valentine’s day last night. It was delicious!! Added just a splash of heavy cream.
I am so glad you both loved this and I hope your night was amazing! Thank you Julia!
I made the feel good ramen with sweet potatoes and crispy shallots this evening! It was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
I am so glad you loved this Cheri! Thank you! xTieghan
My favorite of all your ramen recipes!! The gochujang is perfect ?
Thank you so much Jaclyn!
It was perfection! Thank you.
Thank you!!