This ramen is sensational, flavours are rich, sweet, deep and with each spoonful, you discover another layer. First, sweet caramelised onions, then, richness coming from the mushrooms, umami from reduced soy sauce, and mellowness of miso. Topped with shitake, crispy onions, crunchy sesame kale and stewed onions, this mushroom and caramelised onions ramen will get you addicted. It doesn’t take long to make a broth, in fact, it mostly makes itself by soaking shitake. As always with ramens, feel free to switch the toppings and play with various kinds of miso. You will be surprised how filling this ramen is, despite no added tofu or other protein. That’s thanks to mushrooms and stewed onions.
Make the best dashi for this mushroom and caramelised onions ramen
What is dashi? Stock! Made by soaking and gentle simmering kombu, or mushrooms, or both. And then, fortifying it with some soy sauce, mirin or even rice vinegar. That’s the base of ramen, its soul and personality. I will never call myself a dashi expert, far from it. For a very long time, I was petrified to post any Japanese style dishes, as I was so worried to be judged and called not authentic. And that’s because I am not- I am not Japanese, I have never even been to Japan, but I can’t help loving the food and culture. So I risked public hate and started making food. My food, with my Japanese twist on it. Like this mushroom and caramelised onions ramen. And I will never call it authentic, but I will always call it delicious. So, since we got this out of the way…
Back to the ramen
Noodles are life. They simply are, and there’s no need to argue. There is an incredible sense of comfort in slurping the broth and hoovering the noodles in between lips. And finding different bits with each mouthful, to get a new sensation. The marriage of light dashi and a big nest of wheat noodles are perfect, kinda like yin/yang. And don’t we all need balance? To me, ramen is like eating a cake and having it too. I never feel heavy, sleepy or tired after the biggest bowl. Instead, there is this wonderful sensation of the nourished body and cuddled soul. Perhaps ramen is like a famous chicken soup, with all its medicinal properties? I think it can heal much more than a sore throat.
Toppings for the mushroom and caramelised onions ramen
Ramen can be your playground, literally. I give you a good base and you can have a bit of fun with a rest. Feel free to use various mushrooms, lots of other greens and add your own spin on it. After all, cooking is about recreating recipes and getting inspired. One of my favourite things in the kitchen is bringing in my heritage and roots. It was called fusion in the ’90s, haha, but all it is is just cooking from your heart. When I was training in India to become a yoga teacher, my guru used to say to us: ‘teach only what you know best ‘. It took me a while to understand what he meant by it, but now, when thinking about cooking, I know exactly. It is all in understanding the flavours and combining them in unexpected ways. So I love introducing Polish ferments to sushi- a simple play on well-known kimchi and rice. Or use fermented rye flour as a base for the broth. When you cook what you know, it is so much easier to experiment and introduce new flavours. So, what would go well with this mushroom and caramelised onions ramen?
- rehydrated shitake, tossed in olive oil, or, for some luxury, in truffle oil
- crispy sesame kale or quickly fried savoy cabbage
- balsamic vinegar stewed banana shallots or any other small onions
- crispy onions and garlic
- toasted sesame seeds
- mushroom furikake- Japanese seasoning- WATCH THIS VIDEO
- dark miso and tahini glaze
What noodles are best with this mushroom and caramelised onions ramen
I love all the noodles, there are no exceptions! Thick, white worm-like looking udon, thinner yellow wheat nests, thin see-through glass or sweet potato ones. Some noodles are better in stir-fries, some in soups, some in curries. Thicker ones are more filling, so they will best with some light broths, if your broth is more creamy and substantial, choose lighter noodles. If you like your food to look beautiful and you enjoy arranging ramen bowls, choose the noodles that will shine on a table! I buy all my noodles in the Asian stores, as the selection just blows my mind, all the shapes, and colours. I get my ramen inspiration just by looking at the shelves, then I look in the fridge section, maybe some Chinese spinach, I study all the soy sauce and miso types, and I rush home to cook.
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