Chicken Katsu Ramen

You all know that 2021 was the year of the Ramen for me… I discovered it in the summer of 2020 (thanks Christian and Hadlee 💜) and set to work recreating less sodium-intense, more veggie-friendly versions at home. Taking the extra step to make the chicken katsu isn’t as straightforward as the veggie ramen but it does add another dimension which is very much appreciated on cold winter nights or crisp spring evenings. I adapted this from Half Baked Harvest who has tons of quick, Asian-inspired dishes that cycled through my kitchen at the end of last year.

what you need

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

2 shallots or 1/2 onion, minced

1 ginger knob, minced or grated

1 cup mushrooms of choice, thickly diced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup miso paste of choice

2 tablespoons fermented chili paste

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup soy sauce

Ramen noodles of choice

4 cups spinach

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil

2 soft boiled eggs, halved

garnish: diced green onion

🍜

4 small chicken cutlets (if your chicken breasts are thick, it is important that you slice them smaller)

1 cup Panko

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

dash of salt, to taste

dash of cayenne pepper or paprika, to taste

1 tablespoon oregano

how to make it

Place garlic, shallots, ginger, and pepper flakes in a large pot with a tablespoon of oil over medium heat and sauté until fragrant. Add in the mushrooms and sauté another minute.

Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, and soy sauce, and heat until steaming. At that time, add in the miso paste and the chili paste and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for approximately 10 minutes. Taste for flavor but, at this point, you shouldn’t need salt.

As the broth gently boils, mix all the ingredients together with the Panko and bread your chicken. You can use an egg to adhere the crumb mixture to the chicken but I prefer not to. Fry the chicken cutlets in oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, remove to a cutting board, and cut the katsu into strips.

Returning to the broth, add the spinach, noodles, and sesame oil, and simmer another ~5 minutes until the noodles soften. Alternatively, you are welcome to cook your noodle separately and pour the broth over them.

Place noodles and broth in your serving bowls, adding to each bowl a halved egg and two chicken cutlets, sliced. Garnish with diced green onion and toasted sesame seeds and serve warm.