Tantanmen Ramen

Rich, creamy, and nutty flavoured ramen broth with spicy pork and noodles - Tantanmen ramen is a flavourful soup that is easy to make and delicious to eat! The best part is you can have it on your table in 20 minutes!

I was hooked from my very first bite of tantanmen. I loved everything from the slightly spicy and nutty flavoured broth to the noodles and the deliciously flavorful pork. I wasn't surprised at all although because I'm also a big fan of dan dan noodles, and tantanmen ramen is the Japanese version of the dish. It's not nearly as spicy and it's served as a soup where dan dan noodles are more dry, but it's equally as delicious!

You're going to love this!

• Quick and easy - this recipe has a few ingredients, but the steps are very simple and the whole dish comes together in just about 20 minutes.
• Bold and flavorful - this ramen is just packed with texture and flavour from the sauce to the ramen.
• Cozy and comforting - just like a big old comfy sweater, there's nothing like a big bowl of saucy noodles to get you feel warm and cozy.

Ingredients

• Ground pork - pork is the traditional meat, but you could easily substitute for chicken or turkey or beef.
• Gai lan - This is Chinese broccoli. It's one of my favourite Asian greens, but you could use bok choy or any other greens you like here.
• Ginger and garlic - no Asian dish is complete without these two aromatics.
• Ramen noodles - You will find many different kinds. Some can be cooked right in the soup, some are very starchy and need to be cooked in their own pot of water first. Pay attention to package directions and cook accordingly.
• Chicken stock - chicken has a nice mild flavour that doesn't overpower the other ingredients, so I'd suggest you stick with that.
• Soy milk - make sure to use unsweetened. You can also substitute for your favourite non dairy milk.
• Green onion - I love loads of this piled onto my ramen!
• Sesame paste - aka tahini. You can also use peanut butter in a pinch.
• Chili Bean sauce - also known as doubanjiang. It's a paste made from broad beans, and I don't have a great substitute to suggest.
• Soy sauce - any kind you like!
• Chili oil - you'll find plenty of options at your local Asian grocer, but here's one to get you started on what to look for.

How to make it

There are a couple of steps to this recipe (as well as a decent list of ingredients) but I assure you that the process looks more complicated than it is, and the whole thing comes together in just 20 minutes.

Prepare the soup paste. Mix together the sesame paste, soy sauce and chili oil to make the soup paste then set it aside for later.

Prepare the pork seasoning. Mix together the chili bean paste (doubanjiang), garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chili oil to make the pork seasoning, and set aside.

Cook the pork. Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium high heat and add a splash of oil. Add the ground pork to the skillet and cook until browned. Add the prok seasoning mix to the pork and mix through. Cook until the pork is nice and crisp.

Blanche the greens and cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and give the greens a give blanche then remove them from the water, then drop in the noodles and cook them according to package directions before straining them.

Cook the broth. Add the chicken stock and the soy milk to a pot and heat until the stock is a bout to reach a boil. Be careful, because if the stock does boil it may bubble up over the pot.

Assemble the soup. Divide the soup paste between the bowls, then add the stock. Stir well to dissolve the paste into the broth, then add the noodles.

Top the ramen. Add the seasoned pork to the ramen along with the blanched greens and diced green onions and serve!

Are you on Pinterest? Follow me for more fresh and tasty recipe ideas.

Want to see more recipes like this?? Sign up for our newsletter to have new recipes delivered to your inbox, follow us on Instagram, or like our Facebook page.

More Recipes You'll Love!

If you liked this tantanmen ramen, you might want to check out some of our other amazing soup recipes!

If you have made this recipe we’d love to see it! Tag us on Insta @loveandgoodstuff.
Loved this? Don’t forget to rate it below!