Squash and Miso Ramen Class for Amherst Alums
Thanks for joining Beth Slovic ‘00 and me, Lola Milholland ‘07, for a cooking class where we’ll make Squash and Miso Ramen together. During class, between chopping onion and butchering winter squash, we’ll have a conversation about how Umi Organic, the noodle business I run in Portland, Oregon, came to be. I’ll also teach you the ins and outs of fresh ramen noodles, how to make the best jammy ramen eggs, and when we’re done, you’ll have a hot meal for you and your family!
Class Prep
On Tuesday, December 8, from 6 to 7:30 PST, we will be cooking together! Please have all the ingredients and tools ready ahead of the time.
Shopping/Ingredient List:
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1- to 2-inch piece ginger
1 winter squash (I recommend Kabocha, Tetsukabuto, Winter Sweet, Gill’s Golden Pippin or Sweet Meat but Butternut will also work great)
Vegetable oil (like sunflower, avocado, or safflower)
Salt
1/4 cup miso (widely available—select any type, we can adjust the flavor together)
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 sheet kombu seaweed (possibly harder to find, although not uncommon in natural groceries. This thick bull kelp provides a flavor base for Japanese broth. If you cannot track it down, substitute dashi powder or packets, dried shiitake mushrooms, or a good quality chicken or vegetable broth)
12 ounces (1 package) Umi Organic fresh ramen noodles (see where to buy Umi Noodles below) or other fresh ramen or Chinese egg noodles
2 to 3 green onion stalks
Optional:
6 eggs
Watercress or fresh cilantro
Toasted sesame seeds
1 sheet nori
Chili oil
Equipment List:
Cutting board and 8-inch+ kitchen knife
Vegetable peeler
Spoon
Large saute pan
Measuring cups
Blender, food processor or immersion blender
Measuring spoons
Quart jar or other deep cup or bowl for storing eggs.
2 large pots: one for broth, the other to boil water for noodles
Strainer
Ladle
3 large soup bowls
How to Buy Umi Ramen Noodles
While you may not have time to find our noodles for this class, here are options for the future!
For people living in Portland or Seattle, our noodles are widely available in local natural groceries like New Seasons Market and PCC, and through home delivery services like Local Milk Run, Alpenrose, and Smith Brothers.
If you live in Oregon, Washington, or California, our noodles are in select groceries. Please check our list of stores and call ahead of time to make are they’re in stock!
If you live elsewhere in the U.S. you can order our noodles online. We ship every Monday for delivery later that week.
Recipe & Steps
Chef Andrea Carlson of Harvest Community Foods in Vancouver BC provided the inspiration for this recipe. It features two of my favorite winter ingredients: kabocha squash—a love I came to during my junior year studying abroad in Japan—and miso, one of the backbones of the Japanese flavor palette. This recipe makes a meal for 3 so please scale up if you have a larger family or expect leftovers if you’re cooking for one or two.
Honestly, I often make this as a straight soup, but it works beautifully with the noodles, creating a big flavored vegan broth that clings to each strand. We’ll be making jammy eggs as a topping, but if you want to add a classic pork belly topping, I cannot recommend this class Momofuku recipe enough. You’ll need to start that one day ahead if you’re interested.
Directions
Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) water to a simmer, add 6-inch piece kombu seaweed, and simmer on low for 5 minutes.
Thinly slice 1 onion. Mince 2 cloves garlic. Peel 1- to 2-inch piece ginger and mince. Set aside.
Peel, de-seed and cube enough winter squash to equal 1-1/4 cups winter squash.
In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (like sunflower, avocado, or safflower) for around 30 seconds, until shimmering, and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for a few minutes, until the onion is beginning to soften but the garlic has not gotten too golden. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the sautéed onion, garlic, and ginger to the kombu and the water it has been soaking in. Add the squash and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the squash is soft, about 20 minutes. Remove simmered squash from the heat and add 1/4 cup miso. Remove the kombu. Let cool.
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. IF PREPARING EGGS: Once boiling, add 6 eggs and set a time for 7:30 minutes. Prepare an ice bath. Once then timer dings, move eggs to ice bath and cool. Keep water boiling (we’ll use this for the noodles!) Once chilled, peel eggs. Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce with 1 cup water. Add eggs to soy marinade. Store for up to 4 days—the egg yolks will become more orange and jammy as the salt works its magic. We’ve made extra so you can experience this magic!
Wash optional watercress or cilantro leaves, thinly slice 2 stalks green onion, and cut 1 sheet nori into matchsticks.
In a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender, blend squash broth until smooth. Season with 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and more salt to taste. Return to stove to keep warm.
Gently tease apart 12 ounces (1 package) Umi Organic fresh ramen noodles. Add noodles to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain well. If using other noodles, please follow package instructions.
Divide noodles between bowls, pour the squash sauce over the noodles. Use chopsticks to loosen the noodles in the sauce. Garnish with toppings of your choosing, including chili oil. Eat right away!