Slow Cooker Chicken Ramen With Bok Choy and Miso
The slow cooker puts a weeknight ramen fix within reach; don't skimp on the toppings here, which you can customize to your liking. They make each bowl feel special. Miso soup is traditionally made with dashi, an umami-rich stock made from kombu seaweed and dried bonito, a kind of tuna. But this recipe takes a different path to those deep flavors, substituting chicken broth and optional dried shiitake mushrooms, found in the produce department or international aisle of many grocery stores. Finally, a quick kombu steep adds umami. The ingredient is available at more specialty grocers and online, but feel free to leave it out. The soup will still be delicious.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 3to 3 1/2 pounds skin-on whole chicken legs (about 5 legs)
- ½heaping cup sweet white or yellow miso, plus more to taste
- 2scallions, trimmed and halved, plus more for topping
- 3garlic cloves, smashed
- 4dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)
- 1(5-by-3-inch) piece dried kombu (optional)
- 1pound baby bok choy, cored and roughly chopped
- 2tablespoons tamari, plus more to taste
- 2tablespoons mirin, plus more to taste
- 12to 16 ounces ramen, cooked and drained
- Soft boiled eggs, sesame seeds and toasted nori sheets, for topping
Instructions
Step 1
Put the chicken legs in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, and crumble the miso on top. Add the scallions, garlic cloves, shiitake mushrooms (if using) and 6 cups water. Stir well to combine. Cook until the chicken is tender, at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours on low. If it’s more convenient, you can let the slow cooker switch to warm after 6 hours. The soup will hold on warm for about another 2 hours before the chicken begins to dry out.Step 2
Switch the heat to high. With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken, scallions, garlic and shiitakes, and place in a bowl. Set aside to cool. Stir in kombu, bok choy, tamari and mirin. Cover and let cook until the bok choy is wilted and tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard the kombu. Coarsely shred chicken meat into the soup, discarding the skin, bone, scallions, garlic and shiitakes. Taste the soup and whisk in a few more spoonfuls of miso or tamari, if desired.Step 3
Divide the noodles among 4 or 5 bowls, and ladle the soup on top. Top each with sliced scallion, a halved soft boiled egg, sesame seeds and a piece of nori.