A lighter, cooler bowl built for summer, with a broth trick that saves you hours and a tare jar that turns one pot into a week of dinners.
Ramen has a winter reputation it does not quite deserve. We picture it steaming, fogging up the kitchen window, the sort of bowl you cradle with both hands in January. That version is wonderful, but it is not the only one. The moment the weather turns sticky in Japan, ramen gets lighter, cooler and quicker, and that summer version happens to make brilliant healthy midweek meals for when the last thing you fancy is a heavy dinner.
A history as rich as the broth
Ramen reads as completely Japanese, but like pasta it arrived from China, carried over by migrants in the early twentieth century. It only became a national staple after the Second World War, when failed rice harvests and a flood of imported American wheat flour turned cheap noodle soup into street food on practically every corner. The famously milky tonkotsu broth came later, and by accident. In 1947 a shop owner in Kurume left his stockpot boiling while he popped out, and came back to a thick, cloudy, deeply savoury soup he very nearly poured away. One taste changed his mind, and the style stuck. You can read the longer version of that story here. Japan now counts more than twenty regional styles, from heavy pork broths in the south to clearer, salt led bowls up north.
Good ramen lives or dies by its broth
Ask anyone who cooks ramen properly what matters most and you get the same answer every time: the broth, not the noodles. Tokyo's ramen-ya guard their stock like a family secret, and they are right to, because everything else is really just garnish sitting on top of it. If you want to know how to make ramen broth at home, the trick is to flip the ratio you would use for a French chicken stock. A French stock leans heavy on water. A good ramen broth leans heavy on bones. Cover clean chicken bones with water, add a touch more, and keep it at the gentlest simmer for around six hours. The single thing that ruins it is a hard, rolling boil, which clouds the broth in the wrong way and splits the fat out. Low and patient wins here, every time.
What the Japanese do when it gets too hot for hot soup
July and August in Tokyo are brutal, humid in a way that makes a steaming bowl feel like a punishment, so the kitchens adapt. Out go the heavy broths. In come chilled noodles, piles of cold vegetables, lighter shio (salt) broths, and hiyashi chuka, which is basically ramen reinvented as a salad. For cooking at home in a British summer, shio is the one to lean into. It is clear, light and properly refreshing, and a good shop bought chicken broth pouch will do the heavy lifting on the evenings when six hours at the stove is, frankly, not happening.
How to build a summer chicken ramen
Some good, easy chicken ramen recipes in summer need almost nothing fussy: shredded poached chicken, a soft boiled egg or two, a handful of greens, noodles, and broth poured over the lot. The egg is where most people come unstuck, so here is the timing that works without fail. Six minutes from boiling, then straight into iced water for at least five. You are after a yolk that is molten in the middle and only just setting at the edge. Where winter ramen wants slow cooked meat and steam, summer bowls want crunch and cold. Julienned cucumber, thin radish, spring onion, a scatter of coriander, and a thread of chilli oil if you like a bit of heat.
Summer Ramen FAQs
Can I make summer ramen ahead?
The broth and the tare keep happily for a few days in the fridge, and the chicken can be poached and shredded in advance. Assemble at the last minute so the noodles and cold toppings stay fresh.
What noodles should I use?
Fresh ramen noodles are ideal, but dried egg noodles or even soba work fine for a quick version. Cook them separately and rinse under cold water for a chilled bowl.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes. Use a good vegetable stock, lean on a miso tare, and top with marinated tofu, sweetcorn and plenty of greens instead of chicken.
How do I stop the chicken drying out?
Poach it gently rather than boiling it hard, take it off the heat just as it turns opaque, and let it rest before shredding. It carries on cooking as it sits.
Is ramen actually healthy?
A homemade bowl can be, especially a lighter summer one. You control the salt, you load it with vegetables, and the broth itself brings protein and minerals rather than empty calories.
Easy Summer Chicken Ramen
Prep time: 15 Min | Cook time: 15 Min | Total time: 30 Min
A light, refreshing chicken ramen inspired by these easy ramen recipes that feature a clear broth, a soft boiled egg and plenty of cold, crunchy toppings.
Ingredients
- 600ml good chicken stock (homemade or itsu chicken ramen brilliant’broth)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce, plus extra to taste
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 portions ramen or egg noodles
- 1 small cucumber, julienned
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- A small handful of coriander leaves
- Chilli oil and toasted sesame seeds, to finish
Instructions
- Bring a pan of water to the boil, lower in the eggs, and cook for exactly 6 minutes. Lift into iced water and leave for 5 minutes, then peel and halve.
- Warm the stock gently and stir through the soy, mirin and sesame oil. Do not let it boil hard. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Cook the noodles to packet instructions, drain, and rinse briefly under cold water for a cooler bowl.
- Divide the noodles between two bowls and ladle over the warm broth.
- Top with shredded chicken, the halved eggs, cucumber, radish and spring onion.
- Finish with coriander, a scatter of sesame seeds and a thread of chilli oil.
For this and more quick and healthy chicken recipes, check out the full collection here.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate) Calories 410 | Protein 38g | Fat 12g | Saturated fat 3g | Carbs 38g | Fibre 3g | Sugar 4g | Sodium 720mg
All calorie calculations are made to the best of my abilities. Please double-check if you are following a specific calorie-counting plan.
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