Cheesy Kimchi Ramen
A Korean home-style ramen built on frying well-fermented kimchi in oil before any liquid goes in, since sour, properly fermented kimchi cooked this way turns deep and savoury where fresh, mild kimchi just tastes flat and raw no matter how it's cooked. Melting a slice of cheese under a lid at the very end, off the heat, is what gives the broth a rich, gooey top layer instead of just scattering shreds that clump rather than melt evenly.
Prep10 min
Cook12 min
Servings1
Christoph's cheesy kimchi ramen, the kimchi fried in oil first for real depth and the cheese melted under a lid at the end.
Ingredients
Written for a 2 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
Soup
- 10 ml neutral oil rounded
- 150 g well-fermented kimchi, roughly chopped rounded
- 30 ml kimchi juice rounded
- 500 ml water or light stock rounded
- 10 g gochugaru (optional) rounded
- 1 instant ramyeon noodle block, seasoning packet reserved rounded
Toppings
- 1 slice of American or mild melting cheese rounded
- 15 g scallion, thinly sliced rounded
Method
- Heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the kimchi and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until it smells deeply savoury and starts to catch slightly at the edges.
- Add the kimchi juice, water and gochugaru if using. Bring to a boil.
- Add the noodle block and about half the seasoning packet, to taste. Cook according to the package instructions, until the noodles are tender.
- Remove from the heat. Lay the cheese slice over the top of the noodles.
- Cover the pot and let sit off the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted.
- Scatter with scallion and serve straight from the pot.
Notes
- Fry the kimchi in oil before any liquid goes in, and use kimchi that’s properly sour. Well-fermented kimchi cooked this way turns deep and savoury; fresh, mild kimchi tastes flat and raw no matter how long it simmers, since the sourness is where the real flavour comes from.
- Use only as much of the seasoning packet as you need. The kimchi and its juice already carry a lot of salt and flavour; the full packet on top often oversalts the broth.
- Melt the cheese off the heat, under a lid. A slice melted this way spreads into a smooth, even layer; cheese added to a still-boiling pot or stirred in tends to break and clump instead.
- This comes together fast, in one pot, and is meant to be eaten straight from it while it’s hot.
Ingredient substitutions
- Shredded mozzarella works in place of a cheese slice, though it melts a little less evenly.
- A soft-boiled egg or a raw egg cracked in at the end, off the heat, is a common addition.
- Spam or tofu, added with the kimchi, turns this into a heartier meal.
From Christoph Mayer