Pork & Miso Ramen with Asparagus & Marinated Cucumber

Pork & Miso Ramen

with Asparagus & Marinated Cucumber

40 MIN
4 Servings
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From the Test Kitchen

This summery take on ramen was developed in collaboration with the Kahn family of San Francisco, California, winners of the 2016 Blue Apron Kids Cooking Camp. A satisfying, earthy broth gets savory flavor from three ingredients: miso paste, dried shiitakes, and kombu (a type of dried seaweed). It’s the perfect base for springy, fresh ramen noodles topped with seasonal asparagus, cooked briefly to retain its crisp bite. Sweet-tart marinated cucumber, served on the side, adds refreshing crunch to the dish.

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  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    760 Cals (est.)
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ingredients
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tips & techniques
Prepare the ingredients & marinate the cucumber:
1 Prepare the ingredients & marinate the cucumber:

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms and 4 ½ cups of warm water. Cut off and discard the tough, woody stem ends of the asparagus; cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle, leaving the pointed tips intact. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut the cucumber into ¼-inch-thick rounds. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, half the mirin, and half the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the asparagus:
2 Cook the asparagus:

While the cucumber marinates, in a large, high-sided pan (or pot), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until bright green and softened. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the pork:
3 Cook the pork:

While the cucumber continues to marinate, in the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground pork (removing and discarding the paper lining from the bottom); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

Add the aromatics:
4 Add the aromatics:

Add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the remaining mirin and remaining vinegar (be careful, as the vinegar may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat.

Make the broth:
5 Make the broth:

Reserving the mushroom water, thoroughly drain the mushrooms and transfer to a cutting board; finely chop. To the pan of cooked pork and aromatics, add the chopped mushrooms, miso paste, half the kombu, and the reserved mushroom water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 6 to 7 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the noodles & plate your dish:
6 Cook the noodles & plate your dish:

While the broth cooks, to the medium pot of boiling water, add the noodles, stirring gently to separate. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and divide among 4 bowls. Divide the broth among the bowls of cooked noodles. Top with the cooked asparagus. Garnish with the remaining kombu and green tops of the scallions. Serve with the marinated cucumber on the side. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

1 Prepare the ingredients & marinate the cucumber:

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms and 4 ½ cups of warm water. Cut off and discard the tough, woody stem ends of the asparagus; cut into 1-inch pieces on an angle, leaving the pointed tips intact. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut the cucumber into ¼-inch-thick rounds. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, half the mirin, and half the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2 Cook the asparagus:

While the cucumber marinates, in a large, high-sided pan (or pot), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until bright green and softened. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

Cook the asparagus:
Cook the pork:
3 Cook the pork:

While the cucumber continues to marinate, in the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground pork (removing and discarding the paper lining from the bottom); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

4 Add the aromatics:

Add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the remaining mirin and remaining vinegar (be careful, as the vinegar may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Turn off the heat.

Add the aromatics:
Make the broth:
5 Make the broth:

Reserving the mushroom water, thoroughly drain the mushrooms and transfer to a cutting board; finely chop. To the pan of cooked pork and aromatics, add the chopped mushrooms, miso paste, half the kombu, and the reserved mushroom water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 6 to 7 minutes, or until slightly reduced in volume. Turn off the heat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

6 Cook the noodles & plate your dish:

While the broth cooks, to the medium pot of boiling water, add the noodles, stirring gently to separate. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and divide among 4 bowls. Divide the broth among the bowls of cooked noodles. Top with the cooked asparagus. Garnish with the remaining kombu and green tops of the scallions. Serve with the marinated cucumber on the side. Enjoy!

Cook the noodles & plate your dish:
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