This One-Pot Maitake Mushroom Ramen features a savoury, slightly spicy broth, which coats every strand of the chewy ramen noodles. Plus it’s packed with a whole bunch of fresh maitake mushrooms, which have an amazing earthy flavour and meaty texture.
What Are Maitake Mushrooms?
Maitake mushrooms are a type of mushroom native to East Asia and North America. They’re also called hen-of-the-woods (not to be confused with another mushroom, chicken of the woods). I guess they’re supposed to taste like chicken, although they don’t taste particularly chicken-y to me! They are heavy on the umami though, which makes them a decent substitute for the savouriness and chewiness of meat.
The word maitake means “dancing mushroom” in Japanese (mai = dance, take = mushroom). These mushrooms have always been a bit of a rare find. They are a fall mushroom, meaning they mostly appear between August and October, but even then they are not easy to look for. Foragers were so happy when they found maitake in the wild that they would start dancing. I know, that sounds made up but apparently that’s the actual reason behind the name.
There is some evidence that maitake, like many mushrooms, have medicinal properties, but their nutty, earthy flavour and chewy texture is reason enough for me to eat them. They’re pretty expensive, so I don’t buy it very often, but when I do, one of my favourite ways to cook them is in this mushroom ramen.
What You’ll Need
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Maitake Ramen recipe:
Maitake mushrooms: See my writeup above about these mushrooms. They are an excellent foraging find, but you can also buy them from larger Asian grocery stores. If your maitake comes with the woody stems attached, cut them off, then rinse the mushrooms underwater.
Tip: Don’t soak the maitake mushrooms in water, or else they start absorbing the water and will take longer to sauté.
Garlic, ginger, and scallions: You have these aromatics to thank for a lot of the flavour in this mushroom ramen, so don’t skip them! I personally dislike the texture of ginger pieces in my soup so I grate them on a microplane before adding them. That way you get all the flavour without big chunks of ginger.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin: These provide the additional seasoning and just the right amount of salt. Note that if you’re using a low-sodium broth, you might want to add more salt. (Don’t add more soy sauce or else it will overwhelm the other flavours.)
Ramen noodles: I used dried ramen noodles in this recipe, but fresh or frozen noodles work too. But I find that fresh/frozen ramen noodles tend to shed more starch, so I would recommend boiling them in a separate pot before adding them to the mushroom broth. If you want to switch it up, you could also use udon, but also check out my recipe for Shiitake Mushroom Udon Soup which uses fresh udon noodles!
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Saute minced garlic, grated ginger, and the white parts of the scallions in sesame oil until shiny and aromatic.
Step 2: Add the maitake mushrooms. Cook until they have released all their moisture and completely wilted down.
Step 3: Add shichimi togarashi or gochugaru, mirin or sake, and soy sauce and stir to mix.
Step 4: Pour over the mushroom stock or water. Cover with a lid and bring the soup to a boil.
Step 5: When the broth begins to simmer, remove the lid and add the ramen noodles into the soup. Lower the heat.
Step 6: Simmer until the noodles are cooked through. Then sprinkle with the green parts of the scallions and serve.
Meal Prep & Storage Tips
Fridge: Store maitake mushroom broth in the fridge for up to three days. I recommend storing the noodles separately (to avoid them getting too soft and soggy). Or better yet, cook them fresh when reheating the broth on the stove.
Freezer: Freeze just the mushroom broth, for up to three months, in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing cooked ramen noodles; they will become way too soft and basically fall apart after defrosting.
What to Serve with Maitake Mushroom Ramen
Recipe FAQs
Pretty much any kind of mushroom works well in ramen. One of the good things about mushrooms is that you can’t overcook them, so you can simmer them in the broth for as long as you want to infuse the soup with mushroom flavour, but it won’t affect the texture of the mushrooms. Some popular options for making ramen include shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and maitake mushrooms, which are used in this recipe.
Many studies have been done on the therapeutic potential of maitake mushrooms, and their possible medicinal effects, which have indicated potential health benefits, but nothing has been proved conclusively. One thing’s for sure, though, they’re at least as healthy as other mushrooms, with lots of vitamins and antioxidants, and good for you in moderation.
Storebought instant mushroom ramen and restaurant ramen tends to be high in sodium, but a homemade mushroom ramen can be quite healthy! The mushroom contributes a lot of the savoury umami flavour which means you don’t need to use much oil or seasonings to make it taste good.
Recipe Card
Did you make this recipe? Please consider leaving a rating below to let me know how you liked it. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @earthtoveg, I will shout you out in my Stories!
Maitake Mushroom Ramen (1-Pot Recipe)
Equipment
- Small stockpot
- Spatula
Ingredients
Switch between volume vs weight measurements:
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 to 6 oz maitake mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ inch ginger, grated
- 2 scallions, diced, greens and whites separated
- ½ tbsp mirin or sake
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 to 3 cups mushroom stock or water If using low sodium stock or water, add 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
- 1 brick ramen noodles
- ½ tsp shichimi togarashi or gochugaru flakes
Instructions
- Saute 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 inch ginger, grated, and the white parts of scallions in 1 tbsp sesame oil until shiny and aromatic.
- Add 4 to 6 oz maitake mushrooms and cook until they have released all their moisture and completely wilted down.
- Add 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi or gochugaru flakes, 1/2 tbsp mirin or sake, and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce and stir to mix.
- Pour in 2 to 3 cups mushroom stock or water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
- When the broth begins to simmer, add 1 brick ramen noodles and lower the heat.
- Simmer until the noodles are cooked through, then sprinkle with the green parts of scallions and serve.
Washing the mushrooms was annoying but once I had everything prepped, the rest of cooking went ok. The soup was good, but I don’t want to deal with using maitake mushrooms again. Too expensive for not much difference in taste from other mushrooms
Haha, totally understandable. Good to hear you still liked the soup 🙂