A bowl of ramen topped with pork slices, a soft egg and harissa.

Harissa Ramen

Harissa Ramen is a spicy homemade ramen recipe. Learn how to make your own harissa and spice up your favorite noodle soup!

A bowl of ramen topped with pork slices, a soft egg and harissa.
Harissa Ramen

Harissa Ramen is a spicy homemade ramen recipe. Learn how to make your own harissa and spice up your favorite noodle soup!

A bowl of ramen topped with pork slices, a soft egg and harissa.

The mail does not come until near evening here. Getting used to the rhythm of life in the new house has meant waiting until dark until the postman rolls his truck up front, with packages from UPS and Fed Ex arriving even later, sometimes as the children are getting ready for bed.

Their energy and enthusiastic smiles are infectious, especially as they do their Santa work, delivering holiday cards and Christmas gifts to our door. They’re starting to trickle in, and it’s the Christmas cards that I love the most.

A jar of homemade harissa.

Call me corny, but I love Christmas cards. I love seeing how big our friends’ children have grown. And to be honest, I always prefer the picture cards when the whole family is there, but I understand how elusive the family picture can be. This year, the photo for our own card almost became an afterthought, and my sanity thought it best to keep it simple by capturing a picture of just the kids.

Ingredients for harissa (including roasted red peppers and cilantro) in a food processor.

A jar of homemade harissa in front of a white background.

So there’s the key word: sanity. How are you staying sane this holiday season?

Harissa Ramen | An Easy Spicy Ramen Recipe

With 10 days to go until Christmas eve, I’m finding myself at the busiest time of year – so I just don’t have the time or energy for anything elaborate when it comes to dinner. By now you know that soup is my best friend, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Spicing it up with some heat and a luxurious soft boiled egg is all it takes to make me excited about a simple bowl of noodle soup.

A bowl of Harissa Ramen topped with pork slices, a soft egg, spinach and harissa.

I pulsed some roasted red peppers with garlic and herbs to make a spicy jar of harissa sauce. I keep it in the fridge and it comes in handy – whether I’m roasting chicken, jazzing up some pork tenderloin or in this case, Harissa Ramen. The best part of ramen is I can use leftovers (pork, chicken, etc.) and pantry ingredients. And then there’s the soft boiled egg; I’m not sure what it is, but a soft boiled egg is always reason to get excited, for me. Kind of like the Christmas cards in the mail.

A bowl of ramen topped with pork slices, a soft egg, spinach and harissa.

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Harissa Ramen

Harissa Ramen is a spicy homemade ramen recipe. It’s your favorite noodle soup spiced up with harissa! This easy homemade ramen is great for weeknight meals or anytime you need some comfort food.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 890kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fire-roasted red peppers see notes below
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons red chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus extra for seasoning
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 9.5 oz ramen noodles
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 grilled pork tenderloin sliced (see notes below)
  • 3 scallions sliced
  • cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a food processor, chop the fire roasted red peppers, garlic, red chili flakes, cumin, salt, and cilantro until it is a smooth paste. With the motor running, add the olive oil and blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook the ramen noodles according to package directions (about 4 minutes, depending on the noodles you have). Drain, rinse with cold water, then drain again. Set aside.
  • Bring a small saucepan of water (enough to submerge two eggs) to a boil. Carefully lower refrigerator cold eggs into the water, then lower boil to a simmer. Cook the eggs for 6-7 minutes, then carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let the eggs cool for several minutes, then carefully peel and halve.
  • Heat the chicken and beef broth until hot. Divide the ramen noodles into 4 bowls, top with spinach, pork slice, and egg. Ladle the broth on top, garnish with harissa to taste, and top with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

For convenience, jarred fire-roasted red peppers (such as can be found at Trader Joe's) can be used. Also, to save time, I will sometimes opt for pre-cut butternut squash that you can find in the produce section. Of course, if you have time, there's nothing better than roasting and peeling your own peppers over an open flame.
Use whatever leftovers you may have on hand. I always make extra Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin, which works well as leftovers here.
Harissa adapted from Harissa Sauce by One Tribe Gourmet, as featured on Saveur.com.

Nutrition

Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 229mg | Sodium: 3686mg | Potassium: 1555mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3118IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 8mg
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see! Tag @kitchconfidante on Instagram and hashtag it #kitchenconfidante

Comments

Recipe Rating




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  1. Brian+@+A+Thought+For+Food

    I can’t begin to tell you how much I need a bowl of ramen right now. It’s gotten coooooold out here and usually that’s when I’m craving a big batch of hearty soup.

    Reply
  2. Min

    Ramen..oh how I heart thee. This is def not the typical Korean prepackaged ones I normally have on a lazy or days when I don’t even want to lift a finger. However, just put a lil more effort and I’ve got myself this grown-up version!!  I’ve actually never had hairssa before and can’t wait to try!! I know for sure my mom would LOVE this! 

    Reply
  3. Eileen

    Ramen sounds like exactly what I want to eat on a wintry night! So delicious and hot and full of flavor. The harissa is such a good idea!

    Reply
  4. Mary@SiftingFocus

    Liren, can you believe that I have never eaten harissa, at least not knowingly.  It sounds delicious!  Your beautiful photos have totally sold me on it.

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Oh, it’s time to try it, then, Mary! I know you’ll love it. (It’s also wonderful on roasted potatoes. Mmm.)

      Reply
    • Liren Baker

      It’s definitely a staple, isn’t it? Kinda like ketchup and tomato paste! I’d love recommendations for your favorite store-bought harissa, Brandon!

      Reply
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