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This crockpot crispy caramelized pork ramen noodle soup with curry roasted acorn squash is some real deal Ramen. The mixture of flavors and broth – oh my!! Ramen has always been one of my favorite things to eat and now it’s one that I love to make AND eat – YUM.
Growing up I pretty much lived on Ramen Noodle Soup. Especially during the cold fall and winter months. If you live in northeast Ohio, especially along the lake, like I used to, you know that those months can be brutal. Comforting soup is the best cure-all. The rain, the freezing rain, the snow, the ice, the bitter cold – with no sunshine for days.
UGH.
Ramen, and maybe a roaring wood burning fire, can restore sanity. I would come home from school, boil the water, add the noodles + seasoning and cuddle up on the couch with a big blanket (if I was lucky, the fire was going too), my hot bowl of ramen and either a re-run episode of Gilmore Girls or 7th Heaven.
Ok, that was my ideal day. I cannot say how often that truly happened because I had five other brothers living in the house as well. Getting the TV all to myself meant that I was probably still in grade three, four or five because for some reason those grades got out at 2:45pm. The rest of the grades got out at 3:15 (middle school + high school) and 3:55 (lower elementary school). For the record, Kensington (my upper elementary school) was by far my favorite school, for the sole reason that while attending, I got out earlier than all my siblings. This meant that I had at least an hour alone with my mom after school. With five other siblings + my dad all fighting for her attention, this was obviously the best thing ever to me. It was rare that it was just us girls in the house so I always loved that time after school. Unless of course I had a boatload of homework. Then I was stressed to the max and HAD to get it done right-away (issues).
It’s probably clear I was a total freak. No denying it. I mean what kid does their homework literally right after school? I wouldn’t eat or do anything till it was all done. Mental issues? Yes, yes, yes, I had them and still do, but now they are in different forms…
I have not actually had Ramen Noodle Soup, with the seasoning pack and all, in years because my mom and I sadly found out (at way too young of an age) that Ramen was basically a bunch of processed junk that we did not want to be putting into our bodies. I still remember the day my aunt Alyssa called and broke the news that our beloved Ramen probably wasn’t the best thing to be eating. Daily. And yes, even as a kid I never wanted to eat junk food unless my mom made it from scratch, meaning all her cookies, cakes, K-bars and pies where fair game. I didn’t even like chips. See, total freak.
Last year I made this Thai peanut chicken ramen that I still love and make all the time with angel hair pasta, but this fall it was time for a new Ramen. And um, I have to say that I have totally upped my Ramen making game.
The caramelized pork does the trick. It’s pretty awesome, but I still think the egg… or maybe the curry roasted acorn squash (can’t decide) are my favorites. Together they honestly make the most perfect bowl of ramen.
Bonus, the pork gets cooked all day in the crockpot too. It’s the best way to make this because not only does it make dinner easy, but the pork gets cooked low and slow and creates an incredible broth. Seriously, the broth is out of this world good. There is a little work to do before dinner, you have to roast the acorn squash and get the pork all crispy + caramelized in the skillet, but I promise the extra efforts will be so worth it. You do not HAVE to make the pork all caramelized and crispy. It’s still going to be good if you don’t, but I highly recommend taking the extra ten minutes to do so. It takes the meal to a whole new level. Plus, it totally makes this a Bahn Mi Ramen Noodle Soup.
And the squash, well it’s the perfect fall topping to add to Ramen. I wouldn’t do it any other way. So good.
And those noodles, while nothing will ever compare to real deal Ramen noodles.
Crockpot Caramelized Pork Ramen Noodle Soup w/Curry Roasted Acorn Squash.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 2018 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Soup
- 2-3 pounds pork shoulder roast or butt
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth plus more of needed
- 1/4-1/2 cup + 2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce <--Use low sodium
- 1/4 cup + 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce optional
- 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek chili paste, or to taste
- The juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cups wild mushrooms left whole - or button mushrooms, sliced
- 4 packs Ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
- 4 soft boiled or fried eggs for serving
- Chopped carrots sliced jalapenos, cilantro + green onions, for serving
Curry Roasted Acorn Squash
- 1 medium acorn squash seeded + diced
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon curry powder I use spicy curry
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the pork to the bowl of a crockpot. Pour the chicken broth, 1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce (depending on your taste), 1/4 cup rice vinegar and fish sauce over the pork. Add the thai red curry paste, ginger, sambal oelek, juice of 1 lime, Chinese five spice powder, black pepper and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours (I recommend going low and slow).
- About 40 minutes before you are ready to eat, roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, curry powder, miso, brown sugar and a good pinch of pepper. Add the cubed squash to a greased baking sheet and pour the curry mixture over the squash. Toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing a couple of times during cooking. You want the squash to be lightly browned and crisp.
- Meanwhile, remove the pork from the crockpot and add the mushrooms. Cover the crockpot and crank the heat up to high. Lightly shred the pork with two forks or your hands.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil. Once hot, add enough pork to cover just the surface of your skillet, do not over crowd the skillet. Sprinkle a little brown sugar over the pork, add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, toss. Allow the pork to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Stir and allow the pork to continue to caramelize, about 3-5 minutes total. Remove the pork from the skillet, repeat with the remaining pork. Keep the pork warm.
- Add the Ramen noodles to the crockpot and allow them to cook 5 minutes. Once the noodles are cooked, stir in only half of the pork. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with extra caramelized pork, curry roasted acorn squash and an egg. Season the egg with salt and pepper, Add the carrots, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro if desired. Happy slurping!
Love this bowl. It’s everything you could ever want in soup.
This post was originally published on September 29, 2014
This soup was delicious and gorgeous! However, definitely heed her advice in using low-sodium broth and soy sauce. I thought, “Eh, whatever. I’ll just use what I already have and not bother buying low sodium. It’ll be fine.” Yikes, it was salty! I still ate the whole bowl, don’t get me wrong, but if I could do it all over again I would buy low-sodium as she suggested.
So happy you loved this! Thank you!!
I’m so excited to be making this recipe for dinner tonight! I was just wondering if I should peel the acorn squash before cubing it? I know they can be a bit tricky to peel, to if so do you have any tips? Thanks!
HI! I never peel my acorn squash as I love to eat the skin. It is very goof for you and delicious!
It is just after 4:00AM here in freezing cold Minnesota and I am awakened by the amazing sent of my pork that has been cooking in the crockpot all night long. I have made this Ramen recipe many times and each time I am floored by how amazing it is. Just sneaking a few bites of the pork this morning has already made my day better.
I cannot wait until later in the day when my family gets to enjoy this Ramen.
Thank you for following your dreams for they are enhancing mine!
I rarely comment on these sorts of things, but this recipe might be one of the best things I’ve ever made. I made this a couple months ago, and since its getting super cold out (-30 celsius), I’m probably going to make it again this weekend. The flavours are really delicious. The only thing I changed was instead of using chicken stock, I used miso paste and water for my base – this turned out great. My acorn squash took a little longer and I had to turn my oven up to 425 to get my squash right. Also worth a note that sambal oelek is the same as chinese garlic chili paste. I will probably try with real ramen noodles this time around. While very yummy and simple in skill requirement, this recipe is super time consuming. I originally made this on a weekday, prepped the soup base the night before, put the pork in the slow cooker in the morning, and did the rest when I got home from work – still took forever. I advise anyone to make this when they have a lot of time, but this recipe is definitely worth it!
SOOO happy you loved this soup, thank you!! Happy new Year! 🙂
I made this tonight and it turned out amazing!!! It was easy to make and each individal ingredient (I.e squash and pork are delightful!). I never thought I would make a good ramen ! Thank you! One tip: for perfect egg – put it in boiling water (turn off heat but leave covered) take out after 6 min and put in ice bath to stop cooking – it turns out just like in the photos !
Thanks Jen! So happy you loved this! Happy 2016!
Hi Dear Tieghan,
I just made this and it was fantastic. I just cannot imagine going out to eat Ramen because I know this stuff is the best. Thank you SO much for sharing what you do. It is truly a gift.
Your Friend,
Abra
Thank you SO much, Abra!! I am thrilled you loved this recipe! 🙂
Happy New Year!
So excited to make this? I’m planning to make it for a party of 6. Anyway tips on how to make a bigger batch of broth? Thanks!!
Hey Erin! You can easily double the recipe, but use the same amount of pork as it makes PLENTY for 6!! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Have a happy New Year!
I have made this recipe several times now and it’s a family favourite! I recently made it for a small dinner party I was hosting and it totally impressed all of my guests. The flavours are absolutely amazing. Every ingredient works to compliment the others.
Regarding the fat from the pork shoulder, I found that scoring and searing the fat side of my pork roast reduced the amount of fat in the the soup overall.
I love a good ramen and the flavor profile of this looked amazing!
Now if you don’t cook Asian food often some of the ingredients might be a little more to come by than just hitting up your local grocery store. A good farmers market will have most everything you need though.
Now I might have made a mistake by reducing the amount of pork used (only 1.5lbs) because I didn’t need a bunch of extra pork around. In doing so I however didn’t reduce the amount of spices, now while I sit here crying on my toilet I reflect on such an oversight.
WOW HEAT! I love spicy food and this was waay spicy even for me. Might be just the reduction in pork but that still is a lot of heat added in so the weary should be ware.
The flavor profile was outstanding and I would make it again but cut back on the heat to where I’m not crying on the floor. Thank god for tile floors! Nice and cool
Enjoy.
I reduced the pork by half because 3lbs serves way more than 4 bowls. The flavor was good, but it was WAY too spicy. I had to rinse my bowl of noodles with water 4 times. I would add 1/6 of the amount of chili paste & then add additional amounts to individual bowls to taste. Everything else with heat I would reduce by 1/3. It’s yummy & I would make it again, with minor heat modifications.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! There are a lot of steps but it didn’t seem cumbersome or like too much work, since each step can be prepped ahead of time, even the day before if you want (ie, cut the squash, mix the broth ingredients, mix the curry paste, slice the garnishes, etc) We dished up the broth + mushrooms + noodles and let everyone add the rest of the “fillings” to their liking. We’ll definitely be making this again.
How can I cook this if I don’t have a crockpot? On the stove?
Hi! Just add everything to a dutch oven/cast iron pot and cook in the over low and slow. Maybe 325 for 3-5 hours. Let me know if you have other questions.
Made this recipe today, oh my word it is amazing!!! Being in the UK I worried about not having all the right ingredients but no worries were necessary! The pork alone is superb and the broth delicious! We didn’t have the squash…but there’s always next time 🙂
I have made this three times since first reading the article a month ago. Seriously one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.
I always make recipes as printed the first time and then edit to suite my taste. This recipe did not need one modification.
Thank you so much!
YESSSS!! Thanks Liz! So happy you love this soup! Have a great Thanksgiving!
So, I never comment on blogs, but this was seriously one of the best things my fiance and I have ever eaten, so I had to give a shout-out!
I did not do the acorn squash.
Modifications:
I trimmed some obvious fat off the pork, but the broth was a bit greasy and still delicious so no real complaints there.
I also added a whole sliced onion to the bottom of the crockpot. I forgot the fresh ginger, but grated some on top of the bowl at the end.
I steamed some “matchstick” carrots, added baby bok choy to the crockpot towards the end to soften up, and added some mung bean sprouts as garnish.
Instead of Ramen noodles, I bought some lo mein noodles, which were just as good. For GF, rice noodles would probably be great too.
Thanks again for this awesome recipe, it was truly amazing!
SO excited you guys love this. THANK YOU!! Love your modifications!