Creamy Ham-Broth Ramen Noodle Soup
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the ultimate upgrade for instant ramen, and it starts with something you might normally throw away. A leftover ham hock gets slowly simmered to create a deeply savoury broth, then finished with peanut butter, coconut milk and lime for a creamy, balanced ramen base that tastes anything but instant.
It’s rich without being heavy, comforting without being boring, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll never look at leftover Christmas ham the same way again.
What Is Creamy Ham-Broth Ramen?
This ramen takes inspiration from rich, creamy noodle soups, but uses everyday ingredients and a clever shortcut. The broth is built from a slow-simmered ham hock, boosted with instant noodle seasoning for depth, then gently simmered with peanut butter and coconut milk for body and silkiness.
The result is a savoury, lightly creamy ramen that feels deeply satisfying, with spinach, jammy eggs and shredded ham to finish it off.
Special Ingredient Notes
Leftover Ham Wontons
If you have extra ham, make these
ham wontons
to go in you ramen. You won’t regret it!
Ham hock
This is pure flavour. Slowly simmering the hock extracts salt, smoke and richness, creating a broth that tastes like it’s been cooking all day.
Instant noodle seasoning
Instead of discarding it, the seasoning packet is used to intensify the broth. Think of it as a ready-made umami boost.
Peanut butter and coconut milk
Whisked into the saucepan before heating, these melt smoothly into the broth as it warms, creating a creamy texture without splitting.
What You Need
Ham hock
Instant ramen noodles
Miso paste
Peanut butter
Coconut milk
Wontons or dumplings (optional)
Slices leftover ham (optional)
Baby spinach
Eggs
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli oil
(optional)
Steps
Add the water to
a large pot
and bring it to the boil over high heat. Carefully lower the ham hock into the boiling water. Add the ramen seasoning packets, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 2 hours, allowing the broth to become deeply flavoured.
Remove the ham hock from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth.
In a clean
saucepan
, add the miso paste, peanut butter and coconut milk. Whisk until smooth, then mix in 5 cups of the ham broth (you’ll have some leftover, which you can freeze for later). Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth is smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt if needed.
While the broth is simmering, shred any meat from the ham hock and set aside. If you have leftover sliced ham, use that also.
Cook the dried ramen noodles in boiling water until just tender. Use a slotted spoon and tongs to divide the noodles among
two serving bowls.
Use the same boiling water to cook the spinach and ham wontons (if using).
Top the noodles with the wontons, shredded and sliced ham and baby spinach. Ladle the hot creamy broth over the top. Top with half an egg and drizzle with crispy chilli oil. Serve hot.
Marion’s Kitchen Tip
From now on, always save your leftover Christmas ham hock. Freeze the stock and you’re halfway to a next-level ramen upgrade that tastes anything but instant.
Creamy Ham-Broth Ramen Noodle Soup
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PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOK TIME
2 hours 10 minutes
SERVES
2
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Ingredients
1 ham hock
3 litres water
2 packets instant ramen noodles
Seasoning packets from the ramen
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp peanut butter
⅓ cup coconut milk
6 wontons or dumplings (optional)
2 slices leftover ham (optional)
300g baby spinach leaves
leftover sliced ham (optional), to serve
1 soft-boiled egg, halved
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
, to serve
Storage Tips
Any remaining ham stock can be cooled and frozen for future use. It is perfect for soups, noodle dishes or cooking grains.
Once assembled, the ramen is best eaten straight away. If making ahead, store the broth separately and reheat gently before adding noodles.
Instructions
1
Simmer the ham hock
Add the water to
a large pot
and bring it to the boil over high heat. Carefully lower the ham hock into the boiling water. Add the ramen seasoning packets, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 2 hours, allowing the broth to become deeply flavour
2
Build the creamy broth base
Remove the ham hock from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth.
In a clean
saucepan
, add the miso paste, peanut butter and coconut milk. Whisk until smooth, then mix in 5 cups of the ham broth (you’ll have some leftover, which you can freeze for later). Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth is smooth and creamy.
3
Shred the ham
While the broth is simmering, shred any meat from the ham hock and set aside. Use up any leftover sliced ham here also.
4
Cook the noodles
Cook the dried ramen noodles in boiling water until just tender. Use a slotted spoon and tongs to divide the noodles among
two serving bowls.
Use the same boiling water to cook the spinach and ham wontons (if using).
Top the noodles with the wontons, shredded and sliced ham and baby spinach. Ladle the hot creamy broth over the top. Top with half an egg and drizzle with crispy chilli oil. Serve hot.
5
Assemble and serve
Top the noodles with the shredded and sliced ham and baby spinach. Ladle the hot creamy broth over the top, allowing the spinach to wilt. Finish with halved eggs and a generous sprinkle of spring onion. Serve hot.
