Pork Chop Ramen Soup
A Savory Bowl Of Goodness
This Pork Chop Ramen Soup is a cozy and deeply flavorful meal made with seasoned bone-in pork loin chops, ramen noodles, mushrooms, celery, green onions, garlic, and ginger simmered into a rich homemade broth. This soup is hearty, comforting, and perfect for cold nights when you want something warm and satisfying without complicated steps.
This soup came to be from memory and circumstance more than a written recipe. Years ago when I was a nanny for a Taiwanese family, their grandma would come over and make the most comforting pork-based soups in the kitchen while the house filled with warmth and incredible smells.
I never got her soup recipe, though I did learn her pork chop marinade. This version of Pork Chop Ramen Soup was my own lake house interpretation.
I made it with what I had on hand and served this to my Mom on a cold snowy night.
Salty Seasoning
One thing I love about this soup is how flexible the seasoning is depending on your taste and sodium needs. We personally like it on the saltier side.
The ramen seasoning packets are easy to adjust so you can use more or less based on what you prefer. I always recommend tasting the broth as it simmers and tweaking it until it is just right for you.
But hey, if I didn’t use salt, the Facebook police would be bored.
To Each Their… Bone
I always put the pork chop bone right into the soup. It instantly makes me think of my grandma, who loved nothing more than a pork chop bone.
She would never let one go to waste. I swear I remember her cleaning our plates after dinner once and seeing my cousin left a bunch of meat on his pork chop bone and her saving it to eat, LOL!
You can absolutely discard the bone if you prefer. For me it is a small sentimental touch that brings back memories of her and the way she enjoyed simple, comforting food.
In fact, all of my pork chop and pork chop bone recipes remind me of my grandma. For example, Supper Club Pork Chops is a recipe that evokes a lot of memories for me of my grandparents.
This recipe was born from memories of a restaurant called Monte’s Riverside Inn that is no longer with us. I have such great memories of spending time with my grandparents in Marseille’s, Illinois.
What Is Chinese Five Spice?
Chinese five spice is a warm, aromatic blend typically made from star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, and Sichuan peppercorns, and it brings a deep savory sweetness to soups like this one. It can be a very strong flavor for some people, so I recommend using it sparingly, tasting as you go, or even letting everyone add a pinch to their own bowl if not everyone enjoys it.
You can buy Chinese five spice at most grocery stores, but you can also make your own by combining 2 teaspoons ground star anise, 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 half teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 half teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns, then mixing well and storing in an airtight container.
Pork Chop Ramen Soup Recipe
These pork chop ramen bowls start with bone-in pork loin chops seasoned with salt, pepper, brown sugar, and soy sauce, then seared until golden and juicy. The broth simmers low and slow with mushrooms, celery, green onions, garlic, ginger, Chinese five spice, and ramen seasoning packets for deep, savory flavor. Finished with tender ramen noodles and sliced pork chops on top, this cozy soup is rich, comforting, and perfect for a cold night.
Ingredients
- 3 bone-in pork loin chops
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup finely diced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery, reserved for topping
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger or ginger paste
- 8 to 10 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 teaspoons white pepper, or to taste (this is strong, start light)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 packets 50 cent ramen noodles
- Use 2 seasoning packets
- Save the other 2 packets for another use
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice, to taste (use sparingly if new to it)
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 8 to 10 cups water
Instructions
- Pat the pork chops dry and season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper. Rub the brown sugar into the pork, place the chops in a shallow dish, and drizzle with the soy sauce. Let sit on the counter for 30 to 40 minutes.
- In a large soup pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the diced celery, mushrooms, and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté until softened and starting to turn golden.
- Season the vegetables with the Chinese five spice, white pepper, black pepper, and 2 ramen seasoning packets. These can be salty, so adjust to taste. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 10 minutes.
- Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed. You can add more ramen seasoning if you like.
- In a skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the sesame oil over medium high heat. Heat until hot but not smoking. Add the pork chops and cook about 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until golden brown and fully cooked.
- Remove the pork chops from the skillet and tent loosely with foil to rest. Add 1/4 cup water to the hot skillet, scrape up the browned bits, and pour this into the soup pot.
- Bring the soup back to a simmer and add the ramen noodles. Cook until the noodles are tender.
- Slice the pork chops. You can discard the bones or place one in each bowl if you like.
- Divide the soup and noodles between bowls. Top with sliced pork, the reserved diced celery, and the green parts of the green onions.