Chicken Ramen Soup
This easy chicken ramen soup pairs tender chicken, baby spinach and instant ramen noodles in a flavorful ginger-soy broth—and it’s ready in just 25 minutes!
I do love any recipe with ramen noodles in it (looking at you, breakfast ramen!), but this chicken ramen soup gets extra love for being one of the lighter, fresher ways to get my ramen fix.
We’re tossing that little flavor packet and making our own flavorful broth with ginger, soy sauce and scallions, then adding tender chicken and baby spinach for good measure. It’s chicken noodle soup with a ramen-style twist—and it’s ready in less than half an hour. (Oh, and for another quick chicken dinner, this creamy chicken polenta soup is ready in just 25 minutes!) Let’s rock some ramen!
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🤔 What is ramen?
- 🥬 Ingredients you need 🍜
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- Chicken Ramen Soup
- 👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
- 😍 Other ramen recipes we love!
- 🤔 We want to know what you think!
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: A quick chicken soup with instant ramen noodles, tender chicken and baby spinach in a flavorful ginger-soy broth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings
- Calories: 426
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Good For: Busy weeknights, chilly days and satisfying a ramen craving! 🍜
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍜 Ramen makes it fun: Instant ramen noodles put a playful spin on classic chicken noodle soup.
- ⏱️ It’s wonderfully quick: This cozy homemade soup is on the table in just 25 minutes.
- 🥬 It has everything you need: Tender chicken, baby spinach and noodles make it a complete meal in one bowl.
- 🫚 The broth is full of flavor: Ginger, scallions and soy sauce create a savory broth without that little flavor packet.
- 🥣 It’s easy to customize: Add extra vegetables, spice it up or swap in chicken thighs to make it your own.
🤔 What is ramen?
Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup traditionally made with wheat noodles served in a flavorful broth with a variety of toppings. This easy chicken ramen soup takes a shortcut by using inexpensive instant ramen noodles, but we toss out the seasoning packet and make our own savory broth with chicken broth, ginger, scallions and soy sauce. 🍜
🥬 Ingredients you need 🍜
📝 Ingredient notes
- Ramen noodles: Use any flavor of inexpensive instant ramen—the noodles are the same because the flavor comes from the seasoning packet, which we are tossing. We’re making our own flavorful broth instead!
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breast cooks quickly and is easy to shred, but boneless chicken thighs will also work beautifully.
- Chicken broth: Regular or low-sodium chicken broth both work. If you use low-sodium broth, you may want to add a little extra soy sauce at the end.
- Scallions: Scallions add a mild onion flavor. You can leave them out or substitute a finely chopped shallot.
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach wilts quickly into the hot soup. Chopped kale also works, but give it a few extra minutes to become tender.
- Ground ginger: Ground ginger keeps this recipe quick and pantry-friendly. You can substitute about one tablespoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger for even more ginger flavor.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes per side.
STEP 2: Add the scallions, ground ginger, chicken broth and soy sauce. Bring everything to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F, about 10 minutes. Scoop out the chicken and shred or cut it into bite-sized pieces.
STEP 3: Add the ramen noodles to the simmering broth and cook according to the package directions until tender, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Break them apart with a spoon as they soften if you like.
STEP 4: Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the baby spinach. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt, pepper or a little more soy sauce as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve!
🤔 Recipe FAQs
You can! Boneless chicken thighs may take a few extra minutes to cook, so make sure they reach 165°F before shredding them.
I’m sure! You are going to get tons of flavor from the combination of the ginger, soy sauce and chicken broth. You can even add a little more soy sauce at the end if you want to jazz it up even more.
If you can’t find ramen (oh no!!) you can use six ounces of angel hair pasta. Break it in half before you add it to the broth.
Absolutely. Skip the browning step and simmer the broth ingredients together for about 10 minutes. Add three cups of shredded cooked chicken along with the spinach near the end.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days, although the ramen noodles will continue to soften as they sit in the broth. If you expect leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add them to each bowl as you serve it.
Pop your question in the comments below and I will answer pronto!
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
This chicken ramen soup has everything you need for a complete meal, but sometimes a little something on the side is nice! Try some easy grilled flatbread for dipping or a helping of chilled sesame spinach to complement those savory ginger-soy flavors.
For dessert, finish things off with a slice of cozy jam cake or rich chocolate chess pie.
Let’s make a cozy bowl of chicken ramen soup! 🍜
Chicken Ramen Soup
This easy chicken ramen soup pairs tender chicken, baby spinach and instant ramen noodles in a flavorful ginger-soy broth—and it’s ready in just 25 minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Low Lactose
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 cups chicken broth (I like the Imagine brand)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 three ounce packages ramen noodles (toss out the flavor packet)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes a side.
- Add the scallions, ground ginger, chicken broth and soy sauce. Bring everything to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F, about 10 minutes. Scoop out the chicken and shred or cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add noodles to the simmering broth and cook according to package directions or until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and baby spinach and simmer until spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper – you can also add a little more soy sauce if you like.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
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-
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- Ramen noodles: Use any flavor of inexpensive instant ramen—the noodles are the same because the flavor comes from the seasoning packet, which we are tossing. We’re making our own flavorful broth instead!
-
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breast cooks quickly and is easy to shred, but boneless chicken thighs will also work beautifully.
-
- Chicken broth: Regular or low-sodium chicken broth both work. If you use low-sodium broth, you may want to add a little extra soy sauce at the end.
-
- Scallions: Scallions add a mild onion flavor. You can leave them out or substitute a finely chopped shallot.
-
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach wilts quickly into the hot soup. Chopped kale also works, but give it a few extra minutes to become tender.
-
- Ground ginger: Ground ginger keeps this recipe quick and pantry-friendly. You can substitute about one tablespoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger for even more ginger flavor.
-
-
👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
😍 Other ramen recipes we love!
🤔 We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below.
I made a double batch of this soup tonight. Not a drop left in the pot. Two grown sons, grandson, husband all devoured this delightful soup happily. I was happy with how easy and quickly it came together. Definitely will put this in my soup repertoire.
Charlyce!! I’m so glad to hear from you, and so glad this soup was a hit! xoxo
Ha! We can agree to disagree on that one. :)
Thank you, my friend and Mother Of The Groom! Fun times!
SO SO MUCH!! Happy Thanksgiving, Susan!
Thanks Karen – and yes, the planning (and fun) have already started! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thank you Theresa – and yes, you are SO right about that! :)