Name: Slow-Cooker Japanese Pork and Ramen Soup
Total time: 5 h
Ingredients: 2 onions , chopped fine; 6 garlic cloves , minced; 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 8 cups chicken broth; 12 ounces shiitake mushroom , stemmed and sliced thin; 1½ pounds boneless country-style pork spare rib , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 2 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles , broken into 1-inch pieces, seasoning packets discarded; 6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach; 2 tablespoons white miso; 1 tablespoon soy sauce , plus extra for seasoning; 1 tablespoon mirin; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 2 scallions , sliced thin; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds , toasted

Why This Recipe Works

A great ramen soup requires a great broth, and to accomplish this in a slow cooker we enhanced store-bought chicken broth with onions, garlic, and ginger at the beginning of cooking, then stirred in white miso (fermented soybean paste), soy sauce, mirin (Japanese rice wine), and sesame oil at the end. The combination of boneless country-style pork ribs, which are easy to shred after cooking, and hearty shiitakes imparted an intense, meaty flavor to the finished soup. Fresh spinach, stirred in toward the end, added an earthy flavor, and supermarket ramen noodles cooked perfectly in the same amount of time as the spinach. The spinach may seem like a lot at first, but it wilts down substantially.

Before You Begin

Look for country-style pork ribs with lots of fat and dark meat, and stay away from ribs that look overly lean with pale meat, as they will taste very dry after the extended cooking time.

Instructions

1. Microwave onions, garlic, ginger, and vegetable oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and mushrooms. Season ribs with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until ribs are tender, 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Transfer ribs to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard fat.

Stir noodles and then spinach, 1 handful at a time, into soup, cover, and cook on high until noodles are tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk miso, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil together in bowl until miso is fully dissolved. Stir miso mixture and pork into soup and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in scallions and season with extra soy sauce to taste. Serve, sprinkling individual portions with sesame seeds.