Name: Spicy Miso-Tahini Ramen
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil; 2 tablespoons mirin; 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced; 8 cups purified water; 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms; 2 tablespoons Japanese chili paste or Sriracha sauce; 1/2 cup organic red miso paste; 2 (10-ounce) packages fresh ramen noodles (look for Sun Noodle brand); 1/4 cup tahini paste or neri goma; 2 cups baby spinach; Chili oil, for drizzling (optional); 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias; Togarashi, for sprinkling (optional); 2 soft-boiled eggs, sliced in half (optional); Nori, cut into small rectangular pieces, for dipping (optional); 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

Two bowls of spicy misotahini ramen with greens half an egg and mushrooms.

Photo by Candice Kumai

This super-oishii (delicious) spicy ramen bowl is made with basic pantry staples, such as miso paste and tahini, plus Sriracha for spice! I love adding a bit more Sriracha for heat, and topping it all off with a slightly runny soft-boiled egg.

Tahini and Neri Goma

Tahini is a lightly roasted sesame seed paste, and is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. Neri goma is Japanese roasted sesame seed paste, made with black and/or white unhulled or hulled sesame seeds. In Japan, its standard to use neri goma. In the U.S., tahini is much more popular. And while the flavors can slightly vary (due to the degree of roasting, hulled or unhulled processing), I love cooking with both versions.