Yellow Onion

Yellow onion is a kitchen staple, but have you ever considered it as a ramen topping? This often-overlooked ingredient can add a surprising depth of flavor and texture to your favorite instant noodles.

Why Yellow Onion Works in Ramen

• Sweetness and Savory Balance: Yellow onions offer a mild sweetness that complements the often savory and sometimes spicy flavors of ramen broth.
• Texture: Whether diced or sliced, onions can provide a satisfying crunch that contrasts with the soft noodles.
• Aromatic Boost: Onions release their fragrant smell when heated, enhancing the overall eating experience of your ramen.
• Versatility: Onions pair well with a wide range of ramen flavors, from rich tonkotsu to spicy kimchi.

How to Add Yellow Onion To Ramen

For me, the trick to getting the most out of yellow onions in ramen starts early. I like to add them right when I’m heating up the water for my noodles. This infuses the broth with a subtle onion flavor right from the start and helps to soften them up nicely.

You can prepare and add yellow onion in a few ways, each offering a slightly different experience:

• Chopped: Roughly chopped 1-2 inch pieces can go into the pot as you heat the water. They’ll soften and add a foundational sweetness to the broth.

• Diced: Smaller, diced pieces can also be added with the water. They’ll dissolve more into the broth, adding flavor without a lot of distinct texture. You can also add this later on when you’re topping the ramen in its bowl to retain it’s crunch.

• Sliced: Thinly sliced onion will soften but still retain some structure, adding delicate onion strands to your ramen. You can add these with the water, or even stir them in during the last minute of noodle cooking for more bite.

Adding Raw Onion as a Topping

While you can cook onion for your ramen, adding it raw is also a popular choice, as I often experienced in Japan. This Tomato Ramen Bowl I enjoyed there shows how the raw onion provides a refreshing bite against the flavorful tomato broth.

Pictured: Kappa 64 Restaurant 〒197-0005 Tokyo, Fussa Kitadenen, 1 Chome−６−9

So next time you’re making instant ramen, don’t overlook the humble yellow onion! Whether raw for a bite or boiling it in the pan for sweetness, it’s a versatile topping that can truly elevate your bowl.