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Saimin (Hawaiian Noodle Soup)

Saimin is a popular noodle soup hailing from Hawaii. Although at first glance you might compare it to ramen, it’s really quite unique. This recipe uses simple shortcuts to create a flavorful and uncomplicated broth that really hits the spot!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 448 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup
Cuisine: Hawaiian

Ingredients

Saimin Broth:
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger sliced and crushed to release flavor
  • ¼ cup (25 grams) dried shrimp (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably low-sodium) or more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons instant dashi powder (such as HonDashi)
Noodles:
  • 1 pound fresh or frozen saimin, ramen, or chow mein noodles (or 4 portions if individually packaged)
Toppings (Choose Your Favorites):
  • 2 to 4 eggs (soft-boiled or medium-boiled, peeled and halved OR cooked into an omelet and sliced)
  • 3 ½ ounces (100 grams) ham or Spam cut into matchsticks
  • 3 ½ ounces (100 grams) char siu (Chinese roast pork) sliced or cut into matchsticks
  • 2 ounces (60 grams) kamaboko (fishcake) sliced
  • ¼ cup Sliced scallions (about 2 scallions)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To make the broth, combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes to develop the flavors. Strain the broth, pressing firmly on the solids to release all the liquid, and keep hot until ready to serve.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain.
  3. Divide the noodles between four large, wide soup bowls. Ladle the broth over the noodles, dividing evenly between the four bowls (about 1 ¼ cups per bowl). Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Noodles: Ideally use noodles specifically labeled saimin noodles, which are made with wheat and egg (I ordered mine online). If you can’t find those, other wheat noodles such as ramen or fresh chow mein noodles will work too.
  • Instant Dashi Powder: I use Shimaya Awase dashi powder but Ajinomoto HonDashi is a popular option you can try as well.
  • Dried Shrimp: This ingredient is optional, but adds more shrimp flavor (common in saimin) and generally more umami and salty flavors to the broth.
  • Pork: Matchsticks of ham or spam are perfect for garnishing saimin. You can also use Chinese roast pork (char siu) sliced or cut into matchsticks, or a combination of ham or spam and char siu.
  • Eggs: Either top each bowl with one or two halves of a peeled boiled egg (depending on preference), or with slices of egg omelet. If making an omelet, use two eggs to serve four people (half an egg per serving).
  • Kamaboko: Kamaboko, or steamed fish cakes, are sliced and used for topping noodle soups such as saimin and ramen. You may not be able to find the kind used in Hawaii (uzumaki) depending on where you live, so you can swap for the other kind most often used in ramen (narutomaki) if you need to. Note that I ordered mine online as it was not locally available to me.

Nutrition Information

Calories 448kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 72g (24%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 116mg (39%) Sodium 3078mg (128%) Potassium 244mg (7%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 448

% Daily Value*

Calories 448kcal 22%
Carbohydrates 72g 24%
Protein 22g 44%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 3078mg 128%
Potassium 244mg 5%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 6g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.