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Side view of fully assembled vegan ramen in a black bowl.
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Vegan Ramen

This Vegan Ramen recipe is a soul-warming dish that the whole family will love. It's made with silky noodles, meaty shitake mushrooms, crunchy fried tofu, crisp veggies, and a deeply-flavored ginger-miso broth. It's completely customizable and takes just 45 minutes on the stove.
Course Entree, Soup
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 People
Calories 465kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Broth

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil (not toasted) or preferred cooking oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion , sliced
  • 5 cloves garlic , roughly chopped
  • 1 3-inch piece of ginger , peeled and sliced
  • ½ cup dried shitake mushrooms
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon tamari low sodium, more to taste (sub soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste or yellow

Ramen

  • 7.5 ounces dried ramen noodles I used 3 dried ramen bricks - 2.5 ounces each
  • 2 baby bok choy , cleaned and halved lengthwise
  • 1 large carrot (Fine Julienne Cut)
  • 3-4 stalks green onion , sliced
  • cup chopped cilantro for garnish (*optional)

Crispy Tofu (optional - see note)

  • 14 ounces extra-firm tofu , pressed and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1.5 tablespoons sesame oil not toasted or preferred cooking oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • To make the ramen broth, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until very fragrant and the onion is golden. About 5-6 minutes. Lots of flavors develop here so don’t rush this step.
  • Add in the vegetable broth, water, tamari, and dried mushroom. Give a good stir and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 35-40 minutes to develop lots of flavor. Give a good stir every 8-10 minutes.
  • While the broth is simmering, start making the tofu. In a container with a lid, add the tofu cubes, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Close lid and gently shake until the tofu is well coated.
  • Heat up the sesame oil in a large skillet. When hot and shimmering, place the tofu in an even layer with room in between each piece. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until the tofu cubes, are golden and crispy. Set aside.
  • When the broth is done, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer with a large bowl underneath and gently press the mixture with the back of a large spoon to release all the broth. Reserve the mushroom for serving and discard the rest.
  • Pour broth back into the pot, but take out a ½ cup of broth and place it in a small bowl with the miso paste. Whisk well to combine and add it back into the broth and give a good stir (the miso is very hard to break down otherwise).
  • Bring the pot of broth to a boil. Once boiling, add the baby bok choy and cook for 1-2 minutes to blanch. Remove with tongs and set aside.
  • Now add the 3 packs of noodles and cook for 2-4 minutes until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Don’t overcook. Taste and add more tamari if needed.
  • To serve, use tongs or chopsticks to divide the noodles between 4 bowls and ladle the broth on top. Add the tofu, reserved mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, green onion, cilantro. See notes for additional serving suggestions.

Video

Notes

  1. Optional Topping Suggestions: black or white sesame seeds, kimchi, crispy fried onions, chili garlic oil, red chili flakes, shredded raw red cabbage, lime wedges, pickled onion, sriracha, nori, toasted sesame oil, a dash of rice vinegar (my favorite). 
  2. To press tofu, wrap a block in paper towels and place on a rimmed plate. Add a cast-iron skillet on top (or something equally heavy) and let it drain for 20-30 minutes. Pat dry to remove excess moisture on the surface. You can also use a Tofu Press to make it even easier. Or you can use vacuum-packed tofu because it doesn't have to be pressed.
  3. If you want to make this into a one-pot meal, you can skip frying the tofu. You can use soft or firm tofu cubes and add them to the finished bowls (no need to press). If you want the cubes to be very hot, you can add them to the pot when the noodles are almost done.
  4. If the carrots aren’t cut thin, they will be very crunchy in the soup. I used a mandolin to julienne them. If your cut is thicker, you can add them while the noodles are boiling and just leave them in the soup.
  5. Make sure to clean the bok choy well because dirt hides under the layers. After cutting in half, rinse under running water or soak.
  6. If you plan on saving leftovers, I would strain the noodles out and store them separate from the broth right away. The noodles thicken fast and absorb a lot of broth. OR you can cook the noodles separately (according to package directions) instead of in the broth. Rinse them in cold water right after they are done cooking. This will prevent them from breaking apart.
  7. Cooking the noodles in the broth does release some starch, but I prefer it that way. It creates a slightly richer and thicker consistency. However, if that’s not something you’d prefer, you can cook the noodles separately.
  8. Keep the amount of noodles between 7-8 ounces or they will overtake the broth.
  9. Additional Add-In Ideas - frozen edamame or corn (thawed), fresh spinach. Add while the noodles are cooking. 
  10. I recommend using a flavorful broth base for optimal flavor. I love the Better Than Bouillon brand. They have regular and reduced sodium.
  11. For extra umami flavor, add a sheet of Kombu (seaweed) to the simmering broth for 15-20 minutes, then remove (don't simmer longer).  
  12. For a hint of creaminess, add 1-2 tablespoons of tahini to the broth. Add it at the same time as the miso paste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 745mg | Sugar: 5g