Vegan Ramen Recipe
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This umami vegan ramen is sure to tick all the boxes, all the time! The homemade broth is savory and rich built on a base of aromatics; shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed slowly simmered until concentrated into the most delicious pot of soup for your noodles to swim in. Top with your choice of baked tofu, seitan chick’n or roasted jackfruit meat for a delicious and hearty bowl of noodles.
Vegan Ramen
I love my ramen bowl steaming hot with tons of slurpy noodles and toppings like blanched baby bok-choy, broccoli and roasted jackfruit meat or tofu finished with a few drops of chili crisp oil. Thinly sliced scallions and fresh basil are my go to for a bite of freshness to the rich flavor profile, for those of you who fancy cilantro this is a great place to use it.
The Broth
No salty seasonings packets allowed here, don’t even think about it! The magic of this vegan ramen is really in the homemade broth from scratch slowly cooked to concentrate its umami flavor profile. I started with a mix of aromatics to build flavor: onion, pepper, scallions, garlic followed by shiitakes and ginger with just a touch of maple syrup to round up the flavor. I seasoned with Shoyu and simmered together with a piece of dried Kombu seaweed until concentrated and heavenly. At the very end I dissolved some white miso into a little hot broth and combined with the rest. I’m not a fan of straining the broth as all the veggies are so good with the noodles but you can certainly strain it if you prefer.
Make it Creamy
I love this clear broth as is with just a little bit of miso mixed in for richness but without turning it into a miso soup. If you desire to make a creamy broth you can dissolve 1/3 cup of tahini together with the miso in some hot broth until smooth then mix it with the rest of the soup. When I crave a creamy ramen bowl I will usually make this coconut broth version which is out of this world.
About the Ramen Noodles
My fascination with ramen noodles is never ending. I’m really fond of a great noodle that is also good for you, something featuring whole grains like spelt, buckwheat, millet and quinoa. I fancy them wavy and cooked perfectly al dente so you can properly slurp them out of the delicious broth without breaking. All things considered I’d even go as far as using glass noodles and even soba with this broth. The most important advice I have here is to not overcook the noodles, drain and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Divide between bowls and ladle the broth over them immediately. Follow the cooking instruction on the package but test for doneness 2 minutes before whatever time it says and watch them like a hawk.
The Toppings
I’m really into roasting jackfruit meat with sweet potato fries and use some of the leftovers to top my ramen bowls. If I don’t have leftovers I just make a quick batch of just the jackfruit meat, other days I’ll reach for a box of tofu instead and serve it all with a few drops of Sichuan chili crisp hot sauce oil on top, we absolutely love it! Any leftovers of vegan chicken, seitan steak or these vegan ribs are delicious sliced up and served over the top alongside blanched bok-choy and broccoli. Just go with the seasons, anything from roasted cauliflower wings, burst cherry tomatoes, crispy broccoli and heirloom carrots will make fantastic delicious toppings.
Storage
The ramen broth can be refrigerated up to 5 days and it tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have gotten a chance to marry overnight. Freezing in silicone molds for easy release is also a great idea. I suggest cooking only as many noodles as you will eat at once. If you happen to have made too much you can store in individual container toss in a little oil to prevent them from clumping together. You really don’t want to store them in the broth as they will absorb it all and you’ll end up eating it like a pancake. In my experience cooking the noodles fresh is always best!
how to make vegan ramen
Vegan Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 scallions thinly sliced ( + 1 for garnish)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup bell pepper diced (red + green mixed)
- 8 oz shiitake caps thinly sliced
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp chili paste (I uses harissa but optional)
- 6 cups water
- 3 Tbsp shoyu
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 3x3 inch piece Kombu seaweed
- 2 tsp white miso optional
- 12 - 16 oz ramen noodles (6 squares)
Roasted Jackfruit Topping
- 2x15 oz cans green unripe jackfruit ( or 15 oz firm tofu -pressed)
- 2 Tbsp shoyu
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
Garnish
- Sichuan Chili crisp hot sauce for serving
- Scallions (thinly sliced)
- Steamed broccoli florets
- Red chili pepper - sliced
- Basil leaves
- Blanched baby bok choy
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat a heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent.1 small yellow onion
- Add the pepper and the 2 scallions and cook a few more minutes until the veggies start to get some color.1 cup bell pepper, 2 scallions
- Push veggies to the side and drizzle a drop of olive oil in the center then add the garlic to the hot oil. Let it cook for about 45 seconds until fragrant then give it a mix with all the veggies. (add the chili paste if using)3 garlic cloves, 2 tsp chili paste
- Add the shiitakes and cook everything together for a few more minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated.8 oz shiitake caps
- Add the ginger, maple syrup, shoyu, water and Kombu seaweed and bring to a simmer. Partially cover with a lid and simmer on medium low heat for about 45 minutes. We want the broth to concentrate in flavor mostly, a little reduction is okay but not too much. Remove from heat. (At this point you can strain if desired but I love to keep all the goodies in the broth and only discard the kombu).1.5 tsp ground ginger, 6 cups water, 3 Tbsp shoyu, 2 tsp maple syrup, 3x3 inch piece Kombu seaweed
- In a small bowl whisk together the miso with a ladle or two of the hot broth until completely mixed. Pour back into the soup pot and combine.2 tsp white miso
- Prep Jackfruit Meat - Preheat oven to 400”F.
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit pieces discarding any tough seeds or seed pods you might find. (If using Tofu make sure to drain + press it first).2x15 oz cans green unripe jackfruit
- In a large bowl combine the jackfruit with the olive oil, Shoyu, onion, garlic, maple syrup and paprika. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes giving it a toss half way. Roast until the jackfruit starts to get little caramelized golden edges. Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little bit of toasted sesame oil before serving over the ramen noodles.TOFU Version - Once pressed just tear the tofu block into bite size pieces and toss with the seasonings. Bake in the preheated oven and check for doneness at the 18-20 minute mark as to avoid drying it out. This will all depend on how much the tofu was pressed and its moisture content so check early for best results).2x15 oz cans green unripe jackfruit, 2 Tbsp shoyu, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- Cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions just until al dente (discard any seasoning packets or save for other uses).12 - 16 oz ramen noodles
- Drain the noodles in a colander and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent them from breaking. (I love long wavy noodles to slurp on).
- Divide the noodles between 4 bowls and ladle some of the broth on top. Top with the roasted jackfruit pieces, a few broccoli florets, blanched baby bok choy and a sprinkling of scallions. Serve with a few drops of Sichuan chili crisp hot sauce for extra flavorSichuan Chili crisp hot sauce for serving, Scallions, Steamed broccoli florets, Red chili pepper - sliced, Basil leaves, Blanched baby bok choy, Sesame seeds
Video
Notes
- The Broth - Once the broth has finished cooking you can strain it if desired, I love to keep all the goodies in the broth and only discard the kombu.
- Make it Creamy - If a creamy broth is desired you can whisk in 1/3 cup or so of Tahini. I would do this at the same time with the miso whisking everything together in a separate bowl with some of the hot broth until fully incorporate. Then add it back into the rest of the broth.
This is the most satisfying bowl of ramen I have ever made. All the flavors work so wonderfully together and I could literally drink this broth. Chili crisp is nice if you have it but I don’t think you need it, this ramen is perfect! Thank you for this great recipe Veggie!