Vegan Ramen
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Nourishing Vegan Ramen is a flavorful blend of tofu, bok choy, green onion, ginger, mushrooms and ramen noodles, all simmered in a complex and savory broth. The perfect easy, plant-based cozy dinner or lunch for colder months!
Making ramen at home is easier and more approachable than you might think! Admittedly, this is the first ramen recipe I’ve developed, and I know it’s not authentic, but believe me, it’s SO good! Even though, this is not a totally authentic ramen recipe, you’re sure to enjoy how rich and tasty it turns out. It’s also super easy and pretty quick to make.
Most traditionally, ramen broth is made by simmering various cuts of meat for a long period of time which results in a rich and flavorful stock. However, since this is a vegetarian recipe, we’re getting a little more creative. More on that later :)
One of my favorite things to eat out is ramen and we have dozens of ramen spots in Portland. I can’t wait until we can venture out more and I can really explore the ramen scene here in Portland!
Ingredients for vegan ramen:
This vegan ramen recipe is full of healthy, nourishing ingredients that bring incredible flavor to the broth. Here’s what you need:
- Toasted sesame oil. I love the flavor of toasted sesame oil and you’ll need a bit for cooking the tofu and veggies. If you only have regular sesame oil or even olive oil, that works too.
- Tofu. To keep this ramen recipe vegan, we’re using tofu instead of chicken or pork. You could also leave this out completely as desired or even use a different plant-based protein.
- Baby bok choy. This cabbage-like green is a popular vegetable in Asian cuisine. I like to use baby bok choy because the young leaves are more tender and sweeter than full-sized bok choy.
- Green onion. Adds flavor, texture and color!
- Sweet onion. For delicious aromatic flavor.
- Shiitake mushrooms. Feel free to swap the fresh mushrooms for 1/2-ounce of dried shiitake mushrooms if those are easier to find.
- Vegetable broth. I recommend using low-sodium broth to help control the level of sodium in this ramen dish. I’ve been loving the better than bouillon brand vegetable base lately!
- Flavor boosters. These extras give the ramen an amazing, rich flavor — garlic, freshly grated ginger, miso paste, and soy sauce.
- Ramen noodles. Feel free to use as much or as little noodles as you like. I prefer my soup to have more broth, so I found 6 ounces of noodles (2 packets of average ramen noodles) to be a little much. You can break them up and add the amount that you want. If you add additional noodles, I suggest adding a little extra broth and soy sauce as well (about 1 additional cup of broth and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce).
- Extras. When serving, I like to add in sautéed carrots, green onion, and sesame seeds.
A note on ramen noodles:
For the noodles, I use the simple instant ramen noodles from the packet and they work great. With all of the flavors and textures going on in this dish, you’d never guess they were the cheap packaged noodles. Just remember to throw away the seasoning packet that comes with it! I would recommend checking to make sure your noodles are vegan, as occasionally ramen noodles contain ingredients making them not vegan.
At my local health food store I’ve seen locally-made, fresh ramen noodles that I keep meaning to try. They’re rather pricey, but I think it would totally be worth it, on occasion, for more authentic ramen.
And as mentioned above and in the recipe notes below, feel free to use the amount of noodles that you prefer. You can always break packages in half to get the desired amount.
How to make vegan ramen:
Making vegan ramen is really quite easy! Here’s a quick rundown of what’s involved, but you can find the complete recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Cook bok choy. Sauté the bok choy until lightly charred on the bottom. Add water to the skillet, cover and steam until tender. Remove from the skillet, remove the water and lightly wipe clean.
- Cook tofu. Using the same skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in the tofu and sauté, tossing every few minutes until browned on all sides.
- Sauté veggies. While tofu is cooking, add sesame oil to a large pot and once hot, add in the green onion, ginger, onion, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes and then add in mushrooms and cook for 3 additional minutes.
- Add broth and flavorings. Mix in the broth, miso, soy sauce, cover, and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook noodles. Add in the ramen noodles and cook for 2-4 more minutes, depending on how tender you prefer your noodles. Mine were perfect around 3 minutes.
- Serve. Using tongs or chopsticks, remove the noodles and evenly place them in 2 large soup bowls. Ladle the broth and veggies over top of the noodles and then top with the tofu, bok choy, and other optional toppings. ENJOY!!
Storing ramen soup:
Leftovers. Any leftover ramen you might have, can be stored in an airtight container and kept in your fridge for up to about 3 days. You can rewarm the ramen on the stovetop or in the microwave and you might want to add more broth. Please note that while it sits, the noodles will really absorb the liquid and get a bit soggy. If you have leftovers, I suggest actually storing the noodles and broth separately and simply combined them when ready to eat.
Freezing. The noodles in this soup will not hold up to freezing. You can hold the noodles and freeze the soup without them. Once the soup is completely cooled, place it in a freezer-safe container or a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the broth to the fridge and store overnight. When ready to serve, reheat it on medium heat on the stovetop. You can add in the noodles at this time.
More soup recipes to try:
- Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Crockpot Taco Chickpea Soup
- Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
- Creamy Lentil Soup
- Moroccan Chickpea Soup
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this vegan ramen and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
See how to make this Vegan Ramen Recipe:
PrintVegan Ramen
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 2
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Nourishing Vegan Ramen is a flavorful blend of tofu, bok choy, green onion, ginger, mushrooms and ramen noodles, all simmered in a complex and savory broth. The perfect easy, plant-based cozy dinner or lunch for colder months!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided (1 tsp for tofu & 1 for veggies)
- ½ block of tofu (~ 7 ounces), pressed and cubed into bite sized pieces
- 1 baby bok choy, ends trimmed and halved
- 1/4 cup of green onion, diced (plus more for topping if desired)
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced*
- 1/2 of a sweet onion, cut into thin strips (i like mine half moons)
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 5oz (just over ¼ pound) of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoons of miso paste, I used white but yellow or red also work
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 3oz packet of ramen (see notes if you want extra noodles)
- For seving: sauteed carrots, green onion, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Lightly spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Once hot, add in the bok choy, cut side down, and saute for 4 minutes or until lightly charred on the bottom. Add ½ cup of water to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cover and steam for 4 minutes until tender. Remove from the skillet, remove the water and lightly wipe clean.
- Using the same skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in the tofu and saute for 15 minutes, tossing every few minutes until browned on all sides.
- Meanwhile in a large pot, add in the remaining sesame oil and heat over medium. Once hot, add in the green onion, ginger, onion, and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for 3 additional minutes.
- Mix in the broth, miso, soy sauce, cover, and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, lower the heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add in the ramen noodles and cook for 2-4 more minutes, depending on how tender you prefer your noodles. Mine were perfect around 3 minutes.
- Using tongs or chopsticks, remove the noodles and evenly place them in 2 large soup bowls. Ladle the broth and veggies over top of the noodles and then top with the tofu, bok choy, and other optional toppings.
- Serve immediately and ENJOY!!
Notes
Miso paste– you can leave this out, if you don’t have it available.
Ginger- you can also use 1 teaspoon of ginger paste
Mushrooms- you can swap the fresh mushrooms for .5oz of dried shiitake mushrooms
Noodles- I tested this several ways and found 6oz of noodles to be a little much since I prefer a brothier soup. You can do 6oz (2 packets of average ramen noodles) or even 4 ½ oz but breaking one of the packets in half and adding 1 ½ packets to the soup. If you add additional noodles, I suggest adding a little extra broth and soy sauce as well (about 1 additional cup of broth and 1 tbs of soy sauce)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 406
- Sugar: 12.4 g
- Sodium: 2065.9 mg
- Fat: 11.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 57.5 g
- Protein: 19.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan ramen, ramen, ramen noodles
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.