Who said that ramen couldn't be an easy-to-prepare and absolutely delicious vegan comfort food?
When we think of Japanese food, one of the first things that pop into our heads, along with sushi and tempura, is undoubtedly ramen. This delicious bowl of noodles dipped in a steaming, wonderfully tasty broth has achieved such international fame that everyone knows about it.
In Japan, it is undoubtedly a staple food loved by adults and children alike. It is eaten in nice restaurants or at roadside stands and has a reputation for being a quick, 'noisy' meal (famous for that “slurp" sound you make with your mouth when tasting it).
Traditionally made with animal protein, nowadays we see an emergence of vegetarian and vegan versions that are becoming increasingly popular.
Small restaurants are popping up in Japan's big cities, along with a few small chains, offering a vegetarian version with broths made from mushrooms, seaweed, miso or\and soy milk (and more) and seasonings with tofu, soy protein, and vegetables. There's even a vegan convenience store!
So, can we enjoy ramen as a vegan? Absolutely yes, and not just that! You can also cook mouth-watering ramen at home, in your kitchen that tastes as rich as the one you can order in a restaurant!
Based on the use of simple, plant-based, and naturally tasty ingredients, today I would like to show you a recipe for vegan ramen that is really easy to prepare and will take you less than 30 min.
Ingredients for vegan ramen
(For two bowls of Vegan Ramen)
For the broth
- 600 ml water (8,4 oz)
- 15 g garlic, finely chopped (0,5 oz)
- 15 g ginger, finely chopped (0,5 oz)
- 50 g spring onion (1,7 oz)
- 4 dried shiitakes
- 2 pieces of Konbu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (1 oz)
- 3 tbsp sesame oil (1,5 oz)
Toppings
(For two bowls of Vegan Ramen)
- 300 g ramen noodles (Many ramen noodles are made with egg or egg extract. If you want to make a vegan version of ramen, make sure you also find vegan noodles).
- 2 tbsp of edamame (1 oz)
- 100 gr pack-choy (3,5 oz)
- 2 tbsp of corn (1 oz)
- 1\2 red pepper cut into strips (2,4 oz)
- 2 tbsp black sesame (1 oz)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (1 oz)
How to make vegan ramen
In a pot add 600 liters of water, the konbu, and the shiitake (which we have previously removed the stems from). Turn on the heat and bring to a gentle boil.
Simmer for at least 10 minutes.
While the konbu and shiitake simmer, let’s prepare all the raw ingredients. Starting from the toppings, wash and cut the red pepper into strips. Set aside. Finely chop the garlic and ginger and coarsely chop the spring onion.
Heat three tablespoons of sesame oil in another pot and fry the freshly prepared ingredients (ginger, garlic, and spring onion) on low heat.
This step is very important as these ingredients will bring out the flavor and aroma of our ramen.
Cook slowly, until you can start to smell the aroma all over the kitchen (it will take at least 5 minutes, stirring constantly), and take care not to burn them.
When ready, add the konbu stock and keep the flame on low heat.
Wash the pak-choi and simmer for 2 mins in the broth.
Remove the konbu and shiitakes (which have rehydrated in the meantime) from the stock and turn off the heat. Squeeze the shiitake and cut them into strips.
Prepare the topping ingredients for our ramen, and start boiling your noodles in water according to the packet instructions.
Take a bowl and start putting the cooked noodles in it.
Add the broth to the bowl of noodles,
and arrange the toppings in a colorful pattern.
Finish with a sprinkling of black sesame together with a tbsp of soy sauce and sesame oil per bowl.
Vegan Ramen Variations
Make the most of your ramen! You can use a wide variety of ingredients and flavors according to seasonality or simply your own personal taste.
The recipe I have introduced today has a light-tasting broth, whose umami comes from mushrooms and konbu. For more flavor, I recommend dissolving a tablespoon of miso in the broth before adding the noodles or simply varying the amount of soy sauce to suit your taste.
As for toppings, the choice is really wide. I recommend trying adding grilled tofu for more texture to the dish or roasting the vegetables instead of adding them raw for more flavor.
Don't be intimidated by the difficulty of this dish and instead play around with the flavors, to create your unique composition.
Vegan Ramen Cooking Class and Tour
Want to level up your vegan cooking skills? Try out our Vegan Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class! With the help of skilled instructors, you'll learn how to make a totally plant-based feast with these popular late-night Japanese foods.
Would you like to learn how to make other tasty plant-based Japanese food? Hone your culinary skills with a Vegan Cooking Class!
If you prefer leaving the cooking to the experts, join us for a Vegan / Vegetarian Ramen Tour in Tokyo! Our local ramen expert Frank will take you to enjoy 3 different bowls of delicious ramen.
