How to Make VEGAN RAMEN! | 45-second Video
Three components to ramen:
- The broth
- The noodles
- The toppings
Four most popular types of ramen broth:
- Shio ramen with its clear, light-bodied salty chicken broth
- Shoyu Ramen, a soy sauce flavored chicken broth
- Tonkotsu ramen, a rich pork-based broth, which is fatty and milky white in color.
- Miso ramen, which is miso-based.
How to make Vegan Ramen:
How to make the BEST VEGAN RAMEN BROTH:
- Deeply caramelize the onions (you could even char them over a wood fire!)
- Add veggie stock, water and dried shiitake or fresh mushrooms.
- Add a sheet of Kombu, dried kelp found in Asian markets adds complexity and depth.
- Add a splash of MIRIN
- Miso paste! Use this instead of soy sauce, for better flavor.
WHAT IS KOMBU?
OPTIONAL VEGAN RAMEN TOPPINGS:
- crispy tofu,
- bamboo shoots,
- seaweed (nori),
- corn,
- carrots
- daikon radish
- finely shredded cabbage
- steamed bok choy
- mushrooms (smoked are nice- see below!)
- baby spinach,
- scallions,
- pickled vegetables
- roasted veggies (especially nice in winter)
- braised winter greens
And I love these little enoki mushrooms for garnish – just use fresh and raw! They are so tiny they will cook enough in the ramen broth.
Enoki mushrooms (also referred to as the velvet shank) are delicate yet flavorful mushrooms that grow on tree trunks, roots and branches mostly found in Japan.
What are RAMEN NOODLES:
- There are two main types of ramen noodles used for ramen, yellow egg noodles, and white flour noodles. In the past, yellow egg noodles were the most common – these are the type found in most dried ramen packages.
- Recently, flour noodles have been gaining in popularity. The two types differ in size and texture. Egg noodles are fairly thin, firm to the palate, and slightly curly. Flour noodles are soft and wide.
- Many Japanese say that the ramen noodles found in the United States lack the depth of flavor because of the absence of kansui, a highly alkaline mineral water found in Asia. Some chefs use baking soda in their noodles to approximate the flavor.
These ramen noodles shown above are freshly made, vegan, all-flour noodles, available in the refrigerated section at the Asian market. To cook, follow the directions on the package. You could also use gluten-free rice noodles.
Assemenble the Ramen Bowls:
Begin filling your veggie ramen bowls with noodles first, then the toppings.
I love adding a piece of toasted nori to the bowl- it gives it a delicious flavor.
Then top with your veggies (bok choy and mushrooms) and garnishes. You could also try your hand at Smoked Mushrooms! Super easy and flavorful!!!
Then pour the steaming hot ramen broth over top.
Season with sesame oil, and sriracha sauce if you like.
I love adding something crunchy and fresh for texture- these watermelon radishes are nice or try daikon radish or Japanese pickles.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds or Furikake, and a little drizzle of sesame oil… and Slurp Away!
Let me know how you like this recipe for Vegan Ramen in the comments below!
xoxo
More vegan recipes you may like:
- 40 Mouthwatering Vegan Dinner Recipes!
- Vegan Bulgogi Bowl
- Szechuan Tofu and Veggies
- 20 Buddha Bowls (Vegan & Plant Based!)
- Veggie Lo Mein Noodles!
- Kimchi Noodles
- 15 MINUTE THAI COCONUT NOODLE SOUP (KHAO SOI)
Vegan Ramen with Shiitake Broth
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
- Category: Vegan, soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Vegan Raman with Miso Shiitake Broth – a simple delicious recipe for making the most flavorful bowl of vegan ramen soup!
Ingredients
Flavorful Vegan Ramen Broth:
- 1 large onion-diced
- 2 smashed garlic cloves
- 1–2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups veggie stock
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup dried Shiitake Mushrooms, broken into small pieces (see notes )
- 1 sheet Kombu seaweed (available at Asian markets) –optional, but good!
- 1/8 cup mirin ( Japanese cooking wine)
- 1–2 tablespoons white miso paste
- pepper to taste
- for spicy, add sriracha to taste, or hot chili oil
RAMEN:
- 6– 8 ounces Ramen Noodles
- 8 ounces Cubed Crispy Tofu
- Optional veggies: Steamed or sauteed bok choy, fresh spinach, shredded carrots or cabbage, roasted winter squash, roasted cauliflower, roasted carrots, roasted sweet potato, sauteed mushrooms, smoked mushrooms, baby corn, Bamboo shoots, Enoki mushrooms, Kimchi, Soft boiled eggs (obviously not vegan) daikon radish, pickled radish, fresh herbs.
- Garnishes: scallions, Furikake or toasted sesame seeds, sriracha and sesame oil
Instructions
- If adding roasted veggies, do this first. Toss bite-sized pieces, with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast in a 400F oven until fork tender.
- Make the BROTH: Over medium-high heat, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon oil until tender about 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium, add the smashed garlic cloves and continue cooking the onions until they are deeply golden brown. Add the veggie stock, water, dried shiitakes, a sheet of kombu (rinsed) and mirin. Bring to a Simmer.
- Simmer for 25-30 minutes uncovered on med heat, then remove the Kombu. Add the miso, and pepper to taste. Adjust salt to your liking (feel free to add salt, soy or more miso). Keep warm. FYI: If this reduces too much it may become salty…. simply add a little water to taste.
- While the broth is simmering, cook the ramen noodles in a pot of boiling water, according to directions. Drain. Toss with sesame oil to keep separated.
- Prep other veggies and other toppings. Feel free to steam bok choy or fresh spinach, or saute them until just tender. If using mushrooms, saute in a little oil until tender (or smoke! see post) seasoning with salt and pepper. Use a combo of fresh and cooked veggies for the best texture. 🙂 Make the crispy tofu!
Assemble Ramen Bowls:
- Fill bowls with cooked noodles, crispy tofu and any other veggies you want. Pour the flavorful Shiitake broth over top. Garnish with a little drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha. Top with scallions and sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Make sure to break or chop the dried shitakes into small pieces.
OPTIONAL: To make a Creamy broth: Blend the finished broth in a blender. The shiitake mushrooms will give the broth a rich creaminess. Or you could blend half the broth for semi-creamy. 🙂
Nutrition
- Calories: 335
Keywords: Ramen, vegan ramen, vegan ramen broth, creamy ramen broth, best vegan ramen, veggie ramen recipe, vegan ramen broth, shiitake mushroom ramen broth, vegan ramen broth,
I echo the “awesome” comments of those before me. I order vegan ramen for a local noodle place, and this broth puts theirs to shame. Two questions:
* I’m going to double, or may even triple, this recipe next time I make it. Any suggestions on what to double or not? (onions, garlic, etc.) I’ll likely go easier on the onion.
* What are your thoughts on adding leeks to this at the beginning?
Thanks again for this incredible recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks, Michael! I love the idea of leeks. I would just double everything, personally!
This broth is amazing! I substituted Better than Bouillon No Chicken for the veggie stock and red miso for the white because that’s what I had. My non-vegan boyfriend loved it. Said it was the best ramen soup that he has had in a long time.
Great to hear Amy!
The broth is absolutely amazing. We used leftovers to create several combinations throughout the week. Can’t wait to have this again. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
So happy you both enjoyed this Joni!
I love your recipes and look forward to cooking something new from your website every week! I just made this ramen today and it’s the best, literally BEST food I’ve ever cooked! My husband and 8 year old son LOVED it. I made extra to take to my brother who is healing from a health challenge. Thank you!
★★★★★
Oh thanks, Kara! And so glad your family liked the vegan ramen!
It was a such a hit! Every bowl was licked CLEAN!
After blending the shiitake and adding the miso, I had a taste and was blown over by how delicious the soup was! The stock did thicken considerably for me and was quite salty after simmering for so long, so I did add more water and mirin to the soup.
This will definitely be our go-to winter (currently winter in Aus) noodle soup recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!!
★★★★★
thanks Jassie- glad you liked it!
would chicken broth work well here instead of veggie?
Yes, totally. 🙂
This ramen was amazing! I had to make a few subs based on what I had, and it still came out amazing!
I subbed:
– soba for ramen
– Trader Joe’s miso ginger broth for miso paste
– tempeh for tofu (marinated w/ maple syrup, soy, sesame oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper)
My partner is newly plant-based, so I’ve been looking for new recipes to try. He said that this one was better than any restaurant ramen he’s had. We topped our bowls with furikake, tempeh, and soft boiled eggs! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed Madison!
Should I reconstitute the dried mushrooms first before adding them to the stock? Or should I reconstitute them after I have sautéed the onions and poured the stock in the mushrooms?
No just add them directly- dry.
I am giving this 5 stars because I loved it for the most part, and because I made substitutions that could have impacted the criticism I am about to make. I found this to be super salty! But I think the broth I used was why I found it to be so. I used a bullion for the veg broth that had sodium in it (I did not add salt anywhere else, including the tofu where I omitted the salt from the included recipe). I plan to try making this again with home made broth without any added salt. I roasted sweet potatoes and Brussel sprouts in place of bok choy and carrots because that is what I had on hand. I roasted them plain (no miso glaze or added spices). I used brown rice flour ramen noodles. Overall, the broth was amazing (aside from the saltiness, which again I acknowledge was totally my fault). I didn’t have any mirin on hand so I used some red cooking wine, but otherwise followed the broth recipe. Thank you so much for the recipe. I have never had ramen before and I have always wanted to try it. I added some thinly sliced green onions, green peppers, and cucumber as fresh toppings because after tasting the broth I knew that anything pickled would be too much and I needed to lighten it up. Thanks again! 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Julia, sorry about that. There is a note in step three that if the broth reduces too much, it may become salty- you can simply add more water to reduce the saltiness.
Thanks for the recipe it is very yummy I didn’t use the onion but it is still taste very nice I know how to make good ramen now
★★★★★
5is was excellent. Will have to add to my rotation. I might put a little extra soy sauce in it for some extra oomph.
★★★★★
Absolutely amazing soup! Just love the bullion! Only I realized I am not a fan of tofu, at least not the plain one for the moment, will try smoked or spiced next time.
★★★★★
This recipe was absolutely amazing! I’m not vegan, but I had friends over who are and cooked them this ramen. Used an immersion blender to make the broth creamy. This was one of the most delicious dishes I have ever cooked, definitely making it again.
Easy and delicious. Next time I think I’ll mince the onions vs chopt
★★★★★
The was a huge it with the whole family, even my youngest son who swears he doesn’t like mushrooms. We included Chanterelles because they are in season here in the PNW and have to eat them as much as we can while they’re available. I don’t think my kids will ever want to eat an instant ramen packet again.
★★★★★
Awesome Hillary!!!
This is so delicious; I have shared this recipe with all my food-loving friends! Such tasty broth. We love to top it with chili garlic sauce. The only change I make is to use brown rice miso since that’s what I have. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
I love this recipe! I am a new vegan and ramen-obsessed so this was one of the first vegan recipes I tried. Ive now made it 3 times. even my non-vegan husband loves it!
★★★★★
Great to hear Sara!
the instructions on the computer were more detailed than the ones I printed. As a beginer, I did not know which vegetables were to be cooked or not. The quantities of ingredients were not listed, so that when I printed this recipe out from my computer, I had to have the computer on at the same time that I was trying out the recipe to get everything clear. I am a beginner, but it was difficult for me and the results didn’t look like the one for the recipe. I was disappointed, I went to 3 stores trying to buy the ingredients. Two were oriential groceriers.
★★★
Hi Joan, sorry about the confusion and I see how that could happen. I tried to make it a little more clear. It all really depends on what veggies and toppings you want to add to the broth. So many variables. The recipe is more about creating the vegan ramen broth itself, letting readers decide what to put in the broth.
Really delicious. I loved making and eating this. I did end up blending the dried mushrooms for a creamier broth and I found it quite thick. Either I didn’t blend for long enough or I cooked it for too long and the water evaporated a bit. I might add a tad more water next time, but apart from that it was amazingly good. Thanks so much!!!
★★★★
Have enjoyed this recipe many times. Simple and delicious!
★★★★★
Thanks Donna!
Really simple dish that I enjoyed. Surprisingly it was light, which allowed me to dish down to more bowls! Very tasty even though I didn’t have Kombu, I just added Seaweed and a few other salty ingredients to develop the flavor of the soup more.
★★★★
Perfect Daniel!
Just delicious!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Leonie!
Lol so today I learned that people will even troll the comment sections of recipes online… how pathetic. Yes obviously eggs aren’t vegan and no there’s nothing “revolting” sounding about this recipe and it’s description.
Anyway, as a vegan of many years just now getting into homemade ramen, I loved this recipe!!! I’d been eyeing it for a while and it turned out perfect. Simple and flavorful. I used black rice ramen from King Soba (gluten free) and a spiced mixture of sautéed shiitake mushrooms, squash, and tofu. Top off with your favorite hot sauce and you couldn’t ask for more, although I wish I’d had bean sprouts on hand to add in. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
★★★★★
thanks Abbey. 😉
This was sooo delicious, we loved this! I did blend up the remnants of the broth (sans kombu) as suggested, and it was so satisfying and creamy! I added blanched spinach and miso honey butter corn for my toppings, will experiment different ideas in the future. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Amazing! Thank you so much 😊
★★★★★
thanks so much!
Are you sure you want to call your food “unctuous”? Because it sounds revolting.
Well, I totally see how it would if you’re in the vegan camp. 🙂 For authentic Japanese style ramen, it is usually considered a complimentary adjective.
Use whatever words you like! This looks and *sounds* beautiful. I cannot wait to try 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks Laura!
It was a fantastic ramen, very flavorful ♥ Thank you for the recipe !
★★★★★
I have cooked this almost every week for the past few months, mixing up veggies as the weather has gotten cooler here. Current favourite is roasted Brussels sprouts and bom choy. My non-vegan husband and I both love this recipe and it is an absolute joy to prepare. Thank you so much Sylvia, this has kept us well fed and happy in isolation!
★★★★★
Thanks Mel!
OMG, best recipe ever! The only thing I added to the broth was a little soy sauce to add a little more salt and depth. But other than that, I think I died and went to Ramen noodle heaven! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Haha! thanks Darlene.
Novice question here, but how did you prepare the bok Choy and shiitake mushrooms in this picture? They don’t look entirely raw.
Sometimes I drop into the simmering broth, sometimes I give a quick saute. 🙂
Thankyou so much for posting this recipe. I made it today minus the Kombu as it wasn’t available, and it turned out fantastically. So flavoursome and tasty. Looking forward to having it a couple of days in the week as doubled up and made a big batch of broth
★★★★★
Thanks, glad you enjoyed this!
This was super! It was my first time making this,, one of my all-time favs, at home. I did blend the broth. I used whole wheat rice noodles, spinach, scallions, and roasted shiitakes. Next time I will either leave out the nori or use a smaller square, as it imparts a taste that was too fishy for our taste. I couldn’t find Kombu, but I ordered it from Amazon and am making this again in a couple days to compare. I added a drizzle of roasted garlic rice vinegar to the finished product when I added the sesame oil and sesame seeds. Thank you so much!
★★★★
Sounds good Jenni!
Awesome ramen! My kids and I loved it.
★★★★★
Thank you, this was much, much better than expected! I used some Japanese mirin that’s better than the usual North American stuff. The first day I had it with some packaged fried tofu and Asian veg that I had in the fridge. Two days later I had it again and the flavor had mellowed out – sort of like a stew being better the next day. I also had it with kimchi, and that made it a totally different soup, but oh so very oishi (delicious).
Can I freeze the soup? I keep one cup vacuum sealed packages of soup in my freezer for breakfast and lunch. It may be crazy, but it really cuts down on stupid food choices when I waited a bit too long for something to eat, and the microwave does all the work.
★★★★★
Thanks so much! I haven’t tried freezing this yet, but let me know what you think if you try!
O wow Sylvia, this tasted so heavenly. We all loved it. Thank U so much for all your recipes!!!
★★★★★
Yay! Thank you for commenting! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
I just wanted to say thank you for the recipe. I made the broth, and it was delicious! I used Bragg’s liquid aminos instead of soy sauce because that’s all I had, and I used 3 strips of kombu (Eden brand) because I couldn’t find the wide sheets. Mine didn’t reduce much even though I heated it for longer than stated, but it was still very good. I’ve never made ramen before, so I’m excited to have a go-to recipe now! Thank you!
★★★★★
“This vegan version has roasted butternut, baby chard, a soft boiled egg and smoked shiitakes.” Eh-hem. There’s nothing vegan about a soft boiled egg.
Yes, the egg, is optional. The broth is vegan. Use the broth as a base for whatever you prefer. 😉
Obviously you’d leave out the egg if you were vegan. Thought most people would realise that and it didn’t need spelling out. Use your initiative.
Creative and clever way to smoke food INSIDE the house. I haven’t heard of this method before. Is it from your own experiments? Or? – Very cool. Thank you for sharing!
Deanna, we smoke a lot of food in our catering business ( and at my old restaurant) and so I wanted to be able to do it at home too, but more quickly and simply, and on a smaller scale. I hope you try it, it’s fun!!
Serves 4-6 if making the vegan broth recipe. The grocery store usually has wood chips…the finer the better.
How many people would you say this serves? I have most of these ingredients and want to make this dish in the next couple of days. Where did you get wood chips?
How many bowls, or people, would you say this serves? I have most of the ingredients but I need to go to my Asian Market for a few little extras.
Beautiful pictures! Lovely recipe!
I am so glad I found it.. I would love to add this to this to my asian themed party :)with all asian inspired dishes :)I really hope i get it all right esp the broth! it seems to be oozing with flavour!
What an insanely gorgeous dish!!
Thanks Rachael!
You describe food so beautifully- I may have to try this recipe this week. xo
Thanks Leslie! Let me now how it turns out!
You make food look so beautiful!I may have to try this. xo
You are a saliva conjurer – we have ramen houses by the handful here in Santa Clara/Cupertino/San Jose and they are each different and wonderful. I hope to
someday soon try the ramen houses in Japan. Keep on cooking!
I hope to as well!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it this weekend, we are having the perfect weather for a steaming hot bowl of slurptastic soup! Mmmmmmmm.
Thanks Jill!