This Vegan Ramen recipe is made with a flavorful miso mushroom broth, crispy tofu, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, and ramen noodles.
Why You’ll Love This
While traveling in Japan with Brian, we tried many different types of Ramen. I can honestly say that every single bowl I had was a mind-blowing experience. Every bowl was the best bowl of ramen I’d ever had. It’s crazy how nuanced and different each one was, each with a personality of its own. Anyway, it was one of the best culinary experiences, and I’ll never forget it.
Sumptuous and oozing with flavor, a good bowl of ramen is pure comfort food. This vegan ramen recipe is made with a flavorful, rich miso shiitake broth with the secret ingredient… kombu! This brings it up a notch.
What I love about this Japanese noodle soup recipe, is you can meal-prep the flavorful broth on a Sunday, then store it in the fridge in a jar, for the busy workweek, heating it up as you need it, pouring it over noodles and veggies. Deeply satisfying and nurturing.
Vegan Ramen Ingredients
- Dry ramen noodles: You may need to buy a ramen packet and discard the seasoning. You can also use rice noodles, soba noodles, or udon noodles.
- Onion and garlic cloves: Create a savory, aromatic base for the broth.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: Break or chop them into small pieces!
- Kombu seaweed: This is optional, but adds so much depth and umami flavor to the broth. It is available at most grocery stores, or visit your local Asian market.
- Vegetable stock: Making homemade vegetable broth adds even more flavor!
- Mirin and white miso paste: Mirin is a Japanese rice cooking wine. Together, these add depth, aromatic flavor, and umami.
- Crispy tofu: Here’s how to make crispy tofu.
Ramen VegetableS & Garnishes
Choose a variety of these ramen bowl add-ins based on your preferences! Steam, sauté, or roast the veggies, or add them raw.
- Greens: Baby bok choy, spinach, mizuna or other greens.
- Raw shredded veggies: carrots or cabbage
- Roasted veggies: winter squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, carrots
- Mushrooms (Enoki mushrooms, also referred to as the velvet shank, are great for this! They are delicate yet flavorful mushrooms that grow on tree trunks, roots, and branches, mostly found in Japan.)
- Garnishes: Baby corn, Bamboo shoots, Daikon radish, pickled radish Fresh herbs, scallions, green onions, or bean sprouts, Kimchi
- Soft-boiled eggs (obviously not vegan)
- Seasonings Furikake, toasted sesame seedsSriracha, hot chili oil, or chili crisp, toasted sesame oil
WHAT IS KOMBU, and why use it?
Kombu is basically a type of sea kelp, that adds complexity, depth and that delicious umami flavor we all crave. It’s different than nori (nori is seaweed, kombu is kelp). It is typically used in Japanese cooking to make Dashi Broth. Here, we are borrowing that idea for this vegan ramen broth. You can leave the kombu out in a pinch, but to elevate this recipe, add the Kombu! TIP: Make sure to rinse the Kombu first before placing it in the stockpot with other ingredients.
How to make Vegan Ramen
1. Roast the vegetables (optional). If adding any roasted vegetables, preheat the oven to 400F and arrange the veggies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until fork tender.
2. Prepare the broth. Sauté onion in a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Or, deeply caramelize the onions for the best flavor! (You could even char them over a wood fire!) Add the smashed garlic cloves and continue cooking until deeply golden. Add veggie stock, water, dried shiitakes, a sheet of rinsed kombu, and mirin. Bring to a simmer.
Tip: For a “creamy” style ramen broth, blend up the broth after it’s cooked – those tender shiitakes will give it a delicious creaminess! Or leave it unblended and brothy – up to you!
3. Simmer. Simmer 25-30 minutes uncovered on medium heat. Remove the kombu, then add the miso and pepper to taste. Adjust salt to your liking, adding more salt, soy sauce, or miso as needed. Keep warm.
Tip: While warming the broth, if it reduces too much it can become overly salty. Just add a little water to taste!
4. Cook the ramen noodles. Cook the ramen noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, then toss with a little sesame oil to keep separated.
5. Prep any other add-ins. Prep anything else needed for your ramen bowl, including crispy tofu and veggies. Steam or sauté bok choy or fresh spinach or sauté mushrooms in a little oil with salt and pepper (or smoke them!). Use a combination of fresh and cooked veggies for the best texture.
Tip: 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.
6. Assemble. Fill bowls with cooked noodles, crispy tofu, and any veggies you’d like to add.
Step 7. Pour the flavorful shiitake broth over top. I love adding a piece of toasted nori to the bowl- it gives it a delicious flavor. Then add something crunchy and fresh for texture- these watermelon radishes are nice, or try daikon radish or Japanese pickles.
Step 8. Garnish with a little drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha. Top with scallions and sesame seeds or furikake. Serve immediately… and slurp away!
Storing vegan ramen
When storing leftovers, keep the noodles and the broth separate so that the noodles don’t absorb too much liquid. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. We do not recommend storing leftover ramen in the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of Chili Crisp Cauliflower, Miso Eggplant, or Asian Cucumber Salad!
FAQs
The broth, the noodles, and the toppings!
Miso ramen, which is miso-based, like this one! Shio ramen, which is a clear, light-bodied salty chicken broth, shoyu ramen, a soy sauce flavored chicken broth, and tonkotsu ramen, a rich pork-based broth, which is fatty and milk white in color.
Yes, the noodles are typically vegan. You can always sub with gluten-free rice noodles, soba noodles, or udon noodles, too!
Let us know how you like this easy Vegan Ramen recipe in the comments below!
xoxo
More Noodle Bowls to Try!
Watch how to make VEGAN RAMEN
The Best Vegan Ramen Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
- Category: Soup, noodle soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Raman with Mushroom 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 –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 dry Ramen Noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil for coating noodles.
- 8–12 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 sauce 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 package directions. Drain. Toss with a little sesame oil to keep separated.
- Prep other veggies and other toppings like our crispy tofu. 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
- Serving Size: Large bowl
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 10.1 g
- Sodium: 1295.8 mg
- Fat: 13.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.5 g
- Fiber: 4.3 g
- Protein: 13.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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!