Making vegan ramen at home is so easy. Feel free to use the veggies you have on hand or what's in season. It's a super comforting and satisfying soup.
If I had known homemade ramen is so easy to make, I had made this recipe before. I believed it was so difficult, but not at all, it's so simple!
Ramen is a Japanese dish and we've made a plant-based version (it's usually made with some meat or fish) that is so nutritious, comforting and satisfying. You can use any veggie you have on hand to make the broth or as a topping.
This recipe has (as many Japanese dishes) a high sodium content, but we're not worried about it because we don't make ramen every single day. If you are, add less tamari or soy sauce and miso paste to reduce the amount of sodium in your soup.
I've just finished reading a book called How Not To Die, which I think it's my favorite nutrition book at the moment. The author speaks about the high amount of sodium that some soy-based foods have and he explains that this is compensated by all the amazing health benefits soy has to offer.
We used dehydrated shiitake mushrooms to make the broth and wheat ramen noodles. They can be found in any Asian supermarket, but feel free to use other dehydrated or fresh mushrooms and any noodles or pasta you want.
If you like this simple vegan ramen, check out these soup recipes: 15 minute simple vegan miso soup, and Mexican-style tomato soup, creamy vegan cauliflower soup.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We'd love to see what you cook!
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Simple Vegan Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 chopped onion, we used a red onion
- 2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and diced
- 1 ounce dehydrated shiitake mushrooms
- 6 cups water
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 tablespoon baking soda, optional
- 7 ounces noodles, we used ramen noodles, but any other noodles will do, even spaghetti is a great choice
- 10 ounces firm tofu, optional
- Chopped red cabbage, chopped chives and soybean sprouts to taste, optional
Instructions
- Place the garlic, onion, ginger root, shiitake mushrooms and water in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil and then cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. If you can't wait, cook the soup just 15 minutes. You can alsor cook it longer (1 hour or even longer), it will have a more intense flavor. Add more or less water if you change the cook time.
- Strain the broth, set aside the mushrooms for serving and discard the veggies.
- Pour the broth into the pot again, add the tamari or soy sauce and miso paste. Stir until well combined.
- Prepare the noodles while the broth is cooking. Just cook them according to package directions. We added 1 tablespoon baking soda to the water, but it's optional. Drain and set aside.
- Slice the tofu and cook it in a skillet over high heat until is golden brown for both sides. We didn't add any oil.
- To serve, divide the noodles between four serving bowls, then top with the broth and add your favorite toppings. We added tofu, red cabbage, chives and soybean sprouts.
- Keep the broth in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Noodles and tofu can be stored separately in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. The rest of the toppings are better fresh.
Notes
- Use any type of dehydrated or fresh mushrooms you like.
- Add any veggies you have on hand and sauté them in some oil if you want.
- Feel free to add some oil to the broth.
- Vegetable broth can be used instead of the water to make the soup tastier. We prefer to use water to reduce the amount of sodium in the soup.
- We used wheat ramen noodles, but any type of noodles is okay. We love buckwheat noodles as a gluten-free alternative. Spaghetti can be used instead of noodles.
Mike March says
This vegan ramen recipe is so cozy and satisfying! I tried adding a spoonful of NoodleBomb ramen sauce, a handcrafted broth concentrate from Bonney Lake, WA, to the broth and it added an incredible umami depth without overloading on salt. It's great that your recipe uses fresh ingredients and still lets you customize the sodium level. Thanks for sharing!
Iosune Robles says
Thank you so much, Mike. I'm really glad you enjoyed the ramen. Your addition of NoodleBomb sauce sounds amazing and full of flavor. Love that you found a way to boost the umami without too much salt.
Serene Lee says
This is delicious.
Iosune Robles says
Yes, it's so delicious 🙂
Joe says
Yum! Thanks for the inspiration! Just wanted to let you know that we featured your recipe on our cheap vegan ramen recipes blog post here: https://cheapveganshop.com/in-the-kitchen/cheap-vegan-ramen-recipes/
Iosune says
Hi Joe! Thanks a lot for sharing 🙂
God says
You can cut those sodium levels by adding a tbsp of olive oil or grape seed oil. In fact , mixing asian and italian spices can turn out delicious soup and rice flavorings.
Iosune says
Hi God! Thanks a lot for your valuable comment 🙂
Lee Marie Sanchez says
Why discard the veggies? Why use baking soda?
Iosune says
Hi Lee! You can use the veggies if you want 🙂 I used baking soda because most of the Japanese ramen recipes I've seen used it, but it's totally optional. Have a nice day!
Melissa says
Can you tell me what ramen noodles you used. I've been looking for a good brand and having a hard time. And do you know if there is a gluten free noodle? Thanks a lot. Nice again great post.
Iosune says
Hi Melissa! I live in Spain, so I bought an Asian brand in a local store and I don't remember the name, sorry! I've never seen gluten-free ramen noodles, but I love soba noodles, the ones that are made only with buckwheat flour 🙂