Rich umami flavor from immune-boosting ingredients and so tasty you'll want to make it every week, our Vegan Ramen is precisely what you want: comfort food that supports your immune system.
Warm and comforting, ramen is perfect for chilly Fall days and cold winter months when you want your food to warm your belly and soothe your soul.
What is Ramen?
A Japanese noodle soup, traditional ramen is built from a base of meat broth and filled with tasty vegetables. You can find as many variations of ramen as you can regional cooks in Japan, but a few flavors such as soy sauce and miso are common threads. Our vegan ramen is built from a homemade broth base filled with all the umami flavors you crave. You might also like our Coconut Miso Ramen.
Vegan Ramen Recipe Ingredients
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Used to build flavor. Sesame oil is traditional but strong, use olive oil or avocado oil if you are sensitive to sesame.
- Green Onions or Scallions: You can include the whites and two or three inches of the light green stems, diced.
- Shiitake Mushrooms: It's a traditional mushroom used in Asian-inspired cuisine, the texture and flavor cannot be beaten. It's worth asking for it your grocery store. But if they don't carry them, try an Asian market.
- Napa Cabbage: This cabbage is more subtle in flavor and commonly used in soups to add flavor to the broth. You can substitute it with a different cabbage if necessary.
- Homemade Vegetarian Broth.
- Fresh Turmeric Root: Adds a gorgeous yellow color as well as nutrition and flavor.
- Fresh Ginger: Adds great flavor and nutritional benefits to the soup.
- Enoki Mushrooms: These may be more difficult to find, but they are amazing. Long, thin stems and a small cap, these mushrooms may be called golden needle mushrooms or lily mushrooms. They add great texture.
- Soy Sauce: tamari is also an option
- Ramen Noodles. Here we used these, but you can use your favorite.
- Salt to taste.
Homemade Vegan Broth Ingredients
- Garlic.
- Onions.
- Ginger.
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms.
- Miso Paste. You can use white miso paste or red miso paste.
- Soy Sauce.
Toppings for this Vegan Ramen
- Toasted Sesame Oil.
- Baby Bok Choy. This firm cabbage cooks beautifully and adds crunch and flavor to your ramen.
- High Protein Super Firm Tofu. You can also use extra firm tofu. We sauté our tofu but you can also use store-bought oven-baked tofu if you have it on hand.
- Soy Sauce.
- Chili Garlic Sauce. We used this one.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
How to Make Vegan Ramen
The process of making this soup is simple. The hardest part is cleaning the vegetables! Everything goes in one pot, and it's ready in about 45 minutes. And the toppings can be prepared while the soup simmers.
It all hinges on building the flavors as you go. The first step is to make the homemade broth. Then, you will heat oil in a separate pot and add the sliced green onions and shiitake mushrooms on medium heat. After three minutes, add the cabbage. Four minutes later, add the water, the broth, ginger, tumeric, enoki mushrooms, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and add the noodles. Simmer for twenty minutes while you prepare the toppings.
To prepare the toppings, heat sesame oil in a large skillet. Add the baby bok choy and salt. Cook for a few minutes on each side, then add the diced tofu and cook until it starts to brown. Add soy sauce and cook for one minute more.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Do not use store-bought vegetable broth. Most are tomato-based and will significantly throw off the flavor of the ramen. Our delicious mushroom miso broth is essential to this recipe.
Store leftover vegan ramen in the fridge for up to five days. If you keep the toppings separate from the soup base, it will keep better and be more enjoyable as a leftover.
How to Serve Vegan Ramen: Toppings and Variations
You can add so many lovely things to your ramen bowl to make it a little more fancy and add more flavors. Sautéed veggies, bamboo shoots, toasted sesame seeds, and cooked corn are all great options. Add dried shiitake mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, or nori without cooking them to add texture. A drizzle of chili oil adds extra heat. A little garlic paste, sesame paste, or tahini adds thickness and shift the flavor profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I buy high-quality ramen noodles?
These wheat-based noodles can be purchased fresh in many Asian markets, higher-end grocery stores, or online.
What is the difference between vegan ramen and regular ramen?
Traditional ramen is made with a meat-based broth such as seafood broth, chicken broth, or beef broth. Vegan ramen is built from vegan broth, either store-bought or homemade. Our favorite brand is no longer sold, so we like to make our own.
Can I make vegan ramen gluten-free?
The only changes you need to make are to find gluten-free ramen noodles or substitute your favorite gluten-free spaghetti noodles and use a gluten-free soy sauce such as Tamari or Coconut Aminos. Check the time your noodles need to boil, and add them when the soup is that many minutes from being finished.
Is Vegan Ramen Healthy?
We think so! Here are just a handful of the simple, potent superfoods you'll find in our ramen.
- Turmeric root, high in curcumin, this compound contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties ( you can read what Dr. Andrew Weil has to say about turmeric here.)
- Ginger root, which is actually related to turmeric and also has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as immune-boosting, and is soothing for the digestive system.
- Shiitake mushrooms support the immune system.
- Napa cabbage is high in healthy fiber and a great source of vitamin C to boost your immune system, Vitamins B and K.
- Enoki mushrooms are nutritionally dense and may support your body's natural ability to fight infections.
Other Healthy Soup Recipes You May Like
- Moroccan Harira Soup
- Quinoa and Kale Soup
- The Best Vegetable Soup
- Wheat Berry and Chickpea Soup
- Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup
- Zucchini Sweet Potato Soup
Immune Booster Vegan Ramen Bowl
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Ramen Bowl is exactly what you need to get you through this nasty, frigid winter! Loaded with immune boosting ingredients, you'll want to make it every week! Check out our other vegan dinner recipes under 300 calories
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 3oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 5 cups shredded Napa cabbage
- 6 cups water
- 4 cups ramen broth (here we used this one), or vegetable broth
- 1 4-inch piece fresh turmeric root, peeled and grated
- 1 1.5-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 7oz enoki mushrooms, stems removed
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3oz ramen noodles (here we used these, but you can use your favorite)
- Salt to taste (optional)
- For the toppings:
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, divided
- 6 baby bok choy, sliced in half
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
- 1 lb high protein super firm tofu, diced small
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- Chili garlic sauce to taste (optional) (here we used this one)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large soup pot. Add the sliced green onions and shiitake mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the napa cabbage and continue cooking for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the water, broth, grated ginger and turmeric, enoki mushrooms and soy sauce. Bring to boil. Add the noodles, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
- In the meantime, prepare the toppings. Heat one teaspoon of sesame oil in a large non stick skillet. Arrange the baby bok choy halves flat side down, add ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook over medium high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the surface starts to brown. Turn them over and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to use
- Heat another teaspoon of sesame oil in the same skillet. Add the diced tofu and cook, tossing often, for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to brown. Add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and cook for another minute
- Serve the ramen hot in a large bowl, topped with the sauteed baby bok choy, tofu and a spoonful of chili garlic sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 266
- Sodium: 1480
- Fat: 10.7
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 24.6
- Fiber: 3.1
- Protein: 19.3
- Cholesterol: 0
Donna Skaggs
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for awhile. I decided to make it today as I recover from bronchitis. It’s so good! Instead of ramen I used small bowtie pasta & added more broth.
It’s very good & will be in my rotation. It’s a good, warming soup, perfect for chasing the chills & coughs away.
Thank you for this!
Vicky and Ruth
Nothing better than a hot brothy soup for cold season!