Immune Booster Vegan Ramen

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

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