Vegan Ramen Bowl

It’s that time of year when I am officially in hot comfort food mode. And nothing is more comforting than a bowl of soup. And a bowl of noodles. So how about a bowl of soup + noodles? Meaning… ramen! 

Noodles and ingredients ready for ramen

Ramen is one of those dishes that is very open to interpretation. Even the American master of ramen, Ivan Orkin, says so himself ~ that there is a lot of latitude with this staple dish of Japan.

Most traditional ramen is filled with a ton of flavor, umami, salt, fat and animal-based ingredients. But for this version I wanted to lighten things up but still make it super flavorful.

Shiitakes, peppers, scallion and bok choy

The solution? A base of high-quality organic vegetable broth such as this one, simmered with Asian aromatics (ginger, garlic, scallion). Plus, plant-based sources of that umami flavor ~ tamari, miso and shiitake mushrooms.

My favorite brand of tamari is San-J, and I like this one that is organic, low-sodium, and gluten-free. For organic gluten-free miso this one from Miso Master is my favorite. And if you are looking for a soy-free miso you can try their chickpea miso.

If you can find fresh ramen noods (i.e. noodles) to use that will yield the best and most authentic ramen. The brand Sun Noodle is available at Whole Foods. Otherwise, you can buy the instant ramen dried noods and just discard that salt-bomb of a flavor packet and use the raw noods alone.

Noodles and chop sticks, a  necessity for ramen!

If you are gluten-free (like me), you can use fresh gluten-free noodles such as Manini’s (also available at Whole Foods). Otherwise, if you want to keep the Asian flare, you can use glass noodles, any number of other rice noodles, or wheat-free soba noodles.

If you are soy-averse, sub coconut aminos in the recipe. It is a little sweeter than tamari/soy, but will give a similar flavor.

The final product, ready for slurping

This dish is also great for meal-prepping. Just double the quantities in the recipe below and freeze the broth. Then you can have homemade ramen in an instant, without actually buying the “instant” packages from the store.

And feel free to add in your favorite protein source. If you’re not vegan, a still-runny boiled egg on top is traditional ramen. You can also do tofu for a plant-based protein.

Whatever you decide to do, be sure to comment and let me know if you make this recipe, or tag me on Instagram.

Now stop noodling around and get cooking!

Print Recipe

Vegan Ramen Bowl

Health vegan ramen bowl with miso mushrooms

Course

Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine

Asian

Keyword

healthy, vegan, vegetarian

Servings

servings

Ingredients

Broth

• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 large onion peeled and halved
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and sliced thick
• 1 bunch scallions white parts separated (you’ll use green part below)
• 4 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 dozen shiitake mushroom stems save tops for soup below
• 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari or soy gluten-free if need be
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock high-quality store bought or home made

Soup

• 1 package fresh ramen noodles or two instant packs, flavor packet discarded
• 1 tsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger microplaned or finely grated
• 12 meaty shiitake mushroom caps sliced
• 2 tbsp white miso gluten-free if need be
• 3-4 green parts scallion sliced thinly

Optional other toppings

• 1 small hot pepper sliced thinly
• 1-2 tbsp extra tamari or soy if you like a saltier soup
• 2 large eggs soft boiled until yolks set but still runny *if not vegan
• 1 block tofu prepared as you like and added at end

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup Cuisine Asian Keyword healthy, vegan, vegetarian Servings servings Ingredients Broth 2 tbsp avocado oil 1 large onion peeled and halved 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and sliced thick 1 bunch scallions white parts separated (you’ll use green part below) 4 cloves garlic smashed 1 dozen shiitake mushroom stems save tops for soup below 2 tbsp low-sodium tamari or soy gluten-free if need be 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock high-quality store bought or home made Soup 1 package fresh ramen noodles or two instant packs, flavor packet discarded 1 tsp avocado oil 1 tsp fresh ginger microplaned or finely grated 12 meaty shiitake mushroom caps sliced 2 tbsp white miso gluten-free if need be 3-4 green parts scallion sliced thinly Optional other toppings 1 small hot pepper sliced thinly 1-2 tbsp extra tamari or soy if you like a saltier soup 2 large eggs soft boiled until yolks set but still runny *if not vegan 1 block tofu prepared as you like and added at end

Instructions

Broth

1. to make broth heat avocado oil in a soup pot over medium heat until hot
2. add onion halves, and brown for five minutes
3. add remaining ingredients, sauté 5-7 minutes until browned as well
4. add tamari/soy, vegetable stock and simmer for one hour
5. strain broth and discard aromatics, then return broth to same sauce pan and keep warm

Soup

1. cook noodles in a separate pan according to package directions and drain
2. meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan heat avocado oil over medium heat until hot
3. add ginger and sliced shiitake mushroom caps, sauté a few minutes
4. add miso, and stir to blend, adding an extra splash of tamari/soy if pan dries out
5. to serve soup, ladle warm broth into a bowl, stir in mushrooms and add cooked noodles
6. top soup with scallion, hot peppers, and any other desired toppings

Recipe Notes

Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com