Vegan ramen: An easy, step-by-step recipe
Ramen, with its deep roots in Japanese culture, has seen various evolutions, including vegetarian and vegan versions. This vegan ramen adventure offers a plant-based twist to the traditional dish, ensuring it's hearty, flavorful, and accessible to everyone. Featuring a rich broth and diverse toppings, this dish highlights the versatility of vegan cuisine. Let's get cooking!
Gather the following ingredients
For this recipe, you need two tablespoons sesame oil, one chopped onion, four minced garlic cloves, one-inch minced ginger, two tablespoons vegan miso paste, six cups vegetable broth, two cups water, 200g eggless ramen noodles, 200g sliced shiitake mushrooms, one cubed and pressed tofu block, soy sauce to taste, salt to taste, green onions for garnish, and nori sheets for serving.
Prepare the broth
Begin by heating two tablespoons of sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add one chopped onion, four minced garlic cloves, and one inch of minced ginger to the pot. Saute these ingredients until they become soft and emit a fragrant aroma, which should take about five minutes. The aroma from these ingredients will serve as the umami-rich base for our broth.
Incorporate miso paste
Lower the heat slightly to prevent the miso paste from burning when added. Stir thoroughly until the miso fully dissolves into the mixture. This crucial step enriches our vegan ramen with its distinctive depth of flavor and umami kick. The miso paste is essential for imparting a rich, savory essence, making it a key ingredient in achieving the dish's unique taste profile.
Add broth and simmer
Add the vegetable broth and water to your pot containing the onion, garlic, ginger and miso paste mixture. Bring the combined ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat to let it simmer gently. This simmering should continue for about 20 minutes. During this time, the flavors will blend together perfectly, forming a rich and aromatic base that is essential for your vegan ramen.
Prepare toppings & noodles
While the broth simmers, use another burner to saute the shiitake mushrooms until tender; set them aside. Concurrently, boil the eggless ramen noodles as per package instructions, then thoroughly drain them. Both the sauteed mushrooms and drained noodles should be set aside, ready for serving with the broth. This process ensures each component is perfectly prepared for the ultimate vegan ramen experience.
