I am a noodle fiend. It doesn’t matter if they are smothered in sauce, pan-fried, or sitting in broth. I am a lover of noodles!
One of my favorite dishes is ramen and I thought how perfect; I can recreate a Japanese staple and transform it into a plant-based dish.
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Plant-Based Ramen Recipe
What is the difference between a plant-based diet and a vegan diet?
A plant-based diet focuses on eating whole foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds), meaning the food is as close to its natural state as possible. There are no processed or refined foods consumed in this way of eating.
The vegan diet eliminates all animal products but it encompasses much more than that. It’s a lifestyle. It expands to all aspects of your life. Some people go vegan for ethical, environmental, and/or health reasons.
For example, a vegan will not buy leather products such as purses, shoes, a couch, etc. They will not buy anything with animal bi-products such as beeswax in chapstick. And they will not buy cosmetics that have been tested on animals.
Another big distinction between the two is that vegans do not necessarily concentrate on “clean” whole foods. You may have heard the term “vegan junk food.”
Let’s talk about Ramen Broth
When it comes to soups, it’s all about the broth.
Miso is one of my most used ingredients in the kitchen. It’s salty, bold, and has that beautiful umami flavor that adds that extra something special to a dish.
Tahini and plant mylk make this broth both creamy and hearty. I suggest using unsweetened soy milk or coconut milk. You can use other types of plant milks but make sure it is plain and unsweetened. You don’t want vanilla in your ramen…yuck!
Shoyu is Japanese soy sauce that is made from fermented soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. If you ever see smoked shoyu BUY it! It’s amazing. Take my word for it. Personally I get my smoked shoyu from The Japanese Pantry.
Coconut aminos (sweeter than soy sauce) and tamari (soy sauce made without wheat) are two more staples I use in the kitchen almost every single day.
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How to Make a Plant-Based Ramen
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp miso paste (yellow or white)
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp (smoked) shoyu
- 1 tbsp tahini paste
- ½ cup plant mylk
- 1 serving fresh ramen noodles (cooked to package directions)
- Use any veggies you have in the fridge. I am using:
- 1/3 cup snap peas
- ¼ cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup daikon radish, thinly sliced
- ¼ onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
- ½ cup tofu, water pressed out and cubed
Optional Garnishes:
- 1 tbsp nori
- 1 tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
- Sprinkle of sesame seeds
- ½ lime
Instructions:
- Cook your ramen according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water so you stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In a medium pot on medium heat, add the water, miso paste, coconut aminos, tahini, shoyu and tamari. Whisk together until the miso paste has completely dissolved.
- Add in the tofu, onions, mushrooms and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes. This will allow tofu and mushrooms to absorb some of that beautiful broth.
- While the broth is simmering, prep your veggies and optional toppings.
- In a bowl, add your ramen noodles and ladle the broth over them making sure to get all of the onions, mushrooms, and tofu. Add your sliced veggies and any toppings you’d like.
Note:
- Feel free to adjust the amount of veggies. The measurements provided are just an approximation to help guide you.
- If you don’t have coconut aminos or tamari feel free to just use low sodium soy sauce.
- If you don’t have tahini feel free to skip it! The broth will still turn out delicious.
- You can use regular shoyu if you can’t find smoked or omit it completely if you’d like.
- Make sure to use a plant mylk that is plain and unsweetened (soy milk, coconut milk, almond mylk, or cashew mylk). I have only used coconut and macadamia nut mylk but any of the others should work.
- No need to cook your veggies. They will lightly steam in the broth.
That’s it. This ramen is full of flavor, packed full of good-for-you nutrients, and it takes under 15 minutes to make!
Miso (fermented soybean paste) is not only considered a condiment, spice, and seasoning in Japan but a way of life as well. I can think of no equivalent food in Western cuisine that has had such a powerful impact on culinary culture, not to mention societal relations.
A move to Aichi Prefecture when I lived in Japan prompted a visit to Kikuso, one of the area’s most famous regional-food restaurants. Kikuso’s specialty is dengaku nameshi, a savory combination that has been served since the place opened sometime around 1820. Dengaku is a seductively simple, even primitive, dish, made of small squares of pressed tofu that have been grilled, topped with pungent miso, lightly grilled again, and then garnished with everything from spicy Japanese mustard to poppy seeds. Nameshi is vegetable rice; Kikuso’s is made with chopped, spicy daikon radish leaves, the perfect counterpoint to the dengaku. I have never forgotten Kikuso, nor its incomparable dengaku nameshi.
NEW YEAR’S IS ONE OF THE BEST TIMES IN JAPAN – at least for eating. Shogatsu, the New Year’s holiday, is celebrated from midnight on December 31 until January 3 or 4, or even longer by diehards.
