Easy Vegan Tofu Ramen
Our Easy Vegan Tofu Ramen consists of mushroom miso broth, crispy tofu, and perfectly cooked noodles! This restaurant-worthy ramen is packed with layers of umami flavor, and is ready in just 30 minutes!
Servings 4
Calories 475kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Tofu
- 9 ounces (250g) extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon corn starch
- A healthy pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon oil, for frying
Ramen
- 2 tablespoon oil, for cooking, divided
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
- 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced (*see notes on using dry mushrooms)
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth (add more for a thinner consistency)
- 3 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cups soy milk (or almond milk)
- 7 oz (200g) vegan ramen noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 bunches bok choy, blanced (**see notes)
Instructions
- Cut tofu into medium-sized cubes, then add to a bowl. Add soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper and toss to coat. Add the corn starch and stir, making sure every piece is well coated. Set aside to marinate.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and once hot, add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Don't stir too often to give the mushrooms a surface area to brown.
- Then, add the minced garlic and ginger, and cook for 30 more seconds, until fragrant. Add the vegetable broth, miso paste, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat.
- In the meantime, fry the tofu. To a frying pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and let it heat over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu pieces and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add the soy milk and the noodles to the ramen broth. Cover with a lid and cook the ramen for 2-3 minutes, or for half of the time as per the package instructions. Finally, stir the sesame oil.
- Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more sesame oil, or rice vinegar to taste. Serve in a large bowl and top with the fried tofu, blanched bok choy, sesame seeds, and chopped green onions if desired!
Notes
- Press the tofu to get rid of the excess moisture. Either use a tofu press or wrap a tofu block in a few layers of paper towel. Place something heavy on top and press for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Brown the mushrooms well. If your pot is small, you'll need to cook the mushrooms in 2 or 3 batches. Don't stir too often and don't add any liquid to them, you want a nice even browning to get umami and smoky flavor.
- Under-cook the noodles. They continue to cook as the soup cools down, so if you cook them all the way through, chances are that the noodles will be mushy by the time it's time for leftovers.
- Don't skip key ingredients. With such a long ingredient list, you may be tempted to skip a few thinking "how much of a difference does this one make", but it does. Each ingredient enhances the flavors of this vegan tofu ramen and gives depth to it. And besides, almost all of them can be found with a single visit to the Asian market.
- Cooking the noodles in the broth releases some starch, which makes the broth thicken a little bit, but I like it. However, if you're looking for a thinner and lighter broth, you can cook the noodles separately and combine them with the broth before serving.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. The information displayed should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Nutrition
Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Fiber: 3g