Easy Vegan Ramen
Vegan ramen offers a delicious and satisfying twist on the traditional noodle dish. With a flavorful and aromatic broth made from ingredients like miso, soy sauce, and ginger, vegan ramen provides a perfect umami-packed base for slurping up chewy noodles and an array of colorful toppings. From crispy tofu and earthy shiitake mushrooms to crunchy bean sprouts and vibrant seaweed, vegan ramen allows for endless customization to suit any palate. Whether enjoyed on a chilly day or as a comforting meal any time of year, vegan ramen is a plant-based delight that promises to warm both the body and soul.
I love ramen! I usually eat it at least twice a week! I often have I veggie broth ready to go in my fridge. I like to make a big pot of broth during meal prep day and then store it in jars in the fridge for quick use in many different dishes, ramen being my favorite!
You can put whatever you want in ramen. You can get fancy with your veggies or do what I usually do and just add in some frozen veg like peas or corn. If I have dumplings I put them in also. I spoon on some of my favorite Chinese chili oil. It flavors the dumplings and gives the broth an extra level of spice and flavor.
You don’t have to spend 15 dollars on a good Chinese chili oil. First of all you can make your own by following a recipe on the internet. I buy mine. There are a few brands that are reasonably priced, around 4 to 5 dollars. My favorite ones are the Trader Joe’s onion crisp and the best in my opinion is Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp. It has a smokey flavor that really adds something special to food.
Making ramen can be as complicated or easy as you want it to be. I thought I’d share my go to quick ramen. The soy sauce flavor of Top ramen is accidentally vegan and is available everywhere! There are other vegan ramens out there. Any time you see the word imitation in front of beef or chicken it is flavoring made from vegetables.
So stock up on these shelf stable noodle packs and always have a delicious quick meal available!
for this ramen you will need the following ingredients:
2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of imitation chicken bullion or vegetable stock in place of the water and imitation chicken bullion
1 teaspoon of white miso paste or soy sauce
a sprinkle of onion powder
a sprinkle of garlic powder
a sprinkle of mushroom powder [completely optional]
salt and pepper to taste
1 block of vegan friendly ramen noodles
1/2 block of pan fried tofu store bought or home made [recipe in the next blog post]
4 premade vegetable dumpling/gyoza/pot stickers
approximately 2 Tablespoons of frozen peas
approximately 2 Tablespoons of frozen corn [of course you can use whatever vegetables in whatever amounts you wish]
The ingredients are very forgiving. Other than the noodles everything is optional according to your likes and dislikes. if you don’t want dumpling or tofu you could use a vegan meat substitute or more vegetables such as bok choy or some frozen stir fry vegetables. As for the mushroom powder I used Umami Mushroom Powder that I bought at Trader Joe’s. I have seen a similar product in the spice section at Target. It does add a lot of flavor and a bit of a spicy kick.
Start by putting the water, imitation chicken bullion and miso paste in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk or stir it until it all melts together. Add in the garlic powder, onion powder, and mushroom powder. Taste it for salt and pepper adjustment. When the broth begins to simmer add in the block of ramen noodles and vegetables. Allow everything to simmer together until the noodles are cooked through.
While the ramen is cooking, prepare the dumplings according to the package directions or put them in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Warm up the diced tofu in a microwave or frying pan.
When the noodles are cooked through pour the the contents of the pot into a large bowl and add the tofu and dumplings arranged how you would like them to be.
You could garnish the bowl with green onions and a drizzle of hot sauce if you wish.
Happy ramen time!