For years ramen has topped our list food we miss most since ditching meat. Finding a good ramen joint can feel like tracking down a needle in a haystack. But finding one that serves plant-based broth? Ha. Cue the waterworks. So as I’m sure you already suspect, we’re here to tell you that homemade is the way to go. And better yet, you’re less than an hour from the vegan ramen of your dreams!
One of the first “fancy” dishes I made when Anguel turned vegetarian was Kenji’s ramen. The dude is a genius, so as expected, it tasted great. On the downside, it turned out to be a very late dinner: thanks to 3 hours of cooking, 25 ingredients, and the borderline insane number of components. So for practical reasons I’ve yet to make it again. But years later, we still have ramen on our mind, so it was time to roll-up my sleeves and develop a simpler version that's still loaded with plenty of flavor. And after many rounds of testing, it’s finally ready to share. This Creamy Vegan Ramen has a rich, sumptuous texture and delicious umami flavor. And you won’t need to spend all day in the kitchen making it.
When it comes to ramen, the broth is really the most important part, no matter what anyone tells you. After much tinkering, I can’t help but feel like a kitchen ninja making this broth, and I hope you do too. While using store-bought vegetable broth might seem like a good idea, I promise you it won’t result in the flavor that ramen shops have on tap. Your best bet is to make your own; and this version is a lot easier than you might think. In this recipe there are three key steps to drawing out maximum flavor in the minimum amount of time. Let’s get started.
The first step is broiling the aromatics for the soup base. A quick trip to the oven starts caramelizing the vegetables, helping to add deeper flavor to the broth. You’ll want to keep the onion and garlic skins on, because surprise, they have a lot of flavor too! Then comes step two: the mushrooms. My early versions included boiling dried mushrooms and then straining them out of the broth at the end - you know, standard stuff. But then I got this crazy idea to grind the dried mushrooms into powder. BOOM, it was a game changing move. The homemade mushroom powder seamlessly mixes into the broth so there’s no need to strain out the mushrooms at the end. And, because the mushrooms are still technically in the soup, their flavor is more pronounced - even after minimal cook time on the stove. I never thought I’d get so excited about pulverized mushrooms, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. The third step is blending the hot soup broth with the cooked garlic and toasted sesame seeds. The garlic adds a luscious flavor to the broth and a couple spoonfuls of sesame seeds mimic the traditional Asian sesame paste that’s often added to ramen. It’s also a healthy source of fat, and together they create the luscious mouthfeel we love in a good ramen (without the meat and bones, of course).
In developing this recipe, I wanted to minimize the need to track down tricky ingredients. Most standard grocers stock dried shiitake mushrooms. If not, you’ll definitely find them (for cheap) at an Asian grocery store. We tested many different types of mushrooms in the broth and shiitake was by far our favorite. For ramen noodles, you can either buy the fresh kind or dried. The dried noodles may be sold on their own, or with little flavor packets (which you can throw straight in the trash because they’re usually loaded with junk). For a gluten-free option, you can use something like these dried ramen noodles. Our local Costco used to stock them - and the short and simple ingredients list gets our thumbs up. And lastly, we think ramen is best served with a small scoop of chili garlic oil on top. It also happens to double as an easy flavoring for the baked tofu. You can buy this from an Asian grocery store, but we find this 5 minute homemade version to be much more convenient and delicious (plus, it means one less jar to clutter the fridge).
📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Ramen
Ingredients
Creamy Soup
- 2 yellow onions (whole, unpeeled)
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 bunch scallions/green onion
- 1 (3-inch/2.6 cm) knob ginger, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
- 8 cups water, divided
- 2 (6-inch/15 cm) pieces dried kombu
- 3 tablespoons white miso (see note 1)
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Chili Garlic Tofu
- 12 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed (¾-inch/2 cm) (and patted dry)
- 3 to 5 teaspoons Homemade Chili Garlic Oil (more for garnish, see note 2)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
For Serving
- 4 servings ramen noodles (fresh or dried, see note 3)
- Mixed vegetables (such as mixed mushrooms, red cabbage, bok choy, scallions/green onions)
Instructions
- Broil vegetables: Arrange an oven rack 6-inches (15 cm) from the broiler. Set oven to broil. Cut each skin-on onion in quarters. Cut off the tops of each garlic bulb. Add onion, garlic, scallions, ginger to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with grapeseed oil, toss to coat. Broil until vegetables are well charred, about 10 minutes (but keep an eye on it, broiler times vary!).
- Make mushroom base: Meanwhile, add dried shiitake to a high-speed blender. Blend into a fine powder. Let the powder settle before opening lid. Pour 4 cups of the water over powder, then blend on low speed until mixed. Transfer into a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 4 cups water and kombu. Cover with a lid.
- Combine soup: As soon as vegetables are done charring, scrape everything off baking sheet and put into the pot (see note 4). Cover with the lid, increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cook covered for 30 to 40 minutes for flavors to develop.
- Bake chili tofu: Reduce oven to 400°F (200°C). Scatter tofu on the baking sheet. Drizzle with homemade garlic oil (adjust amount based on how spicy you like things). Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Strain soup: Pour soup through a colander to strain. Reserve the 2 heads of garlic and set aside; discard remaining vegetables.
- Blend soup: Transfer half the soup to a blender. Use a spoon to remove the softened garlic flesh from the skin (careful, it'll be hot!). Add softened garlic, miso, tamari, and sesame seeds. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture back into pot, along with the other half of the soup. Whisk to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Cover and keep on low heat until ready to serve. (This recipe makes for a creamy-style ramen soup base, so the liquid should be fairly viscous - you can thin it with extra water or vegetable stock if you'd like, just be careful not to dilute flavor too much).
- Boil noodles (and prep toppings): Meanwhile, cook noodles separately, according to manufacturer's directions. To cook vegetables, add them to the boiling noodle water near the end. Drain and rinse with cool water.
- Assemble: Divide noodles into bowls. Ladle hot broth over noodles, then top with tofu and any additional fresh vegetable toppings you're using. Serve with extra chili garlic oil for drizzling.
Notes
- Miso: There are many different types of miso paste (white, yellow, red). For this recipe, use white miso if you can. White miso tends to be the most readily available at grocery stores; it is also the most mild in flavor. You could substitute with yellow miso, but reduce the amount because it's stronger in flavor (use two-thirds of the amount listed in the recipe). Then, taste at the end and add more if needed.
- Homemade Garlic Chili Oil: When measuring the oil, make sure the scoop contains bits of garlic and chili flakes for the best flavor. If you don't like spicy things, you could omit the chili garlic oil and use neutral oil instead (if you go this route, double the amount of salt used to season tofu before baking). If you don't already have the homemade garlic chili oil made, you can make it when the soup is simmering.
- Ramen noodles: Use your favorite brand. Cook noodles separately in water, then add them to the hot broth at the end. If needed, use gluten-free ramen noodles.
- Step 4 technique tip: After the vegetables have broiled, add everything from the baking sheet into the soup (including onion skins, whole heads garlic, etc.). This is what's going to build flavor. We'll strain large items out after simmering and before blending.
- Storage tips: If you have leftovers, store the broth separately from the cooked noodles. Ramen noodles are best enjoyed fresh, so we recommend cooking up the amount you need fresh for each meal.
Sara says
Holy heck this was delicious! I'm a big ramen fan and not to sound like a snob, but roll my eyes at recipes that use just "vegetable broth" as the base then add noodles. This recipe was totally worth the work. Loved everything.
bri says
Hi Sara! LOL about your vegetable broth comment. I agree:) So glad you enjoyed this ramen recipe. Have a great week ahead!
Nicola says
First recipe I’ve made and it came out very yummy! It takes a bit of time as there are a few steps but I would definitely make it again. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
bri says
Hi Nicola! We're thrilled you enjoyed this Ramen recipe! Do let us know what other recipes you end up making:) Thanks for leaving a review! Hope you have a great week ahead
Jenny says
This creamy broth is the best I ever had and better than restaurant versions. I have eaten ramen in many restaurants and was blown away with the flavour of this creamy broth recipe. The garlic chilli oil topped it. Brilliant Bri!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I'm looking forward to serving this to my picky ramen siblings.
bri says
Wow, what a compliment Jenny! Thank you so much! Glad to hear you enjoyed the chili garlic oil too. Have a great weekend ahead!
Andrea says
This broth is the real deal! Closest recipe I've found yet to restaurant level ramen... the powdered mushrooms make for a delicious opaque but still brothy soup base. We tried it with homemade ramen noodles and it was sooooo delicious.
Zerbra says
Mine came out a little too creamy. I'll probably just blend quarter of the broth next time. Also, lost about 1.5 cups from simmering. The taste is really good though. Well done on this developing this recipe!
Bri says
Hi Zerbra! So glad you liked the flavor of the soup! Sounds like you got a lot of reduction while simmering, so next time you might be able to get away with a bit less stove time or a tighter fitting lid. If you have a heavy stock pot like a Le Creuset, their lids stay on quite tight. And of course you can thin the broth with more stock at the end, if desired! Thanks for sharing:)
Venetia says
What is the ideal consistency for the stock in this recipe? I cooked my stock for an hour, after which it had reduced significantly and I had to thin it with water. It was still a bit soupish for me, I was looking for more of a broth-like stock. I think the powdered mushrooms act as a thickening agent, which made it too glumpy for my liking. The flavours were good though.
Bri says
Hi Venetia! Glad to hear you made the soup! This Creamy Vegan Ramen broth is supposed to be fairly opaque (like the pictures), but it sounds like you cooked your stock for quite a bit longer which is probably what caused it to reduce more than you wanted. Did you have a tight fitting lid on the pot - or did you leave it open? The recipe calls for the pot to be covered with a lid. If its left open, then you'll get a lot of reduction. In any case, you can definitely thin the broth to your liking - and then adjust seasonings as desired at the end. Glad you enjoyed the flavours!
Julia says
I made this and it was amazing. Every member of my picky family ate it!
Bri says
That's so great to hear Julia! Glad the whole family enjoyed. Thanks so much for sharing. Hope you're having a great week!
Julia H. says
Wow!! This is restaurant quality!! If you like ramen, this is a must to make! I followed recipe and made the garlic chili oil as well. I used millet and brown rice ramen noodles with it. The flavor is extremely good, and it's not too salty. I tasted it as I went, and just as I thought it was good, the flavor continued to get better! I have never done a review, but this one was worth the time! Thank you for posting this!
Bri says
Hi Julia!
Woohoo, so glad you enjoyed the ramen! We're thrilled you consider it restaurant quality:) That's always so great to hear.
The millet & brown rice ramen noodles are an awesome pick, aren't they?! Great alternative to regular noodles that's for sure.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write in. We're honored this is your first recipe review ever!! Much appreciated. Have a great weekend xx
Julia says
I made this last night, including the chili oil, and my husband and I absolutely loved it. We've both eaten a lot of ramen of varying quality over the years, and we agree that this creamy vegan ramen wins the top prize. I'm working my way through all your vegan recipes (Greek gyros next!) Thanks for all your hard work and delicious contributions.
Bri says
Hi Julia!! So great to hear you and your husband both loved it! Top prize?! That's amazing!! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your kind words. It always makes our day to read messages like these. Enjoy working your way through some of the other recipes. We can't wait to hear what you think!