Creamy Vegetarian Ramen

vegetarian ramen in a bowl topped with fresh herbs and chopsticks.

Author: Katie

This homemade vegetarian ramen soup is the ultimate comfort food. Creamy, flavorful and packed with fresh veggies, it will make you ditch these instant ramen noodles in a heartbeat!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, click on the 5-stars below!

5 from 6 votes

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings: 2

Ingredients

4-5 oz ramen/ soba/ udon noodles
3 tablespoon sesame oil *or another oil (avocado, olive...)
12 oz (extra firm) tofu pressed & cubed; see notes
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon peanut butter *or sub tahini
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 green onions , chopped
3 garlic cloves , minced
0,5 inch piece of ginger , minced
7 oz fresh Shiitake mushrooms , chopped/ *or sub oyster, button...
2 carrots chopped into thin sticks
2 cups veggie stock
1 tablespoon miso paste *or more soy sauce
3 nori sheets cut into slices
1 can (15oz) coconut milk
handful of bok choy leaves *or baby spinach

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, maple syrup and soy sauce. Set aside.
1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 3 tablespoon soy sauce
Heat some sesame oil in a pan over medium heat.
3 tablespoon sesame oil
Add tofu and fry for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. (Make sure to use drained tofu, see step-by-step photos).
12 oz (extra firm) tofu
Pour the peanut butter sauce over the tofu. Let simmer a little bit longer until the liquid has fully been absorbed by the tofu. Then remove tofu from pan.
To the same pan, add green onion and sauté until translucent. Then add garlic and ginger and mushrooms and fry for a couple of minutes until mushrooms are slightly brown and crispy.
2 green onions, 3 garlic cloves, 0,5 inch piece of ginger, 7 oz fresh Shiitake mushrooms
Adjust with a pinch of salt (the amount will depend on how salted your veggie broth already is).
Add veggie broth, coconut milk, carrots, miso paste and nori sheets and let simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until your carrots are "al dente".
2 carrots, 2 cups veggie stock, 1 tablespoon miso paste, 1 can (15oz) coconut milk, 3 nori sheets
Add bok choy and set simmer for another 5 minutes.
handful of bok choy leaves
Cook your noodles of choice according to package instructions & add to the soup.
4-5 oz ramen/ soba/ udon noodles
Pour the soup into a small soup bowl. You could remove the nori sheets but they actually taste amazing. Add the tofu as a topping and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Extra Firm Tofu: In order to ensure that your tofu absorbs all the flavors properly and becomes crispy, you might want to remove the water that’s inside the tofu. To achieve that, wrap a kitchen towel around your tofu and apply a weight (something like a heavy pan or simply push down a couple of times with your hands) to squeeze out moisture. You can only do that with firm or extra firm tofu, silken tofu won't work!
Noodles: The amount of noodles you'd like to add is up to you. I usually add around 4 oz (115 g) for 2 people.
Coconut Milk: Use full-fat coconut milk for an extra creamy ramen or a light version for a less creamy soup. If you prefer more of a clear soup you could also only use half a can.
Mushrooms: Choose mushrooms with texture such as Shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms or brown button mushrooms. I don't recommend regular white mushrooms.
Don't overcook: If you (like me) prefer both carrots and bok choy on the crunchier side, don't let the soup simmer for too long or you'll end up with very soft veggies.
Consistency: If you prefer a thinner soup, gradually add more veggie broth.
Gluten-Free: Choose gluten-free noodles such as rice noodles and use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

Tried this recipe?Leave a rating and comment telling us how you liked it! Or tag @wholefoodsoulfood__kitchen on Instagram so we can admire your creations!