Vegan Ramen with Roasted Red Miso Veggies
Great ramen comes in many shapes, sizes, and flavors but is most commonly known as the rich, creamy, porky version. This completely vegan version uses layers of umami-packed flavor to mimic the depth complexity of traditional ramen, and edamame for a protein boost. As a bonus, if you can multitask, it all comes together in about an hour, making this an ideal weeknight go-to.
Building the Layers
This recipe is essentially a punched-up vegetable stock with perfectly cooked noodles and roasted vegetables but there are plenty of chances to easily add extra flavor. The vegetable stock is fortified with more aromatic vegetables and kombu, a dried sea kelp. Dried kombu can be easily found at an asian grocer near other dried vegetables. The more white, powdery stuff on the surface, the better. The white powdery stuff is what’s going to make our broth taste especially yummy. As kombu dries, water evaporates and leaves behind a powdery, glutamic umami, creating a rich depth of flavor for the broth in a short amount of time.
The next flavor layer comes from the roasted vegetables. Roasting is a great way to get a concentrated, deep flavor out of fresh vegetables. A quick toss in salty red miso paste, garlic and ginger will encourage browning and add another layer of a classic ramen flavor. Roasting is also a great way to cook relatively hand-free, saving you even more time.
The last layer is non-negotiable. The salty soy sauce balanced with sweet, tangy mirin is the last thing you need to round out this warm earthy, slurp-worthy noodle bowl.
Want more vegan recipes? Check out our new vegan dinners cookbook!
vegetable oil
medium yellow onion, chopped
large carrot, peeled and sliced
cloves garlic, peeled, smashed
4" piece ginger, cut into 1/4" slices
Kosher salt
fresh shiitake mushrooms (stems removed, caps reserved for later)
3" segments kombu (the more dusty, white powder, the better!)
dried shiitake mushrooms
heads baby bok choy, quartered
green onions, chopped
cups vegetable stock
baby portobello mushrooms, quartered, stems removed and discarded
shiitake mushrooms (reserved caps only)
large carrot, thinly sliced
heads baby bok choy, quartered
shelled edamame
red miso paste
cloves garlic, grated
ginger, grated
green onions, whited minced, greens thinly sliced and reserved
vegetable oil
Kosher salt
soy sauce
mirin
toasted sesame seeds
(10 ounce) pack dry ramen wheat noodles
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Green onions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a heavy pinch of salt. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until veggies begin to take on some color.
- Add shiitake stems, kombu, 1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, and green onions. Add vegetable stock and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover and cook 25 minutes while your roast your vegetables.
- After broth has simmered 25 minutes, strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois into a large clean bowl. With the back of a wooden spoon, press the liquid out of the stock veggies, mashing them with the spoon. Some mashed veggies will collect on the bottom of the strainer, scrap those from the strainer into the bowl and discard the rest of the veggies.
- Return broth to the Dutch oven and season to taste with salt, keeping in mind soy sauce will be added later.
- Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium bowl, combine miso paste, oil, green onion, ginger, and grated garlic.
- Toss carrots and mushrooms, separately, in miso mixture, then transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, keeping each vegetable separate. Leave enough room to add bok choy and edamame. Roast for 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, toss bok choy and edamame with oil and season with salt. Add bok choy and edamame to baking sheet and cook for another 15 minutes or until all veggies are tender and golden.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook ramen noodles according to package instructions, then drain.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mirin and soy sauce.
- Add 1½ cups hot broth to each bowl. Divide noodles between each bowl then top each with carrots, mushrooms, and bok choy. Drizzle each bowl with soy-mirin, then garnish with roasted edamame, green onions, sesame oil, and sesame seeds before serving.
