Vegan Hot n’ Sour Ramen

Quite often, my husband will ask if I’m making a spicy broth dish for dinner. Being a vegetarian for 36 years, he often requests tofu should he feel in need of a protein boost. He loves tofu, I on the other hand am yet to be convinced! He also hates mushrooms which I love!

I know what you’re thinking, how has he managed all these years as a vegetarian not liking or eating mushrooms. It’s sacrilegious, how can you not love mushrooms.

In this recipe both mushrooms and tofu appear, serving a purpose in helping to keep the balance of flavours and both of us happy, even if I have to scoop out tofu in my serving and mushrooms in his!

The flavours here are beautifully fragrant; a balance of coriander freshness, spicy heat from the chillies and warmth from the ginger and soy sauce. The rice wine vinegar and lime juice adds a delicious sour tang. The combination of lightly stir fried and blanched vegetables, noodles and tofu sitting in an umami broth, topped with fresh herbs and crunchy peanuts is quite a bowlful, leaving you feeling nourished and satisfied.

This broth can be used for lots of ramen dishes or a base for soups. You don’t have to keep it vegan. Again, it’s versatile enough to add whatever leftovers you may have in the fridge. You don’t have to use tofu, add your favourite substitute, whether it be a meat, fish or plant based alternative, is up to you.

Happy cooking,

N x 

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 Ingredients

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

Ramen Broth

• 50g dried shiitake mushrooms

• 1 litre vegan bouillon stock 

• 1 tbsp white miso paste

• 2 tbsp mirin or rice wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce 

• 1 tbsp tahini paste

• 1 tsp soft brown sugar

• 1 tbsp or good squeeze of fresh lime juice

• 1/2 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated

Ramen

• 2 cloves garlic, grated

• 1/2 thumb sized piece of ginger, finely sliced into matchsticks 

• 1 fresh green chilli, finely sliced

• 1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced 

• Big handful of fresh coriander leaves and stalks, stalks finely chopped 

• White pepper seasoning

• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced into matchsticks

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or any flavourless oil

• 2 Pak Choi heads, quartered

• 100g shredded Savoy or Chinese leaf cabbage

• 200g firm tofu, thinly sliced into strips

• Shiitake mushrooms from the broth, finely sliced 

• 30g fresh beansprouts

• 4 radish, thinly sliced

• 125g tinned bamboo shoots, rinsed drained and cut into matchsticks

• 125g dried udon or ramen noodles 

• 2 sheets of nori dried seaweed, crumbled 

• 2 spring onions, whites and greens separated and finely chopped 

• 1 heaped tablespoon of cornflour, mixed with cold water 

Garnish (optional)

• 1 tsp white sesame seeds

• 1 tsp black sesame seeds

• 25g crushed unsalted peanuts or cashews 

• Spring onion, green tops 

• Coriander leaves, finely chopped 

• Fresh chopped red chilli or Sriracha sauce

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Method

Pop the dried mushrooms into a measuring jug, pour over enough hot water to cover. Let them steep for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the cornflour with a tablespoon of cold water to form a paste.

Have everything else prepped - all of your vegetables, herbs, and tofu or alternative out on a board ready to start cooking. This dish comes together very quickly, so it’s better to be prepared.

After 30 minutes, remove the mushrooms from the liquid finely slice and add to your prepped ingredients. Top up the mushroom liquid to 1 litre with your bouillon stock. Add the grated fresh ginger, tamari, mirin, tahini, miso paste, sugar and a squeeze lime juice to the hot stock. Give it a good stir, to let everything dissolve and season to taste with white pepper and salt, if required.

Next, blanch the noodles to packet instructions for half the suggested amount of time. Drain and keep covered in cold water to prevent them from sticking. 

Take a large wok or frying pan, place on medium flame and add the oil to the pan along with the ginger matchsticks, carrot, spring onion whites, fresh red and green chillies, radish, fresh coriander stalks, cabbage and bamboo shoots. Cook for 2/3 minutes. 

Next add the Pak Choi quarters, fresh tofu, shiitake mushrooms, noodles, beansprouts and all of the liquid stock.

Let it come to the boil and add the cornflour paste, to thicken, turning down the heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes to allow the noodles to warm up again.

Take off the heat and crumble in the nori sheets. Season to taste. 

Serve in large ramen or noodle bowls with plenty of broth. 

Top each bowlful with, spring onion greens, fresh coriander leaves, fresh red chillies or sriracha sauce and peanuts.

Enjoy,

N x