Vegan Miso Ramen Japanese Soup
This Vegan Miso Ramen Japanese Soup is flavored with miso broth and a mix of vegetables like cabbage, green onions, and corn served over a bed of delicious ramen noodles. It is hearty enough to be a complete meal all by itself and it happens to be plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 463kcal
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 cups vegetable broth or dashi broth recipe linked
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 cup green onions chopped into thin rounds
- 1 tablespoon Doubanjiang spicy bean paste
- 1 tablespoon pure cane sugar or other sweetener
- 3 tablespoons red miso
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds toasted and ground (white/black seeds)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
- 2 cups soy milk
Topping Options
- 6 oz firm tofu 1/2 pkg, drained, pressed, and cut into cubes
- 3 cups napa cabbage sliced into thin strips
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup baby corn or 1/2 cup sweet kernel corn
- 1/2 cup bamboo slices
- 1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
- 1 sheet nori seaweed cut into strips
- 1 pinch white pepper powder
- 2 bundles 6 oz Japanese ramen noodles, cooked and drained
Instructions
Prep Work
- This is not a difficult soup to make, so don’t be intimidated by the length of the instructions. We’re just trying to be thorough so you’ll be sure to have an awesome soup outcome.
- To begin, you will need to wash, drain, and slice all of the vegetables so they will be ready to add as soon as the soup base is ready. I have included detailed notes and photos that will be very helpful above.
- Toast the sesame seeds by placing them in a dry frying pan and heating them on medium-high heat for just a few minutes. They will begin to turn a golden brown and start popping up out of the pan. Do not leave the pan unattended because it will burn quickly. Once the seeds are lightly browned, remove them from the heat and pour them into a small bowl, and set them to the side.
- You will also want to set out everything needed for the ramen noodles as well (but don’t cook them yet). This will include having a stockpot filled with water and heating on the stovetop, a package of noodles, and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Even though cooking the noodles is the last step of this soup, I keep my stockpot with the water and baking soda in it ready and heating on the stove while I work on my soup base so that I can get the noodles started easily.
Soup Base
- I prepare my soup base ingredients first and have them ready to whisk in. Since this is a little like making gravy, it’s best to be able to move through quickly so that it doesn’t scorch to the bottom of the pan.
- Use a 3-quart soup pot and heat about ¼ cup of the veggie broth in the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Mix your garlic, ginger, and half of the green onions into the dashi and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Next, add the Doubanjiang bean paste, sugar, and miso stirring regularly with a whisk or wooden spoon to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. You can add more dashi if you need to keep the mixture creamy.
- Add the sake (the alcohol cooks out), salt, sesame seeds, and soy sauce and whisk together until the mixture is smooth.
- Begin adding soy milk, whisking it and gradually dissolving the other ingredients.
- Slowly add the rest of the dashi broth into the mixture, continuing to blend into a creamy soup base.
- Once it is piping hot and smooth, it’s time to start adding the toppings–veggies, tofu, and nori. Add the napa cabbage first and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes before adding the other toppings.
- Add in the other toppings and let them simmer together for approximately 1-2 minutes, or until your veggies are the desired texture.
- Remove the soup from the heat while finishing up the noodles.
Cooking the Noodles
- Ramen noodles cook quickly, usually within a couple of minutes, so make sure everything else is prepared and ready to go. This is your last step, once the noodles are drained, you’ll add them to the soup base with the various toppings you’ve prepared and serve the piping hot ramen immediately.
- Cook noodles according to your package instructions (usually 1 ½ to 2 minutes). Adding baking soda to ramen noodles while they are boiling gives them more of the authentic chewy texture you get in Japan. Just add the baking soda to the boiling water then add the ramen noodles.
- Uncover the pot, watch carefully, and be prepared to blow it will boil over.
- Drain noodles as soon as they are done so that they don’t absorb excess moisture and become mushy. There is no need to rinse them.
- Immediately divide noodles into bowls and add soup and toppings.
Video
Notes
Tips & Suggestions:
- Ingredients- Visit your local Asian grocer or Amazon to find these ingredients. There is an initial upfront investment if you’re not accustomed to cooking with Asian ingredients, but we’re working to give you a variety of tasty recipes to use these same ingredients in and they store well.
- Doubanjiang bean sauce- You can use the mild version if you are concerned it may be too spicy or reduce the amount used to one teaspoon. This paste/sauce can be found in Asian grocery stores and online.
- Toppings- Adjust your choice of soup garnishments and portions to your personal preferences. Cutting ingredients into long thin pieces aids with eating if you’re using chopsticks.
- Canned veggies- For the canned sliced chestnuts, bamboo, kernel, and baby corn, I like to mix them together after draining and then freeze what I don’t use in small portions for future ramen bowls. They are also great for use in stir-fries.
- Noodles- We don’t easily find fresh ramen noodles where we live, on the east coast, but most Asian grocers carry them in frozen and dried aisles. They are also available online and there are gluten-free options available. When I can’t get fresh noodles, I prefer the frozen variety because they have a nice chewy texture. The frozen brands do tend to be a little more expensive than the dried ones. I always keep dried noodles on hand because they store so well and using the baking soda trick makes them a great compromise.
- Storage- Soup base stores well in the fridge for up to three days. Just reheat and add the toppings when you are ready to eat!
- Proper eating- Slurping noodles and soup is not considered bad manners in Japan so, when eating Japanese fare, be authentic. Turn that bowl up and drink! You can also use a soup spoon with your chopsticks.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 22g