Best 3 Easy Tofu Ramen Recipes

EASY VEGAN RAMEN

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Once hot, add oil, garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until the onion has developed a slight sear (browned edges).
• Add 1 cup (240 ml // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) of the vegetable broth to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Use a whisk (or wooden spoon) to scrape up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom to enhance the flavor of the broth.
• Add remaining 5 cups (1200 ml // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) vegetable broth, tamari or soy sauce, and dehydrated mushrooms - stir.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer on low for at least 1 hour, up to 2-3, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the more the flavor will deepen and develop.
• Taste broth and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more soy sauce or sesame oil if desired. Add the miso paste at this time.
• When you're 30 minutes from serving, prepare any desired toppings (see notes for miso-glazed carrots, baby bok choy, and quick-seared tofu).
• NOODLES: Fill a large saucepan or pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add ramen noodles (depending on size of pan you may need to do this in two batches // use fewer or more batches if altering batch size) and cook according to package instructions - about 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Strain broth and reserve mushrooms for serving. (Save onions and ginger for serving as well, if desired, though I discarded them).
• To serve, divide ramen noodles between four (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) serving bowls. Top with strained broth and desired toppings, such as carrots, bok choy, green onion, or seared tofu. Serve with chili garlic sauce (found here) for added heat.
• Best when fresh, though the broth can be stored (separately) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

TOFU RAMEN BOWLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot to medium-high heat with a TBSP of oil. Add mushrooms and the white portions of the chopped green onion. If adding bok choy, add the chopped white portions here as well, saving the shredded greens for topping.
• Sauté until tender and fragrant, adding minced garlic and ginger towards the end to prevent burning.
• Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, and Sriracha.
• Simmer, covered, on medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, prep your choice of toppings and cook your noodles.
• For a thicker ramen broth where the noodles soak up some of the broth, cook your noodles directly in the simmering broth for approx. 3-4 minutes or until tender. For a thinner broth, feel free to cook ramen seperately and add before serving.
• For tender carrot and zucchini noodles, add to the ramen during the last minute of boiling/cooking. For crisp texture of raw veggies, simply add them at the end as a topping.
• Give the broth a little taste and further season if/as desired. A little extra Sriracha will add heat while extra soy sauce will add saltiness and umami. For a brother, soup-like ramen bowl feel free to add an extra cup of broth and adjust spices and seasoning to taste.
• Ready to eat? Top ramen and broth with all your favorite toppings and feel free to check out the blog post for even more topping ideas! Enjoy!
• For a speedier tofu ramen, you can 100% use firm or extra firm tofu and simply cut it into smaller, spoon-sized cubes to add to each ramen bowl. Add to hot broth for a few minutes until cooked through, then add toppings.
• Drain water from tofu package. Slice the block of tofu into 2 rectangular planks and place on a stack of 4-5 folded paper towels, placing an additional stack of paper towels on top. Set something heavyish on top (I use a cast iron skillet) to make a make-shift tofu press for water removal. Allow to sit. I usually start my tofu about 30 minutes before I want to start cooking.
• Once the water has been pressed out, preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut each tofu plank into 8 bite-sized cubes, for 16 pieces total.
• Drizzle with 1 TBSP oil and sprinkle cornstarch or arrowroot starch over the tofu. Gently toss until evenly coated.
• Arrange the coated tofu spaced on the parchment lined sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing or flipping at the 15-minute mark until nice and crispy. Add with toppings to ramen bowls just before serving.

TOFU AND MUSHROOM RAMEN

Steps:

• Heat canola and sesame oils in a 6-quart stockpot over medium-high until hot. Add mushrooms and tofu and sautè for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Add butter to the hot pot and swirl to almost melt. Add shallot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in water and stir in miso paste and chicken base until they are dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Distribute mushrooms and tofu amongst 4 bowls.
• Bring liquid in the pot back to a boil and add ramen bricks, 1 at a time. Boil each brick for 1 minute, remove from broth with a ladle, and set into a serving bowl. Ladle additional broth on top so the ramen noodles continue cooking.
• Garnish each bowl with green onions and carrots.