One-Pot Spicy Miso Ramen (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
The ultimate Japanese comfort food: a creamy, hearty veggie broth infused with miso and sesame for the BEST vegan ramen. So good you won’t believe it’s completely plant-based, gluten-free, and oil-free!
Ramen is probably my favorite comfort meal ever. Anything with noodles is already at the top of my list, and when it’s swimming in a rich, creamy broth and filled with veggies and plant-based protein I am the happiest Ellie to ever exist. I love food, and I love when good food leaves me feeling good — emotionally and physically. I’ve had bowls of ramen that were deliciously salty and oily and the best thing my taste buds had touched — but 10 minutes later the bowl was empty and those delectable feelings were replaced by lethargy and bloating. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still go out and indulge in some heavier vegan ramen every now and then. But sometimes I want something a little healthier and cheaper that I can make at home. And here it is! The BEST healthy vegan ramen.
INGREDIENTS FOR SPICY MISO RAMEN
This vegan ramen requires 9 main ingredients:
- Roasted Sesame Seeds ⟶ Make sure they are roasted/toasted and not raw. If you only have raw sesame seeds, you can toast them yourself in a pan over the stove, just be careful not to burn them.
- Tahini* ⟶ This makes the broth very rich and creamy. I also like using peanut butter. (Yes, peanut butter ramen. Don’t judge me until you try it.)
- Gochujang* ⟶ Some gochujang do contain wheat, so if you are gluten-free make sure you read the label. This* gochujang by Chung Jung One is gluten-free.
- Miso ⟶ Red or white miso will work. Keep in mind that white miso is slightly sweeter than red.
- Kombu Dashi ⟶ You can make your own with kombu and water (here‘s an informative post by Nami of Just One Cookbook) OR use kombu dashi powder* if you’re short on time
- Garlic and Ginger ⟶ The aromatics. You can also add a little bit of chopped onion if you like
- Ramen Noodles ⟶ My current favorite is the Rice Ramen* by Lotus Foods.
For fillings and toppings you can use any veggies and/or protein of choice. My preferred ingredients are:
- carrots, zucchini, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onion, mushrooms, corn, wakame
- plain soft tofu, marinated firm tofu or tempeh, baked/fried tofu, edamame, etc.
TIPS & TRICKS FOR DELICIOUS VEGAN RAMEN
Use dashi ⟶ Kombu dashi powder can usually be found in a Japanese/Asian grocery store, or online*. If you can’t find the powder you can make your own dashi from kombu and water (follow this guide from Just One Cookbook) and use this liquid to replace the water + dashi powder called for in the recipe. (Sometimes I also like to add one or two dried shiitake.) If all else fails, you can omit and just use water or vegetable broth and add more miso to taste.
Use toasted sesame seeds ⟶ Make sure to toast the sesame seeds. If you buy sesame seeds that are already toasted, you can skip this step if you want, but I like to toast them again to bring out the toasted flavor more. Place them in a small pan over medium heat and stir frequently as they will burn easily. Once fragrant and lightly browned, turn off the heat and cool briefly. Then use a pestle and mortar to grind the sesame seeds. (You can omit the sesame seeds if you want, however, and it will still turn out delicious!)
Add miso at the end ⟶ Stir in the miso at the end of cooking. Adding miso to boiling water will kill the probiotics and lose some of the nutrients, fragrance, and flavor of the miso.
Make sure the miso is completely dissolved ⟶ Miso can get clumpy. In order to ensure the miso is evenly dissolved in the soup, add miso to a mesh skimmer or strainer and place on the surface of the soup, using chopsticks to dissolve the miso with the liquid. OR, fill a small bowl with some of the liquid from the soup and add the miso, mixing until dissolved. Then add the liquid back to the soup.
Adjust spice to taste ⟶ If the ramen is not spicy enough for you, add gochugaru* or red chili flakes, depending on what you have available, to taste.
Be careful not to overcook the veggies ⟶ The flavors will deepen as they heat and meld together, but be careful not to overcook the veggies or they will get mushy. Veggies are usually cooked separately from ramen broth, but to make this quick & easy we’re cooking everything in the same pot.
MAKING RAMEN AT HOME VS EATING OUT
I love making my own vegan ramen at home instead of going out to a restaurant. Here’s why you should make your own, too!
- Affordable
- Easy to make
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Healthy
- Filled with veggies and plant-based protein
- Customizable
- Extremely delicious!
STILL HUNGRY?
Check out these other hearty Japanese dishes!
- Vegan Hayashi Rice
- Vegan Mapo Tofu
- Jackfruit Japanese Curry
- Japanese Curry with Lentils
- Curry Udon
- Air-fryer Vegan Karaage
- White Bean Korokke
- Tofu Gyoza
If you try out this vegan miso ramen recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking! I love seeing all of your tasty recreations 🙂 Happy cooking!
*This post was updated 3/2/21.
One-Pot Spicy Miso Ramen
Ingredients
- 1/4 onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 4 cups kombu dashi**
- 1 cup mushrooms** sliced
- 1 zucchini sliced
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ cup
tahini* or peanut butter - 1-2 tbsp
gochujang* adjust to taste - 3 servings of
ramen noodles* - 3 tbsp red or white miso or more to taste
- 1 14oz block soft or medium firm tofu cubed
- 2 green onions sliced
Optional Toppings
- cooked corn kernels
- nori
- chopped green onions
- bean sprouts
- bok choy
- kimchi
Instructions
- Use a pestle and mortar to grind the toasted sesame seeds. It does not need to be finely ground; some whole seeds leftover are fine.
- Add onion, garlic, and ginger to a large pot and sauté in a bit of sesame oil or water for 2 minutes.
- Add carrots and cabbage and stir to combine.
- Pour in dashi and bring to a simmer. Simmer until cabbage is tender.
- Add zucchini, mushrooms, toasted sesame seeds, tahini, and gochujang. Simmer until mushrooms and zucchini start to soften (but not completely soft since they will continue to cook), about 3 minutes.
- Add ramen noodles and cook according to package directions, or until noodles are tender and chewy.
- Once noodles are cooked, turn off the heat and add tofu and green onions and stir to combine.
- Now mix in the miso until evenly dispersed**. Taste and add more miso if needed, or chili flakes if not spicy enough.
- Ladle into large bowls and add toppings of choice.
Notes
*Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but the price remains the same to you. Thank you for supporting Ellie Likes Cooking!
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