Ramen Noodle Soup

This is our personal take on one of our favorite restaurant dishes. We might be so bold as to say it has surpassed some vegan restaurant versions : ) maybe. Definitely makes great leftovers!

Allergy note: contains mushrooms

High Effort - 1 hour | 4 servings

Ingredients

For broth:

1 oz - dried shiitakes mushrooms* (about a handful)
2 cups - water (for soaking mushrooms)
1 Tbsp - concentrated veggie broth (bouillon cubes)**
6 cups - water**
2 - tomatoes (optional, but highly encouraged)
1 tsp - tomato paste (optional, but highly encouraged)
1/4 cup - soy sauce
1/2 - onion (diced to your preferred final size)
2 cloves - fresh garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 inch - ginger root (grated or finely chopped)
1 Tbsp - miso paste
1 Tbsp - mirin or 1 tsp - rice wine vinegar

For putting in the broth:

2 servings/squares - ramen noodles
1 package (~14 oz) - soft/silken tofu
1.5 - carrots (chopped)
1/2 cup - frozen peas
1 cup - baby spinach
3 - chopped green onions or scallions
toasted sesame oil, to taste
soy sauce, to taste
Other fun things to add: seaweed, fresh mushrooms, bok choy, corn, chili oil, sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, fresh jalapeños, bean sprouts, and so on!

Equipment Needed:

blender or liquid food processor

*If you cannot find dried mushrooms, you could use fresh ones but you would use the 2 cups of water in the main recipe instead of soaking.

**Or you can use 6 cups of vegetable broth - we prefer the concentrated bouillon because it doesn't use those non-recyclable cartons that broth often comes in

Directions

Pre-work

Soak dry mushrooms in 2 cups of water for 30 mins to 24 hours (we recommend 4 hours)
- If you need to accelerate soaking, bring to a boil first, then remove from heat and soak

Cooking

In a large pot, combined soaked mushrooms with veg broth concentrate and water
Scoop out most of mushrooms and place in blender with 1 cup of liquid from the pot
Blend together with the (optional) tomatoes and then place back in the large pot
Add the soy sauce and start heating on medium heat
Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and slightly brown the onions
Add diced garlic and shredded ginger to onions and cook for 2 more minutes, then add to large pot
Add in miso paste and mirin (or rice wine vinegar) to the broth mixture
While broth is continuing to heat up, boil some water in a separate pot for ramen noodles
Cook noodles for 4 mins, then drain and add to broth*
Drain tofu from package and cut into thin slices or cubes, then add to broth*
Add carrots, peas, and any other vegetables that need to be cooked to the broth
Chop remaining fresh veggies
Pour soup into a serving bowl, then add your desired fresh ingredients, plus sesame oil and soy sauce to taste
Enjoy now and later!! Ramen makes great leftovers because the flavor soaks in even more over time : )

*If you prefer, you can wait to add in the noodles and/or tofu until the end. We just find it easier to add it all at once.

TAGS: vegan, vegetarian, blender, japanese, asian, soup, vegetables, mushroom, allergen