I am a really huge fan of ramen. I used to eat it all the time in Toronto until my recent change in diet, and I am still getting over the fact I can’t visit Kinton Ramen on Queen St. anymore. And like I’ve always believed, a smart diet choice excludes any and all foods which have a high fat content in them. I have yet to find a vegan ramen restaurant in Toronto, so until then I will make my own!
I found a delicious ramen recipe from Cilantro and Citronella, but adapted it to fit my dietary restrictions. I did not cook with any green onions, but if you choose to use them you just need to slice 1 green onion into thin slices for frying and then a few for garnish. You cook them after you remove the tofu from the frying pan.
This recipe makes enough for two meals. If you are planning to save some for the next day, I recommend you keep the noodles separate from the broth mixture, otherwise, it will all soak up. For those vegans out there, this is a great recipe to make on a cold night or when you are really craving some warm comfort food!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3.5 oz extra-firm tofu
- 2 – 3 tablespoons neutral oil (I used sunflower oil)
- 2 teaspoons grated garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon dark miso paste
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 2 teaspoons sake
- 4 – 6 leaves of bok choy, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, plus more for garnish
- 2 servings of ramen noodles (I used GF ramen!)
Directions:
- Put the vegetable broth in a pot and leave it over low heat to warm up while you prepare the rest of the soup ingredients.
- Mash the tofu with a fork until it’s crumbled. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and fry, stirring occasionally, until crispy and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the miso paste with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and stir well to dissolve.
- Reduce the heat to medium, push the tofu to one side of the pan and add the garlic and ginger. Fry, stirring, until fragrant and cooked through then stir the tofu back in. Add the soy sauce-miso paste mixture and the sake. Allow the liquid to boil off and fry the tofu for a couple minutes more to allow it to crisp up again. Remove to a plate.
- Add 1 – 2 tablespoons more of oil to the pan and allow to heat up. Add the sliced white parts of the green onions and allow to gently fry for 5 – 10 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil.
- In a separate bowl combine the tahini, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha. Mix well.
- Cook the bok choy in the boiling water until the stems are tender. Remove to a plate. Now add the ramen noodles to the pot and cook according to the package directions (for fresh noodles they just need 30 – 60 seconds).
- Divide the tahini mixture between two bowls and ladle over the hot stock while stirring well to combine. Add the noodles and top with the bok choy, tofu, fried green onions and fresh green onions. Serve with additional sriracha for drizzling over top.
