Cozy up with a warm, comforting, savory bowl of vegetarian ramen infused with mushrooms, miso, and loaded with toppings. A delicious dinner, easy and quick enough to make for a weeknight dinner for two!
Roll call time! Who loves easy weeknight vegetarian dinner recipes? What about 30-minute meals? How about flavorful meatless Monday options? Or cozy, comforting vegetarian soup recipes?
Ok, good, stick around because this recipe was made for YOU!
This Savory Vegetarian Ramen is all those and more. The shiitake mushrooms bring the utmost umami flavor, the miso, too, and there’s no denying the texture of toppings.
And the noodles. All the noodles, because of course, you’ve got to have chewy, twisty noodles in your ramen.
Ingredients for Vegetarian Ramen
It’s key to have high-quality ingredients, since there are so few in this recipe, the flavors of each really play off of each other and play critical roles.
A few of the key players (as always, please see the entire recipe card for full recipe details):
- Ramen Noodles – obviously a key component to this recipe. High-quality noodles are key – thin wheat noodles with a slight chew there to sop up all the flavorful broth. I like to use these noodles (affiliate link), but Chinese noodles (affiliate link), will work, too.
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms – I use dried mushrooms in this recipe because they soak up all the flavor from the broth and miso (and garlic and ginger!), making them extra delicious, but also it makes prep super easy because there’s not a bunch of chopping to do.
- White Miso – white, or “mellow” miso is more mild and delicate than its darker counterparts, making it the perfect miso for this ramen. It adds just enough umami and saltiness but lets the mushrooms and aromatics shine through.
- Garlic and Ginger – Naturally, for delicious flavor.
- Mirin – it’s a rice wine that is on the sweeter side and adds a nice balance with the salty miso and soy sauce.
- Bok Choy – get those veggies in! Bok choy has a mild flavor with a variety of textures between the stalk and leaves. It contributes the best of dark leafy greens and adds a slight crunch to the ramen.
- Soft Boiled Eggs – optional, but a creamy addition to the ramen! YOu can omit to keep this ramen vegan.
How to Make Homemade Ramen
Are you ready for how easy this is going to be?!
If you’re making soft-boiled eggs, I recommend boiling them, removing them from the water once they’ve cooked, then cooking the ramen noodles for a few minutes in the same water. This saves you on using an extra dish and gives the eggs time to cool down in an ice bath.
As the noodles cook, start on the ramen broth and mushrooms. First, cook the garlic and ginger in a little olive oil. Add in the dried mushrooms.
Then miso, soy sauce, mirin, and vegetable broth go into the pot of goodness until combined. Let it simmer away, which allows the dried mushrooms to soften and absorb the flavors.
Because there is quite a bit of salt in these ingredients, you likely won’t need to add any (or at least not a lot) of salt. I really recommend taste testing – as always – to adjust as needed to match your preferences.
Just before the soup is done simmering, add in chopped bok choy, giving it a minute or two to simmer and soften.
Divide the noodles between the two bowls, pour over the broth, and add your toppings.
Pouring the broth over the al dente noodles ensures they won’t overcook in the broth.
Time to Add Toppings!
The beauty of homemade ramen is adding whatever toppings you have got to have. There is no limit to the number of add-ons you can have. Here are my favorites:
- Bean sprouts – the perfect crunch
- Green onion – fresh, crisp, and mild
- Soft boiled egg – creamy and jammy
- Cilantro – fresh and vibrant
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many delicious additions, and honestly, you can add in whatever you might like! Some of my favorites are corn kernels, kale or green beans, fried garlic, and kimchi.
Yes! I love adding chili garlic paste to the broth or a little on top for an added kick. You could also squeeze on some sriracha for added heat.
You can! Obviously, it won’t be vegetarian depending on what you add, but if you or someone you’re cooking for enjoys meat, add in shredded chicken, or even slices of fried chicken. Make your life easy and use rotisserie chicken. Or, keep it vegetarian and add some pan-fried tofu.
Yes, you can absolutely make this vegan ramen, and it’s super easy to do! Because the broth itself is vegan, all you have to do is leave off the soft-boiled egg and you’ve got yourself vegan ramen!
You can use sherry vinegar for the sweetness, or substitute rice vinegar and add in 1 teaspoon of sugar to combat the sourness and to mimic the sweetness of mirin.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Love:
- Broccoli and Orange Miso Pasta
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Vegetable Stir Fry Noodles
- Spicy Vegetarian Bibimbap
- Vegetable Pad Thai
Savory Vegetarian Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, soft boiled, optional
- 4 oz. ramen noodles or dried Chinese noodles, generally 1/2 package
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 oz package dried shiitake mushrooms, or mushroom blend
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoon mirin, rice cooking wine
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon white miso
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bunches baby bok choy, chopped or sliced
Additional Optional Toppings
- Cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
- Chili Garlic Paste, or Sriracha
- Scallions, sliced
- Bean Sprouts
Instructions
Soft Boiled Egg (Optional)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add the eggs and boil for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs using a slotted spoon and immediately place in an ice bath. Keep the boiled water in the pot to use for the noodles.
Ramen
- Noodles: Bring the water used for the eggs back to a boil, then add the noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes (or according to package directions) until just al dente. Don't overcook; the broth will cook them a little more. Drain, rinse and set noodles aside until ready to assemble bowls.
- Broth: In the same pot as the noodles (to save on dishes), or a new large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the dried mushrooms and stir to coat with the aromatics. Stir in the soy sauce, rice cooking wine, miso, and vegetable broth. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Add bok choy and continue to cook for approximately 2-3 minutes until the bok choy is tender.
- Assembly: Divide the cooked noodles evenly among two bowls. Pour the broth (with mushrooms and bok choy) on top of the noodles. Top with soft boiled egg halves if using, and additional toppings, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use your favorite dried mushroom blend – I also enjoy the “stir fry” mix!
- If you want to slice the bok choy in half and serve that way (as pictured), I recommend sautéing separately and adding at the end.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
Liz
I’ve never used dried mushrooms before but I’ve been MEANING to get some for ramen! This seriously looks like my dream ramen – lots of veggies and LOTS of noodles 🙂 Definitely adding to my list to try soon!
Becca
Yes! I don’t use them often…well, actually now I do since I’m making ramen all the time! Hah! 🙂
Melissa
Wow I am so glad I found your recipe. I tried it this evening and absolutely loved it! It was easy to make and done pretty quickly. I also added some corn and a piece of butter, which tastes great in the broth.
Becca
Thank you so much, Melissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love adding corn, too, and the piece of butter sounds extra delicious!
Angel
We looooove this recipe! I grew up making the regular ramen. So when the ramen trend took off, I didn’t get it. We made this and now I crave it! So yummy!
Becca
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much, Angel!