Vegan ramen. Is actually another word for Japanese noodle soup. This Japanese ramen noodle soup is always warming, especially so in winter. Because even here in Barcelona, it can be quite chilly at times. Fortunately, there is often sunshine. I find that a warm ramen noodle soup is always better for my bowels than when I eat something cold. The only challenging thing about these Japanese ramen is that the ingredients are a bit tricky to find. Fortunately, I have since found plenty of special Chinese stores (thanks to my Chinese friend here) where they sell many Asian products.
So buy the “more difficult” ingredients a little bigger, then you can always easily make these Japanese ramen. Indeed, the taste is not standard as we are used to as Dutch. It’s umami. Typical of Japanese cuisine!
One of the main ingredients for vegan ramen is dashi. Eeeh, what’s that I hear you say. Actually very simple, a broth of dried kombu (dried fingerwort-type seaweed) and dried mushrooms such as mushrooms or shiitake. *watch out, because often ready-made dashi are not vegan! So really make it yourself :).
In addition, you need a special chili bean sauce called: Toban Djan. I even found this one in Barcelona, so at the big tokos in the Netherlands they definitely have it!
Vegan ramen noodle soup
Ingredients
For the dashi
- 300 ml water
- 1 sheet kombu [bij de toko of Chinese winkels]
- 2 units dried mushrooms [bij de toko of Chinese winkels]
For the Japanese vegan ramen noodle soup
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (toasted in a dry skillet)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1,5 tbsp fresh ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 units spring onions, the white part (in rings)
- 3 tsp chili bean paste [bij de toko of Chinese winkels]
- 3 tsp miso paste
- dash of sake [bij de toko of bij natuurwinkels]
- dash of soy sauce
- 300 ml soy milk
- 200 ml dashi
- pinch of white pepper
- noodles as much as you want
For your toppings
- 2 units spring onions, the green part in rings
- bean sprouts
- cilantro
- sautéed chestnut mushrooms
- 1 carrot (grated)
- optional: julienne sliced red bell bell pepper or yellow bell bell pepper, corn or anything you like.
Preparation
How do you make vegan ramen noodle soup?
Start with the vegan dashi
- Bring water to a boil and place the sheet of kombu and dried mushrooms in it. Let stand for half an hour. Do you do it longer? Then the flavor also becomes more intense.
- Bring the water including kombu and mushrooms to a boil. Just before the water boils properly, take out (and discard) kombu and mushrooms. Turn off the fire.
Make the vegan ramen noodle soup now
- Toast the sesame seeds and grind them with a mortar
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add sesame oil. Then add garlic, ginger, and (the white part of) spring onion
- Then add: chili bean and miso paste. Keep stirring well and make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to your pan.
- Pour in the sake and stir well. Add sesame seedsand the soy sauce
- Then pour in the soy milk and dashi. Again, keep stirring well so that the pastes melt together well.Add some pepper to taste.
- Cook the noodles
- Put the cooked noodles in a bowl, pour your soup over them and finish with toppings: spring onion, bean sprouts, mushrooms, carrot, cilantro and/or some bell bell pepper. By the way, corn also goes well with this!
