EATS: Vegetarian Ramen Recipe

While ramen is soaring in popularity, a great vegetarian ramen recipe can be difficult to find. Fortunately, techniques are improving for creating a flavor rich broth that sticks to the ramen noodles just right. Growing up American Japanese, ramen is one of my favorite dishes. A comfort food at home and something I always look forward to eating when I’m in Japan, ramen is a personal favorite. I do eat meat occasionally but I’ve grown more eco-conscious in my food choices and I’ve reduced my meat intake for that as well as health reasons. My wife is pescetarian so perfecting vegetarian broths and dishes is something that is really important for me and my household.

Lately—as we all have become a little more dependent on staying in and recreating our favorite dishes from our own kitchens—I’ve been seeing a lot of ramen recipes being put out. Very few of these recipes are for vegetarian ramen. I’m filling the gap and creating a vegetarian ramen base that is full of flavor and the right texture that you can make from your own kitchen. The process is pretty involved but the resulting vegetarian ramen is well worth the effort.

Note: The cottage I’m staying in while sheltering in place in Southampton does not have an oven so I improvise and char over an open flame in the video. In the instructions, I’ve included how to char using your broiler which is an easier process and the one you may want to opt for when creating this vegetarian ramen recipe.

Vegetarian Ramen Ingredients

2 servings

• 1 medium eggplant

• 1 medium piece of ginger, sliced in half (approximately 3 inch piece)

• 1/2 a bunch of scallions to roast + 1/2 bunch of scallions to chop and garnish

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in a cup of room temperature water

• 2 long pieces of kombu (kelp)

• 5 fresh shiitake, sliced

• 5 white button or Crimini mushroom, sliced

• 1 medium yam

• 2 Tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

• 1/3 soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons miso

• 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

• 2 jammy (soft boiled) eggs

• 13.02 ounces ramen noodles (I used sun noodle ramen)

• pinch of kosher salt

• high heat cooking oil

Vegetarian Ramen Instructions

• Preheat broiler

• Rub eggplant, ginger, and scallions for charring with high temperature oil. Place on baking sheet lined with foil. Put in broiler. Char on both sides. Scallions will be done first, remove when ready. Next ginger, and last eggplant. Remove each vegetable as it is charred.

• After eggplant is charred make sure it is tender through the middle if necessary bake in oven at 350 F until completely tender

• Roast yam in oven at 305 F until tender (alternatively you can microwave)

• In a large sauce pan or stock pot add 8 cups of water and the two whole pieces of kelp. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Allow to sImmer for 2 minutes and then using tongs remove kelp. Note: if you leave the kelp in it will turn the texture of the broth slimy so be sure to remove.

• Add the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, all the charred vegetables, fresh shiitake, white button, and dried porcini mushrooms.

• Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add just a pinch of salt.

• Allow the ramen broth to cook for an hour and 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and add water if necessary.

• Remove from heat. Over a large boil strain broth. You may need to press a little bit but do not press too hard because you want to keep the broth a dark clear color.

• Set aside.

• Peel the yam. Place in a medium mixing bowl.

• Place a sauté pan on high heat. Add one Tablespoon of oil and the minced garlic. Cook until browned. Turn heat off. Add mirin. Return heat to medium low. Add soy sauce and cook to a simmer. Turn heat down. Add miso. Stir with rubber spatula making sure miso is fully incorporated.

• Transfer the sauce to a mixing bowl with the yam. Add sesame oil. Using an immersion blender, blend ingredients. Add about 1 cup of ramen broth and blend.

• In a large sauce pan combine the miso/potato sauce with the ramen broth. Cook on low heat until fully incorporated.

• While the ramen broth is cooking, prepare ramen noodles. Drain and rinse.

• Portion ramen noodles into serving dishes. Pour broth over noodles. Top with soft boiled egg and fresh scallions. Serve and enjoy! Happy slurping