We use vegetable stock, mushrooms, miso paste, & soy sauce, to give this soup the savory umami flavor we crave in a bowl of ramen noodles. My vegan ramen recipe uses a rainbow of veggies and flavors to create a simple yet filling meal.
Whenever I visit NYC, I have to enjoy a bowl of vegetarian ramen. It’s always so delicious and soothing after a cold day walking the streets. I love all the bright colors, as well as the complexity of flavors a ramen dish provides.
It makes me feel fancy when indulging in these flavors, yet the reality is it can be quite affordable to make at home. My recipe is for vegan ramen — and can be modified easily depending on your preferences.
Table of Contents
Origins of Ramen
Most people believe ramen originated in Japan, yet it actually started in China. Chinese tradesmen brought their ramen recipe to Japan in the 19th century. What Americans know (and love) as instant ramen, came to America in 1958.
Today, ramen can be found both in 33 cent styrofoam containers, as well as $16+ bowls at fancy restaurants. Vegetarian or not, ramen is a great on the go meal, as well as a fun date-night-in dinner under candlelight.
What Makes This Recipe Vegan
Ramen noodles are often made with a chicken, pork, or beef broth base. This vegan ramen recipe uses a low-sodium vegetable broth. I have tried ramen both ways, and honestly like the lighter taste and feel of a veggie broth over a chicken broth.
If you want to up the protein, then add in tofu. With ramen, there’s really no wrong way to go! Just a side note, vegetarian ramen can still use a meat-based broth, yet full on vegan ramen should only use vegetable broth.
How To Make Vegetarian Ramen
My vegetarian ramen recipe starts with noodles. Sometimes I’ll load the bottom up with mung bean sprouts first. If you have that option available to you, then I highly recommend it. Otherwise, start with the noodles.
After the noodles go in, then it’s time to load up the bowl with your favorite veggies. I love adding bok choy, shredded carrots and sliced shiitake mushrooms, as well as purple cabbage. The heat of the hot broth helps soften the veggies a bit. If you prefer the veggies to be more tender than crisp, saute or steam the veggies before adding them to the bowl.
Add a little drizzle of sesame oil and tamari over the veggies and green onions. Next ladle piping hot, just-simmered vegetable broth to the bowl next.
Then it’s topping time! Add your favorite toppings – keep this vegetarian ramen simple, or go fully loaded. I go with a basic trio of cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, and red pepper flakes. Other ideas: avocado, tofu cubes, more bean sprouts or microgreens, thinly sliced hot chili, or even a drizzle of sriracha.
Vegetarian Ramen Ingredient Swaps
I try to stay away from gluten, so instead of wheat noodles, I love using Lotus Foods millet and brown rice ramen noodles. They’re super delicious, and I can get a big bag at Costco.
If you aren’t able to find bok choy, swap in swiss chard instead.
Coconut aminos are a great swap for tamari. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, then why not switch them out with some tofu?
More Vegan Recipe Options
Eating plants doesn’t have to be difficult. I hope you enjoy this vegetarian ramen recipe! The truth is: a little prep, as well as a plan goes a long way in helping you naturally incorporate more veggies into your diet. Check out a few of these plant based recipes:
- Teriyaki Bowl
- Zoodles in a Jar
- Vegan Taco Salad
- Chickpea Tacos
- Loaded Sweet Potato
- Sweet Potato Pad Thai
- Almond Butter and Veggie Zoodles
I challenge you to incorporate 1 plant based meal into your dinner rotation every week. If you already do ‘meatless Monday,’ then try adding in a second plant fueled meal.
Eating more plants doesn’t have to be an all or nothing choice, yet taking steps to add more plants will only benefit you and your family. If you start with the vegan ramen recipe below, don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know how it turned out!
Simple Vegetarian Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles gluten-free
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 head baby bok choy halved
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup red cabbage thinly sliced
- ½ cup carrot shredded
- ¼ cup green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp tamari
- red pepper flakes
For garnish
- radish
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil over medium-high heat.Â
- Add ramen noodles and cook according to package directions.
- While noodles are cooking, get out two wide, deep soup bowls.
- Add cooked noodles and all your veggies to the bowls.
- Ladle the hot broth over the veggies and noodles. Drizzle with sesame oil and tamari, and garnish with red pepper flakes, radish slices, and cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This ramen is also very good made with miso or mushroom broth.
- For a grain-free version, feel free to substitute spiralized vegetables such as zucchini or sweet potato in place of noodles.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Looks amazing!!! The book is calling my name because I keep my cholesterol in check by eating a plant-based diet. Health as a lifelong pursuit
Let us know how you like it once you try it 🙂
Thank you for sharing how you live a plant based lifestyle!!
Wow, this recipe could not have come at a better time for me! I live in Southern Austraia where we are in early autumn and those chilly nights are starting… and my workplace (a school) has a Soup Club in the late autumn/ winter/ early spring (and a Salad Club in late spring/ summer/ early autumn).. so this recipe will be perfect for the Soup Club, plus I practically live on soup during winter as it is so warming and nourishing and comforting and also so easy to make a big pot that provides several meals! I have also been trying to eat mostly plant-based for some time, partly from the inspiration from your website and partly after reading another excellent book called ‘How Not to Die’ by American doctor Michael Greger, which provides excellent arguments, based on a multitude of worldwide scientific studies, for a whole food, plant-based diet. He has also written a cookbook, which I have bought, and I would love to read the Pollan family’s book too! Thanks for sharing the delicious recipe!
Hey Ari,
Wow, sounds like you have an awesome work place for them to have a soup club and a salad club. Love that!!! I know you will really enjoy this book as well. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I eat more plants fir my health…to show my boys that I can be strong and beautiful on a plant based lifestyle. Thanks for all your inspiration.
Love that you are setting such a good example for your boys! They will see your strength and beauty shine through for sure.
Another 5 star supper added to my meal plan. I love a warm comfort food dish instead of the regular go-to salads. This is a warm bowl of awesomeness!!!
Thanks Lori!
So glad you love this bowl and all of its awesomeness 🙂
Eating more plants helps give me more energy. I tend to gain weight with high meat protein and carb/sugar diets. Veggies have been a great way to give me the energy I need as well as the keeping me healthy.
Yay! plant-based eating is seriously the best! Thank you for sharing that with us.
I’ve followed you for years and I’d love to incorporate even more veggies into my family’s diet. Thx!
That is awesome, thank you for sharing!
Simple Green Smoothies has taught me how much of a difference life can be when striving to live a plant based lifestyle. My mind is clearer and my health is better. My calf had swollen and I was having trouble with my knees and swollen ankle prior to starting the 21 day vegan. They stated their was a cyst behind one knee and the heal of one foot was swollen. The third day of the 21 day vegan things started to clear up and my knees are returning to normal along with the cyst downsizing. I truly believe the eating plan is the reason for the improvement. Having even more recipes to try that is being recommended by SGS is a win, win for anyone.
I have long been searching for a ramen made with veggie broth and can never, ever find one. Can’t wait to try this recipe for myself!
I have had some serious health issues since the beginning of this year and I am learning to eat more healthy, especially but adding more vegetables into my diet. These are essential changes that I need to make in order to quite honestly live. This ramen recipe looks amazing! Plant based meals are new to me and I don’t really miss meat.
Thank you for sharing your story. Welcome to the plant-based lifestyle!
This recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it. I love Michael Pollan and have been reading his books for years but I’ve had a hard time implementing his ideas. SGS has really helped me to see how I can eat more plants and I love it!
I want to eat mostly plants to be healthier, leave a smaller carbon footprint and lose weight. I want to show others that plant based eating is filling and delicious!
I’ve been looking for new ways to incorporate veggies – especially to please my kids as well. Ramen (or soups in general) is an easy fix for everyone. Thanks for the recipe!
Raman is my Favorite! Thank you for the recipe
Reasons why: I have always been bad at incorporating veggies and greens, and I dislike cooking very much. Thanks to Simple Green Meals and the 21 day spring and autumn cleanses that’s changing *hurray* But I am a variety girl and have zero imagination when it comes to cooking so I need the mind of someone who does. I am in the middle of a huge life style change, with the rude awaking I received at the doctor last month and the knowledge of both my father and mothers heart conditions, I told myself no more messing around if I don’t take myself seriously and make my health a priority now, in 20 years I won’t be much different. So in a nutshell… I am looking to expand my veggie horizons
Thank you for the recipe! I’m looking forward to trying it. I always feel better when I eat more vegetables but I struggle with figuring out how to cook with them!
Hello! My body is desperately searching for its survival with unadulterated pure holistic food. Not the virtual reality imposter food that we see surrounding us. I want to be truly fed and start feeling alive and nourished. That is why my body is making me listen. Today I discovered this recipe of yours and will prepare it with the Konjac Shirataki Miracle Noodle Kitchen brand as a healthy substitute to regular ramen. I’m quite enthused to try it out! And to continue the nourishment your book will help me achieve this. Thank you.
I would like to eat more vegetables and plants because my diet has changed unfortunately over the years with a very demanding, stressful, busy job. With so much confusion these days about different eating styles, one doesn’t know what to believe anymore. Studies stating that beans are toxic to our bodies, the new Keto and paleo craze. I eat beans, nuts, vegetables, fruits, dairy, chicken, salmon, eggs and my doctor told me I was slightly anemic and need to take iron vitamins and eat red meat. I would love some healthy vegetable recipes thank you
I can’t wait to try this receipe! I love eating mostly plants to feel my best!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! It sounds amazing and if other recipes in the book are similar, I know it will be a great addition to my books. We’ve been eating mostly plants for quite some time but have become a little stuck with our meals. I’m looking for ways to find new ideas!