Vegetarian Ramen Noodle Soup with Shiitakes and Bok Choy Recipe — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC - Rachael Hartley Nutrition (2024)

This vegetarian ramen noodle soup with bok choy and shiitakes is soooo good! The broth is super rich and flavorful thanks to an easy trick. Plus, you can make it in just over 30 minutes so it’s weeknight friendly!

Vegetarian Ramen Noodle Soup with Shiitakes and Bok Choy Recipe — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC - Rachael Hartley Nutrition (1)

After visiting Japan in 2017, I came back a total food snob.

One thing I learned about Japanese food is that chefs there are almost obsessive about perfecting their specialty dish is. Many restaurants specialize in just one thing, whether it’s yakitori, sushi, soba noodles or ramen.

So when I came back home, to our grocery store sushi and greasy hibachi, I just…couldn’t. Okay, that’s a lie because some weeks I basically live off Whole Foods sushi. But I know that it’s absolutely nothing like a slice of fatty toro over perfectly cooked and dressed sushi rice, and I feel really sad about that.

With many other cuisines, I feel like I can recreate some of my favorite dishes at home to a satisfactory degree. But with Japanese food, now that I’ve tried handmade buckwheat soba noodles with an umami rich dipping broth and bowls of seafood donburi piled high with uni, I’m just not even trying.

The one exception is ramen, because as I learned in Japan, there are no rules when it comes to ramen. And also, I still love cheap packaged ramen, so even though a creamy bowl of tonkatsu ramen is a whole new level, I’m also perfectly satisfied with it’s lesser renditions. But I’m not gonna spend 24 hours making a broth. Instead, I’m going to spend like 30-45 minutes making this vegetarian ramen noodle soup with shiitakes and bok choy.

How to Make a Flavorful Vegetarian Ramen Broth

With ramen, it’s all about the broth. Most ramen broths are made by simmering bones for a really long time until the gelatin, marrow and even calcium melt out. It makes a silky, almost creamy, and richly flavored broth. For this vegetarian ramen noodle soup, I pureed sauteed onions, garlic and ginger into a vegetable broth to give it a thicker, creamier mouthfeel. I also used the liquid from rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms to add a bit of umami, plus a bit of soy sauce and miso to flavor it up.

Kimchi isn’t a traditional addition, but again, with ramen there are no rules. I love the bit of spice and pickled flavor it adds, and my belly loves the probiotic boost.

Good ramen noodles can be a little hard to find - it’s hit or miss at the grocery stores I usually shop at. So I’ve definitely made this before by cooking the noodles from four individual packets of ramen. I’m really into Lotus Foods ramen, which is made with whole grains. You could also use soba noodles in this dish or Chinese egg noodles.

Vegetarian Ramen Noodle Soup with Shiitakes and Bok Choy Recipe — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC - Rachael Hartley Nutrition (3)

If you’d like to add a little more protein to this vegetarian ramen, feel free to add tofu or edamame. Or, because no rules here, and it doesn’t have to stay vegetarian, feel free to add chicken, pork or shrimp!

This recipe was originally published April 2015. Images and text have been updated to give you the best possible content!

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 4-6 eggs

  • 2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms

  • 3 tablespoons neutral flavored oil, like canola or avocado

  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

  • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

  • 4 cups vegetable broth

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon miso paste

  • 12 ounces ramen

  • 2 baby bok choys, quartered

  • 1/2 cup kimchi

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add eggs and cook 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 9 minutes for hard cooked eggs. Drain and cool eggs in a bowl of ice water, then peel.

  2. Rehydrate mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water.

  3. Heat oil in a large pot on medium high heat. Add onions, ginger and garlic with a pinch of salt and saute until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add vegetable broth, broth from rehydrated mushrooms, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree broth and stir in soy sauce and miso paste. Season with salt to taste. Add bok choy and rehydrated mushrooms and simmer 5 minutes until bok choy is crisp tender.

  4. While the broth is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook ramen noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside until ready to eat.

  5. When ready to eat, divide noodles between bowls. Ladle in broth and top with bok choy and mushrooms. Garnish with kimchi and boiled egg.

You might also like:

Vegetarian Ramen Noodle Soup with Shiitakes and Bok Choy Recipe — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC - Rachael Hartley Nutrition (8)

main, Soup, Recipe

Rachael Hartley

Asian, bok choy, eggs, mushrooms, whole grain, soup, vegetarian, Recipe

12 Comments

Vegetarian Ramen Noodle Soup with Shiitakes and Bok Choy Recipe — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC - Rachael Hartley Nutrition (2024)

FAQs

Do you cook bok choy before putting it in ramen? ›

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add the bok choy and ramen noodles along with the reserved ramen flavor packet. Cover and cook, stirring halfway through, until the boy choy is wilted and the noodles are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the beef-mushroom mixture to the pot and toss to combine.

What's the difference between vegetarian ramen and regular ramen? ›

Instead of pork bone, chicken bone and sardines, Broth of vegetarian ramen is made of carrots, peanuts, green onions, ginger, sesame oil, miso, kelp, etc.. Beansprouts, menma, mushrooms, green onions, seaweed, tofu, and soy meat.

How to add egg and veggies to ramen? ›

Pour your noodles, and desired amount of broth, into a large bowl. Then add your veggies, your sliced ramen egg, and top it off with some sliced green onion, red chili flakes, and garlic.

What is non veg in ramen? ›

Base Ramen Non-Veg is a traditional Japanese ramen dish featuring a flavorful broth made from a meat-based stock, such as pork or chicken. It is complemented by tender slices of meat, typically pork or chicken, along with other traditional toppings like bamboo shoots, seaweed, and green onions.

Is it okay to eat bok choy every day? ›

A meta-analysis and review of research in the journal Food Chemistry found that eating 100 grams of cruciferous vegetables, such as bok choy, every day was associated with a 10% reduction in the risk of death from any cause. (100 grams of cooked bok choy is a little more than a half-cup.)

Do you put raw egg on top of ramen? ›

If you want to add a poached egg to Ramen, start by boiling your Ramen in 2 cups of water for 90 seconds. Then, stir in your seasonings and crack a raw egg into the pot of water. Place a lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 2 minutes to cook the egg and finish the noodles.

Are vegetarian ramen noodles healthy? ›

Vegan ramen can indeed be a healthy meal when it's made from nutritious ingredients. The dish overall is well-balanced containing carbohydrates, protein, fibre, some healthy fats and a good amount of vitamins and minerals. As the vegetables are lightly steamed they hold on to their nutritional benefits well.

Is ramen just noodles and broth? ›

There are five components to a bowl of ramen: tare, aroma oil, broth, noodles and toppings.

Why is ramen not vegan? ›

Ramen broths commonly rely on dehydrated meat and fish to provide flavor, making them non-vegan. However, if the meat or seafood flavor is derived from artificial sources, many vegans will consume the broth.

Do scrambled eggs go in ramen? ›

They add protein, richness, and a delightful texture to the noodles and broth. But achieving the perfect scrambled egg texture can be tricky, especially when cooking them directly in the ramen. Traditional methods often result in overcooked, rubbery eggs.

Does adding veggies to ramen make it healthy? ›

Add vegetables: Adding fresh or cooked vegetables like carrots, broccoli, onions or mushrooms to instant ramen noodles will help add nutrients that plain ramen noodles lack.

What is vegetarian ramen made of? ›

It's made with fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms as well as creminis. Onions, garlic, ginger, kombu, and tamari deepen the flavor further. For vegan ramen, I also season the broth with mirin, rice vinegar, and white miso paste.

What is ramen without the soup called? ›

Again, both mazemen and abura soba are basically a bowl of ramen without a significant broth component. The main flavors in both come from the tare and the fat, which together form the sauce that ends up coating the noodles.

How to tell if ramen is vegetarian? ›

The main distinctions are the broth used. You should know, Ramen is typically made with chicken or beef broth and animal proteins. Vegan ramen does not include the animal-based protein in favor of a vegetable broth. You have the option of using a plant-based protein for your Ramen as well.

Does bok choy need to be cooked before eating? ›

There are plenty of ways to try adding bok choy to your diet. You can consume bok choy raw, roasted, or cooked on the stovetop in a soup, stir-fry, or fried rice dish. You can incorporate bok choy into your diet in Asian dishes and many other ways.

Do you cook veggies before adding to ramen? ›

Cook the meat and vegetables in a hot skillet with oil before adding the noodles and whatever sauce you'd like (plain old oyster sauce with a touch of sesame oil is an easy crowd-pleaser).

Do you boil or fry pak choi? ›

Great if you want a refreshing crunch. Bring some water to the boil and blanch the pak choi for 2 to 4 minutes (depending on the size). You can also blanch pak choi in any hot liquid such as a tomato sauce or a stew.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 6010

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.