Serves 4 to 6
This vegan mushroom ramen really perks up all your senses. Noodles in a spicy porcini mushroom broth that tastes like a beefy ramen, with meaty rehydrated porcinis, chewy tofu, crunchy garlic, and fresh scallion. And the bok choy. The stems stay crunchy while the leaves go silky in the broth, and that contrast is one of the best things in the bowl.
Basically, this ramen recipe has all the flavor and texture you want in a ramen, plus a cashew cream that mimics a runny egg.
I love a creamy ramen. And, I admit, I get a little jealous when I see a runny egg melting into a bowl of noodles, making everything rich and luscious. But vegans do it better. This cashew sauce is eggy, creamy, and basically impossible to mess up.
This is a bit of a project, but not a complicated one. It’s the kind of thing you make when you actually want to cook. Plan for about an hour and a half if you’re starting from scratch, closer to an hour if the broth is already made. And plan for your kitchen to smell amazing and for your whole life to be changed. Maybe.
About The Porcini Broth
This is the soul of the recipe and worth making ahead. A night or two in advance is ideal. Let it simmer away while you’re making a different dinner, then strain it and refrigerate. By the time you’re ready to build the ramen, the hard part is already done.
When you strain the broth, don’t throw everything away. Open up the cheesecloth and pick out the porcinis, they’ve soaked up all that flavor and get sliced into meaty pieces that go right into the bowl. That’s where those beefy, chewy mushroom bites come from.
The kombu is optional but worth using if you can find it. It gives the broth a sealike umami quality. Good without it but definitely better with it.
For the peppers, no need to chop them. Just poke 5 or so small slits in each one with a knife. This releases heat slowly into the broth without making it fiery, and means you don’t have to handle them much. Serrano is great, Thai chili works too, jalapeño in a pinch. You can also just use dried peppers or a splash of sriracha if you just can’t be bothered.
The Runny Cashew Egg
This is the simplest little trick. Cashew cream blended up and eggy from kala namak, golden from turmeric, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make. Pour it over one section of the bowl in one slow motion. You want a pool of it to drag noodles through. It is absolutely heavenly.
Why Frozen Tofu?
You can skip the freezing and just be normal about it. But frozen tofu takes on a springy, chewy quality that I really love here. It’s something I used to do in the 90s, and still like to do now when the occasion calls for it. Freeze it solid, thaw it completely in the fridge, then press out all the water. It comes out chewier and more porous, soaking up broth and getting golden in the pan. Plan for it: freezing takes a day, thawing in the fridge can take two days.
If you didn’t plan ahead, just press the tofu well and proceed. It will still be wonderful.
The All Important Ramen Garnishes
Don’t skip the toasted garlic. The curly scallions are easy and will be a garnish that will last you a lifetime. To make them: slice the light green and white parts of the scallion lengthwise, submerge in ice water, and watch them curl up and get cute. Like what, are you auditioning for Top Chef or something? Yes. That is exactly what you are doing. As for the purple cabbage, well, it’s just plain pretty. And has a fresh snappy texture. So use it.
Ok better stop reading and start cooking.
VEGAN MUSHROOM RAMEN FAQ
What is kala namak? Kala namak is an Indian black salt with a sulfuric quality that tastes and smells like eggs. It’s the secret ingredient in the cashew egg. Find it at Indian grocery stores, health food stores, or online. A little goes a long way.
Do I absolutely need a wok? Nope. Well, yes, you should have one. But for this recipe, a very wide deep pan or a large pot works fine. You just want enough surface area to sauté the tofu and vegetables without steaming them.
Can I make this ahead? The broth is actually better made a day or two ahead because it needs time to simmer and cool. The cashew egg keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. The tofu and noodles are best cooked fresh. Build the bowls when you’re ready to serve.
How did I end up here? Searching “vegan mushroom ramen” or “vegan ramen broth.” Maybe “plant based ramen recipe.” You’re in the right place. Congrats on your excellent googling.
Porcini Ramen With Runny Cashew Egg
Notes
Ingredients
For the Porcini Broth
- 3 quarts water
- 6 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 piece kombu optional
- 1 inch ginger cut into 3 or 4 pieces don’t peel
- 1 oz dried porcini
- 2 serrano peppers poked (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons red miso
For the Runny Cashew Egg
- 1 cup unroasted cashews soaked overnight or boiled for 20 minutes (skip this step if you have a highspeed blender)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon kala namak
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
For the Ramen
- 16 oz ramen noodles
- 3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil divided
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic
- 14 oz extra firm tofu see recipe note pressed and cut into small cubes
- Dark green scallion thinly sliced (see recipe note)
- 6 baby bok choy white parts sliced off
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons tamari
For garnish:
- Light green and white parts of scallion curled (see recipe note)
- Spicy sesame oil
- Thinly sliced purple cabbage
- Sriracha
Instructions
Make the broth:
- Add all ingredients, except for miso, to a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer for about 30 minutes uncovered, until it’s reduced to about 3/4. Remove from heat. Stir in miso. Let broth cool until it’s easy to handle without burning yourself.
- Once cool, strain broth in cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl, squeezing as tight as you can to get as much broth as possible. Open up the cheesecloth and pick out the mushrooms to use. Compost everything else. If you don’t have cheesecloth, no prob. Use a mesh strainer and just push the broth out with your regular old hands.
Make the Runny Cashew Egg:
- Simply blend everything until completely smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. This takes about a minute and a half in a highspeed blender but could take 5 minutes in a normal blender.
Now prepare the ramen:
- Prepare the noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Be careful not to overcook.
- Preheat a wok or very wide pot over low heat and use 2 tablespoons of oil to toast the garlic until nice and golden. Be very careful not to burn, it should only take 2 minutes or so. Have a plate ready, and use a thin, slotted spatula to transfer the toasted garlic to a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as you can.
- Now turn the heat up, drizzle in a tablespoon or so of oil and saute the tofu cubes until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Cut reserved porcinis into bite sized pieces. Add to wok and saute an additional 5 to 7 minutes, drizzling in extra oil if needed. Add in green scallions and the white part of the bok choy. Saute 2 minutes. Add mirin and stir for another minute.
- Measure broth and make sure it comes to 8 cups. Add to the wok and heat through. If you need to add a little water that’s fine. Bring to a boil. Add the green part of the bok choy to wilt. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of tamari and taste for salt.
Build bowls:
- Portion noodles into big bowls. Add all the content of the ramen in broth. Spoon about 1/4 cup eggy sauce in one motion (in other words, don’t drizzle it, just pour slowly over one section). Garnish with toasted garlic, sliced cabbage, spicy sesame oil, sriracha and the remaining scallions.
Wow. I think I can smell it through the screen. It looks incredible.
How many bowls of ramen does this make? Could it easily make three? I want to make it for my family
Looks amazing. I don’t have a wok or many of the “speciality” ingredients so will probably never make it, but my mouth is watering at the pics! Yum.
This is my go-to ramen recipe! I’m never well organised enough to freeze and defrost the tofu, but it still turns out great. The broth is really flavoursome. I add the cashew egg to every other ramen recipe I try as well, it adds loads of richness and flavour to the broth.