Instant ramen is a true comfort food in any Asian household, and this homemade version is not only completely plant based but also really rich in flavour. It’s allll about the broth and, thanks to mushrooms, miso, tamari, and peanuts, it does not disappoint.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bok choy head, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more as needed
- 2 ounces oyster mushrooms, roughly torn
- 2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons red miso paste
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon creamy unsweetened peanut butter
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced, plus
- 1 thinly sliced for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup unsweetened soymilk, homemade or store-bought
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tamari, or to taste
- 1 serving ramen noodles or rice noodles, cooked according to the package directions (without the seasoning packet, if any)
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped roasted peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
Method
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the bok choy and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the pot and immediately rinse under cool water. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add all the mushrooms and a touch of salt and cook until rich in colour and cooked through, not stirring too often, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sesame oil and sauté for another minute, shaking the pan or tossing with a spatula. Remove the mushrooms and set aside; reserve the pot.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste, gochujang, peanut butter, and enough vegetable broth to be able to whisk the mixture into a pourable sauce.
- Add the scallion white parts and garlic to the medium pot, along with enough oil to coat the bottom, plus a pinch of salt. Sauté for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, until fragrant. Add the peanut butter–miso mixture, the remaining vegetable broth, and the soymilk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the broth reduces by about a quarter. Stir in the tamari.
- To serve, divide the noodles between two bowls, pour the broth over the noodles, and top with the bok choy, mushrooms, roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and sliced scallion.
By Remy Park at veggiekins
Excerpted from Sesame, Soy, Spice: 90 Asian-ish Vegan and Gluten-free Recipes to Reconnect, Root, and Restore © 2024 by Remy Morimoto Park. Photography © 2024 by Kristin Teig. Reproduced by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.