3 Easy Vegetarian Ramen Recipes (Keto Version Included)

Ramen has become one of the most popular dishes in recent years. Bowls full of this delicious Japanese-derived soup are on the menus of many restaurants and bars around the world, and noodles and instant ramen packets for making ramen soup at home are easy to find in any supermarket.

What is ramen and what does it contain?

Ramen or ramen soup is originally a street dish. But unlike other street fast food dishes, it is not only a comforting recipe but also a really nutritious and balanced one.

The ramen recipe has a thousand forms, although in traditional ramen we usually always find a series of ingredients:

Broth of meat or vegetables. Concentrated sauce to season it based on soy sauce or miso which is placed in the bowl before pouring the broth.wheat noodles.Others ingredients used in the form of topping such as different types of meat, fish, eggs, tofu, seaweed, mushrooms, raw or cooked vegetables, ginger or chives.

In the traditional way, the preparation takes hours of cooking. However, we can prepare this dish faster, so that we can have it on the table in about 20 minutes.

Ramen is an ideal option for the colder months, as it helps us warm up.

How to make vegetarian ramen

To make a vegetarian ramen, we will use only vegetable broth and season it with garlic, ginger, dried shitake mushrooms for umami flavor and the typical soy sauce or miso. To save time, we can season the broth directly.

Still we can make other small changes in this vegetable version of ramen, such as:

Substitute traditional wheat noodles for brown rice or buckwheat noodles to do one gluten-free version of ramen.Replace the wheat noodles with chickpea or red lentil spaghettiwhich are not only gluten-free, but also allow us to make a higher protein version of vegetarian ramen.Use zucchini noodles, squash or shirataki noodles if we want to prepare a dish lighter low carb.

as topping In a vegetarian ramen we can use: fried or sautéed egg, tofu or tempeh or even legumes. And, to complete the dish, it is convenient to use different types of vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, edamame, peas, bok choy, spinach…

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The vegetable it is better to cook it separately: grilled, sautéed, baked… Or, if we prefer, finely chop it and add it raw.

And to give a final touch to our ramen recipe, it will be very rich if we add aromatic herbs like the green part of a chive, cilantro, chives, some crunchy dried fruit and a little hot sauce.

3 easy and vegetarian ramen recipes

Here are three ramen recipes to get you started. You can be inspired by them to make your own variants.

1. Tofu Ramen with Bok Choy and Carrot

A 100% vegetable version of the famous dish, suitable for vegans.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

200 g of ramen noodles 1.5 liters of vegetable broth 200 g of tofu 4 pieces of bok choy 1 carrot 2 hydrated shiitakes 1 spring onion including the green part 3 garlic cloves 2 cm of fresh ginger 1 cayenne 1 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 tablespoon of cornstarch 1 tablespoon of miso soy sauce olive oil or other neutral-flavored oil 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon toasted sesame

PREPARATION:

Start by preparing all the vegetables. Cut the green part of the spring onion, cut into slices and save. Peel the spring onion and cut into quarters. Peel and chop two garlic cloves and the ginger. Peel the carrot and cut into juliana. Wash the bok choy well and cut in half lengthwise.In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, cayenne, and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the shiitake and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, or if you have time up to 1 hour. The longer you cook the broth, the more flavor it will have. While the broth is cooking, prepare the tofu and vegetables for the topping. Open the package of tofu, discard the water, wrap it in a kitchen towel and put a weight on top to dry it well.In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with the garlic powder. Dice the tofu, add to the soybean marinade and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and dry well.In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and, once hot, place the bok choy with the cut side down and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn it over, add the rest of the garlic, previously minced, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and cook until cooked. Save. In the same pan add a little oil, the carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes with a little salt. Save. Prepare the noodles. Strain the broth, return to the pot, and taste test. If needed, add more soy sauce or salt. Bring to a boil, add the noodles, and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the noodles are cooking, cook the tofu. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the tofu until crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and save. Once the noodles are ready, turn off the heat and add the sesame oil and miso. Mix well. Divide the ramen into 4 bowls and garnish with the tofu, bok choy, carrot. Sprinkle with the green part of the spring onion and the sesame.

2. Creamy mushroom ramen

If we need a very comforting dish, this creamy ramen recipe is perfect for us. It is a perfect vegetarian ramen for rainy and cold days when we need to warm the body and lift the spirit. You can make it vegetarian with eggs or vegan with tofu or smoked tempeh.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

200 g of ramen-type noodles4 boiled eggs or 200 g of tofu or smoked tempeh400 g of mushrooms or mushrooms200 g of baby spinach or kale100 g of frozen or cooked corn400 ml of coconut milk for cooking1 l of vegetable broth or water1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast2 tablespoons of olive oil2 cloves of garlic1 small piece of ginger (approx. 1 cm)2 tablespoons of soy sauce1 tablespoon of rice vinegar1 handful of fresh coriander to decoratechili or cayenne oil to decoratesalt

PREPARATION:

Put the eggs to cook, if you are going to use them. If you are using the tofu or tempeh, dice it and cook in a skillet until crisp, about 2-3 minutesPrepare the vegetables. Peel and mince the garlic. Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut them into strips. Wash the spinach or kale. In a pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook about 30 seconds.Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat, stirring about 5 minutes.Add the coconut milk, broth, nutritional yeast, salt and soy sauce and bring to a boil .Once boiling, add the noodles and corn and cook until the pasta is cooked, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually about 5 minutes.Turn off the heat, add the spinach and vinegar and let the spinach cook with the remaining heat. Taste the taste and add more salt or soy sauce, if necessary. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with the boiled eggs or tempeh, cilantro and cayenne.

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Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 10 minutes

3. Keto Ramen with Zucchini Noodles and Peanut Sauce

A lighter low-carb ramen recipe for those who watch their figure or need to follow a low-carb diet. Instead of wheat noodles, we use zucchini noodles. They could also be replaced by some shirataki noodles.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

2 zucchini 1 liter of vegetable broth or water 1 tablespoon of sesame oil 2 cloves of garlic 2 cm of ginger 2 tablespoons of soy sauce 3 tablespoons of peanut butter 1 tablespoon of hot chili sauce 1 teaspoon of lemon juice a pinch of stevia (optional) 2 spring onions (only the part green, to decorate) 1 handful of cilantro 2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts chili flakes slices of lemon

PREPARATION:

Prepare the vegetable. Peel and chop the garlic and ginger. Cut the ends of the zucchini and with the help of a spiralizer make zucchini noodles. In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini noodles, salt and stir a couple of times in the pan. Add the broth, soy sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove half a cup of the broth from the ramen in a cup. Add the peanut butter, chili sauce, lemon juice and sweetener and mix well. Return to the pot and mix well. Cook for 1 minute over very low heat. Meanwhile, chop the spring onion. Divide the ramen among 4 bowls and garnish with the spring onion, cilantro and peanuts.

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 10 minutes.