Thai-Inspired Ramen

By Faith Gorsky of An Edible Mosaic

Flavorful broth, tender noodles, crunchy vegetables, and fresh herbs and aromatics make this Vegan Ramen Bowl the perfect way to warm up on a chilly day.

On a cold day there’s nothing more comforting than sitting down to a bowl of steaming hot homemade soup. Standing over the pot as you make it before you even taste it, the aroma entices you and you just know you’re about to enjoy something delicious.

Thai Peanut Curry

This Vegan Ramen Bowl was inspired by Thai Peanut Curry, and it has a lot of the same flavors going on. Like all Thai recipes, it features a well-balanced flavor profile.

It starts with a subtle hint of coconut, and then pairs garlic and ginger for savory depth, soy sauce for saltiness, chili garlic sauce for heat, and rice vinegar and lime for tanginess. Peanut buttery lends nutty richness, subtle sweetness, and body to the broth, and chopped peanuts on top gives it crunch.

Better Than Takeout 

Next time you’re tempted to order takeout from your favorite noodle place, give this recipe a try instead. It comes together in just 15 minutes from start-to-finish and is every bit as flavorful as something you’d get from a restaurant. Not to mention, it’s a lot more cost effective to make ramen at home!

Not only is it easy to whip up this Vegan Ramen Bowl, but you can customize it to suit your taste preferences. Add more or less chili garlic sauce and sliced red chili peppers to make to give it more or less spicy heat. Swap out the red cabbage and snap peas for any veggies you like. You can even add a vegan protein source to bump up the protein.

How to Add Protein to a Vegan Ramen Bowl 

Here are a few delicious additions that add more protein to this dish: 

• Tofu: Cut extra-firm tofu into cubes and add once the noodles are cooked.

• Canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• A sprinkle of hemp seeds, chia seeds, or nutritional yeast

Vegan Ramen Bowl

Yields 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated ginger

• 4 cups vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons regular creamy peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, tamari sauce, or coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

• 6 ounces ramen noodles

• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

• 1/2 cup fresh snap peas

• 1 scallion, green and white parts, thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

• 1 tablespoon salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

• 1 small red chili pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

• 4 wedges fresh lime, for squeezing on top

Directions: 

1. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Once hot, add the garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

2. Add the vegetable stock and bring up to a boil. Once boiling, whisk in the peanut butter, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce until the peanut butter is fully dissolved.

3. Add the ramen noodles and cook until they’re tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice vinegar.

4. Divide the noodles and broth between 2 noodle bowls. Top each with half of the red cabbage, snap peas, scallion, cilantro, and peanuts. Add red chili pepper slices if desired. Serve warm with lime wedges to squeeze on top. 

NOTES

• If your ramen noodles come with a seasoning mix, save it for something else because you won’t need it for this recipe.

•  Use regular creamy peanut butter for this recipe. If you use unsweetened natural peanut butter, it will add a gritty texture, which we don’t want. Also, we need a little bit of sweetness to balance the flavor of the broth.

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