My peanut butter ramen is made with a creamy peanut butter–coconut broth, crispy tofu, slurpable noodles, and tender veggies. It’s really easy to make, super comforting, and basically a peanut butter lover’s dream come true!
Peanut butter is my love language. Seriously, if I can work peanut butter into a meal, I will. And it almost always turns out great! My African peanut soup, swimming rama tofu, and peanut butter curry are some of my all-time favorite comfort foods. So it was only a matter of time before I added peanut butter to another favorite: ramen. If you love peanut butter and you love my vegan ramen, get ready to have your mind blown by this peanut butter ramen.
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This recipe is based on my original ramen, with a few notable additions, including peanut butter, coconut milk, and a splash of lime juice. The result is a rich, savory broth that’s basically peanut sauce in soup form… which, as you can imagine, is DELICIOUS.
Another thing I love about this soup is how easy it is to make. There are a few components, but if you can multitask a bit, dinner will be on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Vegetable oil. Any high heat oil you normally like to cook with will do!
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Vegetable broth.
- Peanut butter. Use a creamy (not chunky) natural peanut butter. It should be runny! Conventional peanut butters are too sweet for this recipe. Peanuts and salt should be the only ingredients.
- Light coconut milk. Want to use full-fat coconut milk for extra-rich broth? Go for it!
- Red bell pepper.
- Ramen noodles. This soup would be delicious with other types of noodles as well. Feel free to give it a try with udon, soba, or rice noodles.
- Tofu. Super-firm tofu has a great texture for this recipe, and it's really easy to work with. Extra-firm will also work, but it needs to be pressed first.
- Brown sugar. Make sure this is organic — conventional granulated sugars can be processed using animal bone char.
- Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos work if you need an alternative option.
- Lime juice. Use freshly squeezed! It has the best flavor.
- Toasted sesame oil. You can find this in the international aisle of most grocery stores.
- Frozen shelled edamame.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Toppings. This ramen is great with chopped peanuts, chopped scallions, or chili oil. Or get creative and come up with your own garnishes!
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the aromatics. Heat your oil in a pot, then add minced garlic and freshly grated ginger. Cook them briefly, stirring the whole time to prevent burning, just until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
Step 2: Make the broth. Add the broth, peanut butter, and coconut milk to the pot. Whisk it well to fully dissolve the peanut butter, then add the diced bell pepper, raise the heat and bring it to a boil. Let the broth simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the noodles. Just follow the package directions. They usually only need to boil for a few minutes.
Step 4: Cook the tofu. Heat some oil in a skillet, then add tofu cubes. Cook them for a few minutes on each side, until they're browned and crispy.
Step 5: Finish the broth. Add your soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and toasted sesame oil, then stir in the cilantro. Be sure to give it a taste-test. You can add more of any of the seasonings if desired.
Step 6: Serve. All you need to do now is assemble! Divide the noodles, tofu, and edamame among bowls, then ladle the broth over everything. Sprinkle on the toppings and dig in!
Variations
- Add veggies. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, snap peas, and cabbage would all be great additions to this soup, just to name a few! All can be added directly to the broth and simmered until tender.
- Spice it up. Add some heat to the broth with hot sauce, like sriracha, or chili oil. I love stirring in some chili crisp!
- Switch up the protein. Instead of tofu, try pan-fried tempeh or seitan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! Swap out the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari, and use rice noodles instead of ramen. Maybe it's not technically ramen anymore, but it'll still be delicious.
Most of the sodium comes from the broth and soy sauce, so use reduced sodium varieties to lower the total sodium content of the dish.
If possible, store each of the components separately. If you've already mixed everything up, no biggie! Either way, your peanut butter ramen will keep for about three days in an airtight container (or containers) in the fridge.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- â…“ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 6 ounces dried ramen noodles
- 8 ounces super-firm tofu, diced (½-inch)
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For Serving (Optional)
- Chopped peanuts
- Chopped scallions
- Hot sauce or chili oil
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with one tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the garlic and ginger. Sauté the mixture for about a minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the broth, coconut milk, and peanut butter. Whisk the mixture well to dissolve the peanut butter in the broth. Add the bell pepper, raise the heat to high, and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the pepper is tender and the broth has thickened slightly.
- While the broth simmers, cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain them into a colander when done.
- Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the tofu cubes in an even layer. Cook the tofu for about 10 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice, until they're golden brown and crispy. Transfer the tofu to a plate when done.
- When the broth has finished simmering, whisk in the brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil. Remove the pot from heat, give it a taste-test, and adjust any seasonings to suit your taste. Stir in the cilantro.
- Divide the noodles, tofu, and edamame among bowls, then ladle the broth over everything. Sprinkle with toppings and serve.
Notes
- You may need a bit more soy sauce if your peanut butter is unsalted. You could also season the broth with salt to taste.
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What other veggies can I substitute for the red bell peppers? My son doesn't like them. Thanks.
You've got a ton of options! Carrots, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and corn are a few that would work well.
This is delicious! Made it last night and the family loved it. I did bake my tofu instead of pan frying just because I didn’t have enough room on the stove. 🤣