Baby portobello mushrooms are simmered in spicy miso broth and served over slurpable noodles to create this savory vegan mushroom ramen.
We’re halfway through spring, but somehow it’s managed to stay rather cold where I live. Last week in particular was pretty darn nippy. Not that I mind! I’m actually all about that sort of thing…but it is nice to know what to wear and what to cook, and sometimes with unpredictable weather that’s not the case.
So one particularly cold and rainy day I had a springy recipe all planned, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I was way more in the mood for something hot and comforting. So I decided to put my original recipe on the back burner. Literally, actually. I shoved the pot of food to the back burner while I busted out some noodles and mushrooms for this spicy bowl of goodness. (I later packed up the food on the back burner to finish another day. Nothing wasted!)
This was exactly what I needed. My mushroom ramen was inspired by this noodle soup. My version takes a handful of shortcuts, but it’s still super tasty. Any time dish calls for beef, mushrooms are the first thing I think of as a vegan substitute. They’re also perfect material for a cozy bowl of soup.
The soup turned out to be super hearty, super flavorful, and pretty much exactly what I needed for dinner on a chilly spring evening.
Spicy Mushroom Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 12 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 5 cups water
- 1 star anise
- 7 ounces extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 ounces dried ramen noodles
- 2-4 teaspoons sambal oelek
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For Serving
- Chopped scallions
- Fresh cilantro
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
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Coat the bottom of a medium pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in an even layer. Cook 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the onion and continue to cook 5 minutes more, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and continue to sauté for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Add the water and star anise to the pot. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer until the mushrooms are very tender, about 15 minutes.
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While the soup simmers, coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the remaining tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until lightly browned and crispy on multiple sides. Transfer the tofu to a paper towel.
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Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain into a colander.
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Once the soup has finished simmering, remove it from the heat and stir in the sambal oelek, miso, and sesame oil. Taste test and adjust seasonings to your liking (but make sure the miso dissolves completely). Discard the star anise.
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To serve, divide the noodles into bowls and ladle the soup overtop. Top with tofu, scallions, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Serve.
Recipe Notes
You can skip the tofu for an easier version of this dish, or if you're just not into tofu.
The 3rd and 2nd last ingredients don’t actually list what they are, just how much. It says it’s a miso soup so I’m guessing one of the missing ingredients is the miso?
Sorry about that! I was trying to adjust my recipe format this morning and some of the ingredients started to display in white font! It’s fixed now. :)
Can I sub red miso sate for white miso paste?
Oops spelling error..my question was can i sub red miso paste instead of the white miso paste?
I’m sure that would work fine. The flavor would be a bit more intense, but still delicious I’m sure. :)
Made this last night subbing the red miso paste for the white miso paste. It was absolutely delicious! I tried making ramen once before (different recipe) and it was….ok…not something I’d make again. But THIS recipe was fantastic. Thank you SO SO much for this!! Being vegan I wanted to find a good vegan ramen recipe and this one really delivered !! Will def be making it again!! ❤️??❤️
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Maybe I’ll try using red miso next time too. :)
I made this just last night.
I added a jalapeño, used half a red onion, marinated the well drained tofu overnight in five spice, soy and sesame oil. Also my local store didn’t have miso paste, so I had to use a vegetable bullion mix. 1.5tbs. Utterly delicious thank you.
That all sounds delicious!! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Paul!
Made this for lunch today! I really wanted a broth soup. This really fit the bill! I water sautéed the veg and did not use the tofu as I didn’t have time to press. Also added spinach as I wanted a green and had some to use up. Loved it!! Thanks Alissa!!
Spinach sounds like it would be great in here! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Cathy!!
Tried this yesterday. I. Had a bunch of dried mushrooms on hand so i rehydrated them and used the mushroom stock instead plain water. It was delicious. I tossed in some carrot ribbons, snow peas,and micro greens for added pyto nutrients. I love soup recipes for there versatility. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
That sounds delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Do you need Sambal Oelek or is there a substitute for this flavour?
You could use another type of hot sauce, like sriracha, or even just spice it up with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker?
I think so, but I’m not sure about the cook time. I’m thinking 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 on low. I’d love to hear how it works out if you try!
I love this recipe and make it quite often. It’s fast and easy and so delicious! I like to had bokchoy to mine. The carrot ribbons and snow peas sound like a nice addition as well, I will try those in tonight’s batch. 🍜
Those all sound like delicious additions! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
Perfect Spiciness
I’m glad you think so! :)
Great, flavorful, simple ramen. Will definitely make again!
Wonderful!! I’m glad you like it!
Omg. This is INCREDIBLE!!! WOOOWWW! I think you should rename this to “crack soup” because I just cannot get enough. The level of umani…I am IN LOVE!!!
LOL! Yay!! I’m so glad you like it! Thanks Stephanie!