Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a large bowl of ramen. And it has to have lots of noodles, and be a tiny bit spicy, and maybe even garnished with lime juice. I’ve tried so many vegan ramen recipes over the years, but none of them have curbed my craving. So I finally perfected my ideal ramen recipe.
It’s tangy, it’s spicy, it is filled with shiitake mushrooms, but most of all, it is overflowing with noodley goodness. It is also oil free! This recipe is relatively easy and quick to make. So go ahead, whip some up!
It also works great as leftovers. When my husband is on a ramen kick, I make a big batch of the broth and freeze them in mason jars. Then a couple hours before lunch, he will take it out of the freezer to thaw a bit, then heat it up in one pot and make the ramen noodles in another. Viola, a quick lunch! Of course it would be even quicker with a microwave, but we have been microwave deficient for many years now.
Print Recipe
Ramen with Dry Fried Tofu
Instructions
Drain the tofu and slice into 1 inch steaks. Fold the steaks between a clean dish towel, with a cutting board on bottom and top, and put a heavy pot on top to press. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat a large soup pot on medium high heat. add garlic, ginger and a small splash of veggie broth. Cook and stir for a minute or so, being careful not to burn it.
Add in the rest of the veggie broth, tamari, rice vinegar and water and bring to a low boil.
Add green onions, bell pepper and mushrooms and let simmer for at least 5 minutes. More time will just enhance the flavor of the soup.
While the soup is simmering, start a pot of water to boil for the ramen patties. Then heat a cast iron pan to medium high heat.
Unwrap the tofu and slice steaks in half into squares. When the pan is hot, carefully place each square an inch apart. Use a spatula to press down on each tofu piece. Do this a couple times. After about 2 minutes, carefully flip each piece of tofu and cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until browned on each side. Set the tofu aside.
Now boil your ramen according to the package directions.
When ramen is done, strain and divide it into serving bowls. Scoop a good amount of soup into each bowl and top with tofu squares. serve with lime and garlic chili sauce or siriacha.
