January is officially here, meaning many of us will be on the lookout for warming and comforting meals to eat during the cold evenings we’re having. This miso ramen dish in oat milk broth is a great dish to add to your weekly dinner rotation.

It’s completely vegan, and ideal for those embarking on a plant-based diet for the first time this Veganuary. The recipe’s creator, Lucy Johnson (of Edible Ethics), was inspired to make it after visiting ramen bars in Japan. Many ramen recipes use soy milk, but she decided to use oat milk as an alternative – according to Johnson, it works “an absolute charm.” She recommends using barista-style oat milk to ensure it’s creamy enough.

This vegan ramen recipe also uses firm tofu and edamame, which are both plant-based sources of protein. Other ingredients include tenderstem broccoli, tamari soy sauce, and nutritional yeast.

Here’s how to make it:

This creamy umami flavoured ramen is true comfort food. It has been based on traditional Japanese ramen recipes, but veganized.

A vegan ramen recipe with tofu and oat milk

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Duration50

Cook Time20

Prep Time20

Servings

Ingredients

Tare (sauce base)

4 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
100 g red miso
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1 tsp chilli oil
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar

Broth

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 brown onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cm fresh ginger, peeled & grated
5 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms, washed in hot water & roughly chopped
1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
600 ml vegetable stock
600 ml oat milk

Toppings

250 g ramen noodles
250 g tenderstem broccoli
100 g edamame beans, defrosted
280 g firm tofu
1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Start by toasting 4 tbsp of sesame seeds in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Make sure to move the seeds around the pan so they don't burn. Fry until they are golden and the seeds are popping out of the pan. Remove from the heat and cool
Put your cooled sesame seeds into a blender with the rest of the tare ingredients and blend until it forms a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can do this step in a mortar & pestle but the paste will be a bit rough. Set aside the tare until later.
Heat up 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a casserole pot and cook off your chopped onion for about 10 minutes on a medium heat. The onion should be soft and golden
Add your chopped garlic, grated ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and dried wakame seaweed in with your onions and fry off for another 2-3 minutes
Pour the vegetable stock and oat milk into the pot and bring to a low simmer. Cook this for 20 minutes, making sure not to let it boil as this can cause the oat milk to split
Meanwhile, you can prep your toppings. If you are using the same toppings as me, then follow the next steps:
Prepare the tofu by slicing it into thin squares and coating it in 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Then press each slice into some cornflour.
Get a frying pan on a medium-high heat with a little bit more of the sesame oil. Fry off the tofu on each side until it is lovely and crispy. This should take about 4-5 minutes on each side
Once the tofu is cooked, set aside and add your broccoli into the pan and fry these off on a high heat until the edges char and the insides are nice and soft. This should take about 8 minutes, but does depend on the size of your broccoli
Cook the noodles to the packet instructions and then drain and rinse under cold water to stop them from overcooking. You can drain and coat them in a little oil to stop them from sticking
At the same time, cook your edamame beans according to packet instructions and drain and rinse them to stop them from overcooking
Now return to your broth. Once it is cooked, pour it into your blender with the nutritional yeast and blend the mix until it is smooth and you can't see any bits. It should turn to a really creamy yellow-brown colour
Put the blended broth back into a saucepan and put on to a low-medium heat so that it stays warm whilst you plate up
Evenly dollop out your tare sauce base into each serving bowl and then pour the broth on top of each. Using a chopstick or a fork, gently mix the tare into the broth so that it starts to incorporate
Portion out the noodles into the bowls
Place the tofu, broccoli and edamame on top. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, chilli flakes, and a lime wedge
Slurp up!

This recipe was republished with permission from Lucy Johnson, the vegan recipe developer behind Edible Ethics. You can find the original recipe here.