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Let me preface this post by saying this recipe is NOT meant to be made in a microwave. Gone are the days of instant ramen noodles; put down that Styrofoam cup, Linda! This creamy vegan ramen is a beautifully crafted noodle bowl filled to the brim with veggies and incredible flavors. As always, I’ve taken this trendy dish and put my FoodByMaria vegan stamp on it – think rich, creamy broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and customizable toppings that’ll make you forget all about those instant packages.
Why You’ll Love Creamy Vegan Ramen
- Rich and Creamy: The velvety ramen broth is seriously the star here, creating a luxurious base that’ll have you craving more.
- Versatile: Customize with whatever veggies you have in your fridge and add your own toppings to make it uniquely yours.
- Packed with Flavor: The umami-rich broth combines with perfectly seasoned toppings for a restaurant-worthy bowl.
- Protein-Rich: This creamy vegan ramen features seitan strips that pack more protein than tofu, making this a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Homemade Broth – The heart and soul of this creamy vegan ramen. While store-bought works, my homemade version creates a rich umami base that elevates every component. Make extra to freeze – you’ll thank yourself later! The combination of miso, vegetable stock, and coconut aminos creates depth that rivals traditional ramen broths.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Seitan Strips – This protein powerhouse contains 2.5 times more protein than tofu. Developed by Buddhist monks, seitan is rich in iron, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. It absorbs flavors beautifully while maintaining a satisfying, meaty texture.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Ramen
1. Add your Seitan into a small bowl with coconut aminos, hot sauce, and oil. Stir and let marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Into a medium-sized saucepan add your coconut oil and heat on medium for 30 seconds before adding the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Reduce heat to low and add your miso paste, vegetable stock paste, and peanut butter. Stir, removing clumps, and combining all ingredients.
3. Now add your coconut aminos, chili sauce, and lime. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes or until extremely fragrant. Add water and bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add green onions and cilantro before turning off the heat and setting aside.
4. Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium for 30 seconds before adding the marinated seitan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. You want it crispy but still soft. Once cooked, set aside.
5. Steam your vegetables and dumplings of choice, season lightly, and set aside.
6. Cook your noodles, strain, and set aside.
7. To assemble your creamy ramen, add your noodles to a bowl, followed by your desired amount of broth. Top with veggies, dumplings, and Seitan. Serve topped with fresh green onion, cilantro, and chili oil.
Tips and Tricks
- Broth: Let your broth simmer long enough to develop deep flavors. Don’t rush this step – it’s where the magic happens.
- Noodles: Cook your ramen noodles until they are just al dente. They’ll continue cooking slightly in the hot broth.
- Seitan: Marinate the seitan thoroughly and achieve a nice sear for maximum flavor.
- Assembly Order: Layer noodles first, then hot broth, followed by toppings. This ensures everything stays at the right temperature.
- Make Extra: Double the broth recipe and freeze portions for quick future meals.
Substitutions
Here are some simple substitutions that can be easily made to make the creamy vegan ramen your own:
- Noodles: Traditional ramen noodles can be swapped for rice noodles, udon, or even gluten-free options. Each type creates a different but equally delicious experience.
- Protein: While seitan is very protein-rich, you can also try marinated tofu, tempeh, or even king oyster mushrooms for variety. Each brings its own texture and protein profile.
- Broth Base: If you don’t have miso, combine tahini with soy sauce for a similar umami effect. Coconut milk can replace other creamy elements for extra richness.
- Vegetables: Mix and match with bok choy, corn, broccoli, spinach, or kimchi. Fresh, frozen, or fermented vegetables all work beautifully.
- Toppings: For added texture and flavor, experiment with different oils (chili, garlic, sesame), fresh herbs, or crushed nuts.
Best served with
- Easy Vegan Carrot Salad
- Vegan Rice Paper Rolls with Peanut Sauce
- Easy Asian-Style Tuna Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Air Fryer Crab Cakes
How to Store Leftovers
Store broth and noodles separately in airtight containers. The broth can be kept for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat the broth separately and add fresh noodles for best results.
Common Questions
Yes! Make the broth in advance and freeze in portions. Cook fresh noodles and prepare toppings when ready to serve.
Fresh ingredients and homemade broth create deeper flavors and better nutrition. Plus, you can control the sodium and avoid preservatives.
Add a splash of more coconut milk or a tablespoon of tahini to the broth for extra richness.
Combining miso, vegetable stock, garlic, ginger, and coconut aminos creates layers of umami flavor that develop as they simmer together.
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Ingredients
Ramen Broth:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch cube of ginger, finely chopped
- 1 heaped tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp. vegetable stock paste
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp. chili sauce
- 3 tbsp. lime juice
- 4 cups of water
- ¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, fresh
For the Seitan or Tempeh
- 1 cup Seitan or Tempeh
- 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- season to taste
Toppings:
- Steamed dumplings
- Steamed boy choi – can also add vegetables like corn, cooked spinach, mushroom and brocolli.
- 2 packets cooked ramen noodles
Instructions
Start Cooking- Add your Seitan or Tempeh into a small bowl with coconut aminos, hot sauce and oil. Stir and let marinate for 20 minutes.
- Into a medium sized sauce pan add your coconut oil and heat on medium for 30 seconds before adding the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Reduce heat to low and add your miso paste, vegetable stock paste and peanut butter. Stir, removing clumps and combining all ingredients. Now add your coconut aminos, chili sauce and lime. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes or until extremely fragrant. Add water and bring mixture to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Add green onions and cilantro before turning off heat and setting aside.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium for 30 seconds before adding the marinated seitan or tempeh. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. You want it crispy but still soft. Once cooked set aside.
- Steam your vegetables and dumplings of choice, season lightly and set aside.
- Cook your noodles, strain and set aside.
- To assemble your creamy ramen, add your noodles to a bowl, followed by your desired amount of broth. Top with veggies, dumplings and Seitan. Serve topped with fresh green onion, cilantro and chili oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Sweet Earth Foods
54 people are discussing this recipe. Join in
So delicious & super easy to cook.
Isn’t it just the best?! Thank you!
Absolute flavour bomb! Will be making this on repeat.
Thank you so much for your love, Vicky! I love this recipe too!
Cooked this to heal my flu, I topped it with Tofu, mushrooms, broccolini, bok and choy and fresh chilli!
Only downside was my noodle choice, being GF it just wasn’t as good as regular ramen noodles
But otherwise full of flavor and goodness
Hey girl, hey! So glad I could be there for you to help heal your flu, I hope you feel better. This broth is one of my favourites. Noted on the GF noodles!
This is literally the most flavorful broth I have ever tasted. I have become a cooking goddess thanks to Maria!! I added dried oyster mushrooms at the end of the cooking of the broth and they were so meaty! I used tofu instead of seitan and it was awesome still!! This is a new family favorite!!
THERESA!! This makes me so happy. Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and love for the recipes!
Super tasty and easy to put together! More of a Thai flavor than I was anticipating but very good. Added tofu, mushrooms and carrots
Thank you so much for the love Mackenzie!!
I just discovered ramen this year (I know! but my childhood memories of the instant kind just kept me away) and this recipe is just awesome. I didn’t think it was possible to make restaurant quality ramen at home, but Maria has proved me wrong. I make this with bok choy, mushrooms, broccoli and pan fried tofu cubes and it is drool worthy.
OH MY LORD!!! Jessie, this sounds freaking incredible!
I LOVE RAMEN! I crave it all the time, so the fact that I can make this perfectly umami flavoured broth at home is everything. And it was so easy! I added bok choy, bamboo shoots, corn and nori to mine.
Can you tell me where you buy your Good Earth Seitan Strips in Calgary? I couldn’t find it this past weekend…and was hesitant to try another brand.
You are the best Adrienne, thanks so much! I believe community may sell them if not you can go online and buy them from natural health foods stores in Canada. I hope that helps!
Absolutely loved making this recipe! Such delicious flavours and the non- vegan boyfriend absolutely devoured it which is always a WIN!
Thank you so much for the love!!
This was delicious!! Thanks for such a tasty recipe. We will definitely make it again.
YESS!! Thanks, Alanna, we’re so glad you enjoyed this Ramen!
Oh my GOD, this ramen!!! The broth was so full of flavour, super easy to make too! We loved this and will 100% be making it again. All your recipes are fantastic!
Thank you so much for the love, Kendra! This soup is one of our favourites. Glad you loved it too!