Ramen Vegan Recipe

This Ramen Vegan recipe combines a rich sesame paste broth with roasted Japanese eggplant, enoki mushrooms, bamboo shoots, corn, nori, and ramen noodles. Featured on VEGANnotvegan with Maddie and Kiki Longo, this plant-based bowl gets its creamy, savoury character from soy milk, shiitake mushrooms, kombu, red miso, sake, and Japanese sesame paste.

The Inspiration

Inspired by the rich and creamy character of tonkotsu-style ramen, this plant-based version creates plenty of depth without pork broth. Soy milk, vegetable stock, kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms, nutritional yeast, red miso, mushroom seasoning, and Neri Goma build a full-bodied base, while caramelized onion, garlic, and ginger add savoury flavour.

Charred Japanese eggplant brings a sweet and smoky contrast with miso, hoisin, maple syrup, five-spice, rice vinegar, and sesame oil, making this a bold VEGANnotvegan dish from Maddie and Kiki Longo.

Ingredients

For the Roasted Eggplant

2 large Japanese eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise, and then in 4 inch sections
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white miso paste
2 tbsp water
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 inch of ginger, grated
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil

For the Sesame Paste Broth

2 medium onions
2 tbsp vegetable oil
15 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 inches ginger, roughly chopped
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
12 large dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups soy milk
6 cups vegetable stock
2 (5’ x 5’) piece of Kombu
5 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp sake
3 tbsp mushroom seasoning powder
5 tbsp Neri Goma, Japanese Sesame Paste
4 tbsp red miso paste

For the Tonkotsu Ramen

6 cups of Sesame Paste Broth
8 slices of Roasted Eggplant
1 cup bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
6 scallions, sliced thinly
2 cups enoki mushrooms
1 cup corn kernels, canned
4 sheets of Nori seaweed
4 portions of Ramen noodles, fresh or dried
Togarashi powder, optional

Method

For the Roasted Eggplant

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and a grill to medium-high heat.
Mix together all the ingredients except the eggplant.
Brush the marinade on the eggplant slices on both sides.
Place marinated eggplant slices on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
Oil the grill and place eggplant on there cut side down.
Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely charred. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Baste the eggplant with excess marinade.
Remove from the grill and place the eggplant on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temp.
Warm before serving with Ramen.

For the Sesame Paste Broth

Make the tare by whisking together soy sauce, sake, mushroom seasoning powder, red miso paste and Neri Goma.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onion, and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring rarely so that it caramelizes heavily.
Add garlic and ginger, and cook for another 4-5 minutes with the same technique.
Add the veg stock, soy milk, kombu, shiitake mushrooms and nutritional yeast, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Remove the kombu after 20 minutes, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Strain and return to pot. Stir in the tare, adjust seasoning and keep warm for Ramen.

For the Tonkotsu Ramen

Blanch ramen noodles in boiling water, following the instructions on the package. Once ready, strain noodles and shake to remove as much water as possible. Place noodles in serving bowl. Pour broth over the noodles. Top with roasted eggplant, corn, bamboo shoots and enoki
mushrooms. Tuck a sheet of nori in the back of the bowl. Garnish with scallions and togarashi
powder.

Serving Suggestions

This Ramen Vegan is perfect for a comforting dinner, cool-weather meal, or restaurant-inspired plant-based supper. Serve the ramen immediately after assembling so the noodles remain springy and the sesame broth stays hot and creamy.

Arrange the roasted eggplant, enoki mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and corn in distinct sections for an attractive presentation, then finish with scallions, nori, and optional togarashi for additional colour and spice. The rich sesame-miso broth and generous toppings make this ramen substantial enough to serve as a complete main course.

Final Thoughts

This Ramen Vegan recipe creates deep, satisfying flavour through a carefully layered sesame and miso broth. Soy milk provides creaminess, while shiitake mushrooms, kombu, nutritional yeast, mushroom seasoning, and vegetable stock contribute savoury depth.

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