This vegetarian (with a vegan option) miso mushroom ramen is made with only 10 supermarket-friendly ingredients. Be sure to check out all the #FoodieMamas mushroom recipes at the end of this post!
When did you have your first bowl of ramen?
I remember my grandmother feeding me Oodles of Noodles when I was a kid. It wasn’t gourmet, but it was a meal I loved despite the occasional questionable addition. Later, as a young adult studying in London, I discovered real ramen at a Japanese noodle bar called Wagamama. That experience—springy noodles, deeply savory broth, a perfect runny egg and the inevitable mess of chopsticks and spoon—hooked me.
After moving to New York City, I had easy access to excellent ramen spots like Ippudo, Momofuku Noodle Bar, and Chuko near our Brooklyn apartment. But now that we live in the suburbs, ramen restaurants are harder to come by. I worried making ramen at home would be time-consuming and require specialty ingredients. It turns out I was wrong.
You can make a crave-worthy bowl of miso mushroom ramen in under an hour with just 10 ingredients from your local supermarket. It’s vegetarian, and there’s an easy vegan option too.
The broth is a simple, savory mushroom base flavored with scallions, fresh ginger, garlic, a touch of sesame oil, soy sauce, and white miso paste for depth and a slight creaminess. I kept the vegetables straightforward with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and baby spinach, but you can add shredded carrots, kale, bok choy, or whatever you prefer.
If you have access to fresh ramen noodles from an upscale grocery store, those are great. I often use two packages of instant ramen noodles—just discard the flavor packets. The noodles cook quickly and soak up the flavorful broth.
For an authentic finishing touch, top each bowl with a six-minute egg. To make the recipe vegan, omit the egg or substitute pan-fried tofu cubes. Finish with chopped scallions and a squirt of sriracha if you like heat.
What inspired me to finally make ramen at home was the #FoodieMamas ingredient challenge—this month’s theme was mushrooms. Below are the details for my Easy Miso Mushroom Ramen recipe along with other contributors’ mushroom dishes.
Easy Miso Mushroom Ramen
2016-04-15 00:18:56
Serves 4
You can prepare the broth a day or two ahead. Reheat and add the noodles and spinach before serving. To make this vegan, omit the eggs or substitute pan-fried tofu.
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Ingredients
- 1 (0.5-ounce) package dried mushrooms (preferably shiitake)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil)
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped, whites and greens divided
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 packages instant ramen noodles, flavor packets discarded
- 2–3 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 2 cups)
- 4 soft-cooked eggs (optional)
- Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with 4 cups of hot water. Let sit 15–20 minutes until softened. Strain, reserving the soaking liquid and avoiding any grit. Coarsely chop the rehydrated mushrooms.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil (or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil) over medium. Add the scallion whites, ginger and garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the remaining oil, the rehydrated mushrooms and the fresh shiitakes. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms release their liquid and soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, 2 cups of water and the soy sauce. Bring to a simmer. Stir a small amount of broth into the miso paste until smooth, then add it back to the pot. Add the ramen noodles and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the spinach. Cover and let stand until wilted, about 2 minutes. If you prefer more broth, add another cup of water. Ladle into bowls and top with a soft-cooked egg, sprinkle with scallion greens and add sriracha if desired.
Notes
- To make a six-minute egg: bring water to a boil, gently add the egg and cook exactly six minutes. Transfer to an ice bath, cool completely, then peel and halve.
By Turnip the Oven
Turnip the Oven
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Balsamic Marinated Baked Portobello Mushrooms from Sara at Life’s Little Sweets.
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