This homemade vegan dashi ramen comes together quickly with vegan dashi granules delivering a deep, umami flavor profile.
I wrote about dashi once before in my vegan dashi miso broth recipe. Vegan dashi powder is one of my go-to flavor profiles for a quick weeknight dinner. The combination of ground mushrooms and seaweed makes for an irresistible combination that you can use in broths or sprinkle over vegetables or plant-based meats.
Tonight, I used one of my favorite brands of vegan dashi granules, Muso from Japan, as the profile base for my ramen.
This umami broth is something I strongly recommend keeping tucked away in your pantry. You can whip up a quick bowl of miso soup or a noodle bowl that has a deep, savory flavor.
What is dashi?
Dashi is a family of stocks from Japan. While there are many variations of dashi, a classic dashi is made from bonito flakes and kelp.
This vegan dashi swaps the bonito flakes for shiitake mushrooms to deliver that umami flavor.
To cook with dashi powder, you can simply mix it with warm water and use it as you would vegetable stock. Personally, I like to sprinkle it over my soup vegetables and let it brown in the pot a bit. I find it enhances the flavor.
How to make this vegan dashi ramen recipe:
My favorite part of this vegan ramen recipe? The frizzled ginger! It’s crisp and tastes delicious on top. The bowl is finished with a drizzle of the prepared ginger oil, which makes everything even tastier.
What you need
- Ramen broth: You’ll use an onion, scallion whites, and sliced shiitake mushrooms. You’ll sprinkle these with vegan dashi powder and simmer in water. I add halved baby bok choy at the end. I finish the broth with sesame oil, tamari, and mirin.
- Frizzled ginger: For the frizzled ginger, you need a 3-inch piece of ginger, neutral oil, sesame seeds, and minced scallion greens.
- Noodles: As the name suggests, I use ramen. You can use soba, udon, or somen if you prefer.
- Protein: I use cubed soft tofu, but you can make this with plant-based shrimp or any plant-based protein that you like. You can even use a can of chickpeas.
How to make it
- Step 1: Start with the broth. Sauté the onion, scallion whites, and mushrooms briefly. Sprinkle the dashi powder on top, and then add water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Make the frizzled ginger. Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan until hot. Once hot, add the shaved ginger and cook briefly, stirring often, until golden brown. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon the transfer the ginger to a plate. Sprinkle it with salt. Let the oil cool down for a couple of minutes, and then add the scallion greens and sesame seeds.
- Step 3: Make the noodles. Cook them up, drain them, and divide them between bowls.
- Step 4: Finish the ramen. Add the cubed tofu, sesame oil, tamari, mirin, and bok choy to the pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the bok choy is tender.
- Step 5: Serve it up! Ladle the broth over the cooked noodles, drizzle the ginger oil on top, and finish with a pinch of crispy ginger.
I hope you loved this ramen as much as I did! If you decide to make it, please rate it and leave a comment below to let me know what you think!
Vegan Dashi Ramen
Equipment
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 scallions, trimmed and minced; white and green parts kept separate
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps thinly sliced and stems discarded
- 6 cups water
- 2 packets vegan dashi granules
- ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 heads baby bok choy, trimmed, rinsed, and halved lengthwise
- 16 ounces soft tofu, diced into small cubes
- 20 ounces fresh ramen or use 8 ounces of dry
- Salt
Frizzled ginger:
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 3- inch piece of ginger, peeled and shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; use black, white, or a mix
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the ramen broth:
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, scallion whites, and shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 5–7 minutes. Season lightly with salt.
- Sprinkle the dashi granules on top and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Pour the water on top and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Make the frizzled ginger:
- Heat ¼ cup neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat as the broth simmers. Once hot, add the shaved ginger to the oil and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. As soon as the ginger turns golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the oil and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Add a pinch of salt.
- Remove the oil from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir the minced scallion greens and sesame seeds into the warm oil. Add a pinch of salt. Let cool before transferring to a bowl.
Make the noodles:
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain through a colander and rinse. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls.
Finish the broth:
- Add the tamari, mirin, and sesame oil to the ramen broth. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Add the boy choy and tofu. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Once the boy choy is tender, remove the pot from heat.
To serve:
- Ladle the warm broth over each bowl of noodles. Drizzle the ginger-scallion oil on top. Finish each bowl with a pinch of frizzled ginger on top. Enjoy!