Vegan ramen

One of my favourite bowls of noodle soup in the world is ramen. You can't go past it. Shiitake mushrooms add gorgeous umami flavour in this version.

Vegan ramen. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Broth

• 40 g dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 L vegetable or mushroom stock
• 1 piece kombu
• ½ onion, cut into quarters

Garlic oil

• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 75 ml vegetable oil
• 25 ml sesame oil

Topping

• 1 head bok choy, halved lengthwise
• 2 packets ramen instant noodles
• 100 g smoked tofu, cut into cubes
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 20 ml peanut oil
• Handful beansprouts
• Salt and pepper

Sauce at the bottom

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• Pinch salt
• 30 ml soy sauce
• 2 tbsp chilli oil
• 2 tbsp tahini

Instructions

1. Place dried mushrooms in the vegetable stock with onion and kombu.
2. Bring to the boil then turn to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Remove the kombu.
3. To prepare the garlic oil, fry diced garlic in both oils over a medium heat until the garlic begins to lightly colour. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
4. Fry the bok choy in a little oil in a pan for a few minutes or until golden, charred and tender.
5. In a separate pan bring some water to the boil and place in the ramen noodles and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. At the bottom of your ramen bowl, place all the sauce ingredients and whisk together until combined.
7. Pour in the broth, add noodles, top with other toppings and finish with a spoonful of crispy garlic oil.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.