Weeknight Vegan Ramen with Smoked Tofu and Greens

Better than take out: packed with protein and veggies, with a flavourful ginger + soy broth. Everything comes together in one pot, in less than a half hour!

Friends, there are few things that hit like a big bowl of noodles. I’m always into it: a rich, umami packed broth so good, it’s drinkable. Chewy, tender noodles to slurp up, the noisier the better!

And THIS is exactly the kind of vegan recipe that will satisfy any plant-based skeptic: the chewy smoked tofu gives the broth an almost pork-like flavour. You can use any greens you have on hand, so grab whatever is on sale this week at the store! Make it classic with fried ramen bricks or keep it lighter with non-fried ramen…OR gluten free ramen if you need it. I’m still a dietitian, after all…wanna make sure you’ve got OPTIONS.

My not-so-secret ingredient for making instant broths that taste as good as one you’ve simmered for an hour? Better than Bouillon vegetarian “beef” concentrate. If you’ve been here for a while, you know how obsessed I am with the BTB – it’s all I use in my book Plant Magic because it just tastes SO much better than boxed broths and it’s a lot more affordable and eco-friendly because you don’t have to buy all those cartons.

I know some of my American friends have a harder time finding smoked tofu so here’s the hookup: Trader Joe’s baked tofu is similar, I recommend the Sriracha version! Whole Foods typically has one too. If you don’t have access to a neighbourhood Asian grocer like I do, these are the best options. And of course, this will be delicious with regular tofu too… though, if you want to kick it up a notch, my crispy baked tofu would be the perfect addition.

Ramen is a comfort food staple: from the budget-friendly instant varieties I grew up on, to the incredible hand-crafted ramen in restaurants that takes hours to prepare. My version is not exactly traditional, but it was born of wanting to create something flavourful and nourishing at home.

How to make this 20-ish minute vegan ramen

Ready for some weeknight comfort food? With just 9 ingredients and a wee bit of chopping, we’ll have you slurping and satisfied in no time! We’re cooking the ramen right in the pot with the broth and veggies…so clean up is a breeze. I highly recommend you have all the ingredients ready to go as this ramen is so speedy, you don’t want to be rummaging through the pantry while things cook!

First things first: grab those ingredients! You’ll need some fresh garlic, green onions, ginger, a bunch of greens (I use kale or baby bok choy most often), soy sauce, gochujang or your fave hot sauce, Better than Bouillon vegetarian beef concentrate, a brick of smoked tofu and 4 portions of ramen. Plus a bit of oil for cooking! Exact measurements and recipe in the recipe card below.

Step One: Heat the oil in a soup pot and cook the garlic, green onions and ginger on medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Then add the kale leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

Step Two: Add the water, bouillon concentrate, gojuchang and soy sauce and bring to a boil on medium high. Once boiling, add the tofu and ramen and cook to package directions (usually 3-4 minutes).

Step Three: Eat. Yep, it’s actually that easy.

Swaps and stuff…cuz we all like to eat good food.

• Gluten free? If you have celiac disease, Lotus Foods ramen is a great choice. Make sure to use gluten free soy sauce or tamari, and that your hot sauce brand is GF. BTB is not celiac-friendly although it doesn’t use gluten-containing ingredients, so use GoBio or Knorr instead for plant-based and gluten free options! I might add a bit of extra garlic powder and soy sauce to add umami.
• Low FODMAP? As above, use GF ramen and tamari. Use a garlic-free hot sauce and FODY low FODMAP bouillon. Swap garlic for two extra green onions and use only the dark green tops.

More easy vegan dinners:

• Vegan Mac and Cheese with Silken Tofu Sauce
• Smoky Red Lentil Chili
• Buffalo Shredded Tofu Wrap
• 30 Minute Smashed Black Bean Tacos
• Carrot, Lentil and Fresh Ginger Soup with Coconut Milk

Print

Weeknight Vegan Ramen with Smoked Tofu and Greens

Better than take out: packed with protein and veggies, with a flavourful ginger + soy broth. Everything comes together in one pot in less than a half hour!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Japanese

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Ginger, kale, Tofu

Dietary Preference dairy free, egg free, low FODMAP, nut free, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Desiree Nielsen, RD

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other, neutral oil
• 4 whole green onions thinly sliced, see notes for LoFO
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger finely chopped
• 1 small bunch greens thinly sliced (kale, chard, bok choy, gai lan are all good)
• 4 cups water or swap 4 cups of your favourite broth and omit bouillon concentrate
• 1 tablespoon better than bouillon vegetarian beef concentrate see below for GF/LoFo options
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce gluten free if needed
• 1 – 2 tablespoons gochujang or your favourite hot sauce, GF/LoFo if needed
• 1 package smoked tofu diced
• 4 bricks ramen any kind!

Imperial – Metric

Instructions

• Low waste tip! If using a green with a stem, separate the stems, and finely chop them…we’ll use them next.
• Heat the oil in a soup pot and cook the garlic, green onions, ginger and chopped stems (if using) on medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Then add the kale leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the water, bouillon concentrate, gojuchang and soy sauce and bring to a boil on medium high.
• Once boiling, add the tofu and ramen and cook to package directions (usually 3-4 minutes) and enjoy!
• Flavour tip: If using something other than BTB concentrate, taste and adjust with more soy sauce, hot sauce or even a bit of garlic powder or miso if desired.

Notes

Gluten free? If you have celiac disease, Lotus Foods ramen is a great choice. Make sure to use gluten free soy sauce or tamari, and that your hot sauce brand is GF. BTB is also not celiac-friendly although it doesn’t use gluten-containing ingredients, so use GoBio or Knorr instead for plant-based and gluten free options! I might add a bit of extra garlic powder and soy sauce to add umami.

Low FODMAP? As above, use GF ramen and tamari. Use a garlic-free hot sauce and FODY low FODMAP bouillon. Swap garlic for two extra green onions and use only the dark green tops.

Make this recipe your own: use whatever veggies and hot sauce you have on hand. You could also totally do this spaghetti or rice noodles if that’s what you’ve got. Your house, your rules!

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