Easy Vegetarian Ramen With Rich, Savory Broth

 

Easy Vegetarian Ramen with Rich, Savory Broth

If you’ve been pining for a vegetarian ramen that’s full of heft and deep, savory flavor, look no further. This is it. The longer you steep 

the dried shiitakes, the deeper the flavor will be — so 

if you can spare 10 minutes in the morning or the night before, it’s worth starting the recipe then. If not, you can make it all at once, and it will still be delicious. The only real trick to ramen is that there are a lot of moving parts at the very end. Enlist a helper to assemble the bowls, or just shake it like a boss for five minutes before serving. It’s fun and totally worth it.

Ingredients

8 cups good low-sodium vegetable broth, this is my favorite by far

1 ounce dried shiitakes, 15-20 mushrooms

¼ cup low-sodium tamari or other good soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon good butter

1 tablespoon white miso paste

1 tablespoon mirin, rice wine

10 ounces baby spinach

4 eggs

10 ounces sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

4 servings fresh or dry ramen noodles*

One 6-ounce package baked tofu, at room temperature

2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts sliced

Gomasio, sesame salt

Toasted sesame oil with hot chili

Directions:

Combine the vegetable broth and dried shiitakes in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let mushrooms steep for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

Remove mushrooms from pot and roughly chop, removing and discarding stems. Add mushrooms to a blender with one cup of the broth and puree until perfectly smooth. Add this mixture back to the stock pot along with the tamari. The broth can sit at this stage until shortly before serving, up to a few days in the fridge if you like.

In a large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, two minutes more. Add this mixture to the stock pot.

Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for about a minute, until just wilted. Remove from pot and set aside.  Add eggs to pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice bath and carefully peel when cool enough to touch.

Return water to boil, then add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and divide noodles among four large bowls.

While noodles cook, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same frying pan used for the onion and heat over medium-high. Add the sliced shiitakes along with a couple of good pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced in volume and nicely browned in spots, about 10 minutes.  

To assemble the ramen, bring the broth back up to a simmer and then remove from heat. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, miso paste and mirin. Ladle some broth over the noodles in each bowl, just shy of the level of the noodles. Arrange a little pile of spinach and of shiitakes in each bowl. Slice the tofu and arrange a few slices in each bowl. Cut each egg in half and place two halves in each bowl. Sprinkle with scallions, gomasio and a little toasted sesame chili oil, with extra garnishes to pass at the table. 

Serve with chopsticks and large spoons.  Serves 6 to 8

• To assemble the ramen, bring the broth back up to a simmer and then remove from heat. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, miso paste and mirin. Ladle some broth over the noodles in each bowl, just shy of the level of the noodles. Arrange a little pile of spinach and of shiitakes in each bowl. Slice the tofu and arrange a few slices in each bowl. Cut each egg in half and place two halves in each bowl. Sprinkle with scallions, gomasio and a little toasted sesame chili oil, with extra garnishes to pass at the table.
  
  Serve with chopsticks and large spoons

Miso Tofu & Aubergine. (Eggplant)

Miso Tofu with Aubergine  (Eggplant)

Miso, rice wine and vinegar combine with aubergine and tofu, for a dish packed full of flavor.  Brown rice miso paste is richer and deeper in flavor than white miso and can be used to make a simple miso soup or to enrich marinades and stews.  It is a great way to add umami flavor to vegan and veggies dishes or meaty stews.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sunflower oil.

2 aubergines, trimmed and cut in one inch chunks

10oz pack tofu

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine,

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 salad green onions, finely sliced (greens and whites separated)

Optional:  sliced red chilis and steamed rice, to serve

Miso Sauce;

1 1/2 tablespoons Brown Rice Miso

1 1/2 tablespoon rice wine

1 1/2 tablespoon reduced salt soy sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Japanese Rice Vinegar 

Directions:

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan that has a lid over a medium-high heat.  Add the aubergine and fry, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons water to the pan.  Cover with the lid and let steam for 5 minutes, stirring halfway.  Tip onto a plated set aside.

Pat the tofu dry with a paper towel.  In a small bowl add the miso paste ingredients with 2 tablespoons water.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan and fry the garlic, ginger, and salad onion whites for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.  Return the aubergines to the pan and fry for 2 minutes.  Stir in the miso sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Cut the tofu into one inch chunks and gently stir into the pan, coating in the sauce and heating until piping hot throughout.  Scatter with the salad onion greens and serve with Steamed rice and sliced red chilis if desired.

 

Bok Choy And Mushrooom Stir-Fry

Bok Choy And Mushroom Stir-Fry

Think of mild-flavored, juicy bok choy as an invitation to experiment in the kitchen. It's especially good with earthy mushrooms. Thoroughly drying the bok choy before cooking ensures that you don't end up with a watery sauce.
Ingredients
1 pound baby bok choy
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
5 ounces small fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, button, beech, or enoki (cut into clumps), rinsed, tough parts of stems trimmed
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine* or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper

Directions:
Trim bases of bok choy and separate outer leaves from stalks, leaving the smallest inner leaves attached. Rinse and thoroughly dry bok choy in a salad spinner.

Heat a wok or large frying pan (not nonstick) over medium-high heat until hot when you wave your hand over the bottom. Add vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger and stir once; then immediately add mushrooms and stir-fry until they just begin to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add rice wine and cook 30 seconds. Add bok choy leaves and stalks and cook, tossing with tongs, until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. The wok may seem crowded, but the leaves wilt quite a bit.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper; cook, tossing often, until bok choy is tender-crisp, another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Three Cup Chicken

Three Cup Chicken

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 2-to-3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into coins, approximately 12
12 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 whole scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 dried red peppers or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless or bone-in, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon unrefined or light brown sugar
½ cup rice wine
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves or regular basil leaves

Directions:
Heat a wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons sesame oil. When the oil shimmers, add the ginger, garlic, scallions and peppers, and cook until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.

Scrape the aromatics to the sides of the wok, add remaining oil and allow to heat through. Add the chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and crisping at the edges, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

Add sugar and stir to combine, then add the rice wine and soy sauce, and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat, then simmer until the sauce has reduced and started to thicken, approximately 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the basil and stir to combine. Serve with white rice.