One-pot kimchi ramen in 20 minutes? Yes please! Ramen usually comes with many ingredients prepared in different ways, piled together in layers atop the noodles. This recipe defies tradition in favour of speed and ease but is full of flavour from kimchi and miso, Veggies and tofu all get tossed in the boiling water of the ramen and served in prepared bowls with the broth ingredients ready to dissolve into noodly deliciousness.
This recipe is really all about the broth. You can add any noodles or vegetables you like, switch up the proteins. If you have some leftover seitan or something from another meal, go ahead and throw it on top. Make sure any substitute veggies are chopped fine enough to cook within three minutes, but not so fine you can’t pick them up with chopsticks. I aim for one green vegetable and one red or orange vegetable, just because variety is nice and colours matter. But really, it’s up to you. If you can’t find vegan kimchi, fear not! I will be posting my recipe for it this weekend. I promise kimchi is way easier to make than you think it is, and who doesn’t love a bit of kitchen science? If you get some in a jar, that works perfectly fine too. Just bear in mind that all kimchi tastes different, so taste it before you decide how much to add to your bowl.
Easy Vegan One-Pot Kimchi Ramen
Equipment
- Large Pot You'll need a very large pot to cook the noodles, tofu, carrots, and bok choy. Make sure it's large enough to accommodate all the ingredients and water.
- Tea Kettle You'll need a tea kettle to boil water separately. This boiled water will be poured over the noodles in each bowl to create the broth.
- Cutting Board and Knife You'll need a cutting board and a knife to chop the bok choy, peel and slice the carrots, and cube the firm tofu.
- Bowls and Spoons You'll need bowls to serve the ramen in, and spoons to mix the miso paste and other seasonings.
- Stirring Utensils You'll need utensils such as a spoon or chopsticks to stir and mix the ingredients as you're cooking.
Ingredients
For the pot
- 1 package udon, spahgetti, or other noodles of your choice, preferably ones that take at least 3 minutes to cook choose an amount of dry noodles that will prepare 4 servings, according to the package instructions
- 1 head bok choy or other greens first wash, then chop the whole head vertically into quarters and then horizontally into 1-inch thick slices
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced on the bias about 1/4 inch thick
- 1 block firm tofu cubed about 1 inch thick
For each bowl:
- 1-2 tablespoons brown rice miso
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin if you don't have mirin, add a half teaspoon of sugar or sweetener instead
- 1 tablespoon mellow vinegar I use brown rice vinegar but apple cider or plain white vinegar is totally good. If you're feeling wild, try lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter olive oil works too but the creaminess of the butter is very nice in ramen
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/4-1/3 cup vegan kimchi plus some of the kimchi juice
Instructions
For the pot
- In a very large pot, boil water and cook noodles according to package instructions
- When the noodles are 3 minutes away from being done, add the tofu and carrots, stirring and bringing back up to a boil for the remaining time
- Immediately before draining the noodles, add the bok choy all at once, pressing it into the water before draining completely
- Immediately before draining the noodles, add the bok choy all at once, pressing it into the water before draining completely
- Set a full tea kettle of water on to boil.
For the bowls
- Add the miso to each bowl of ramen
- Add the prepared noodles/ veg/ tofu mixure to each bowl, about 1 1/2 cups per serving
- Pour the boiled water from the kettle over the noodles in each bowl until it is an inch below the top of the noodles, using your spoon to stir up the miso mixture from the bottom and dissolving it into the broth
- Add the vegan butter and sesame oil, stirring briefly, then the kimchi
- Taste the broth and add a splash of kimchi juice until it tastes delicious. If it still tastes too sour, add some more soy sauce and maybe a sprinkle of sugar. If it takes too salty, add more water and a splash of vinegar. If it tastes like it's missing something but you don't know what, add more sesame oil and a splash more sesame oil. Enjoy your ramen and save any leftover noodles in a container in the fridge for later in the week.
