Shio Ramen

Bowl of vegan shio ramen soup noodles topped with seared tofu and greens

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A light and savory vegan shio ramen with a delicate salt-based broth, crispy tofu, fresh greens, and springy noodles.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Main dishes

Cuisine: ramen, vegan, vegan Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 569kcal

Author: Aaron Fukuyama

Equipment

1 Medium saucepan
1 Frying pan
1 Large pot (for noodles)
Paper towels
Cooking chopsticks or tongs

Ingredients

Noodles

400 g fresh or frozen ramen noodles or dry (use half the amount and cook according to packet instructions)

For the Broth

10 g fresh ginger grated
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
800 ml vegan dashi homemade or instant (mix 2 teaspoon of kombu dashi powder per 800ml of water)
1 vegetable stock cube or stock pot
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon mirin
1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Large pinch of dried wakame seaweed

For the Tofu Topping

140 g block firm tofu or a whole block for extra protein
120 ml neutral oil for shallow frying

Garnish

1 spring onion thinly sliced
2 pak choi or choi sum leaves sliced
La-yu Japanese chili oil (aka Rayu)
Shichimi togarashi optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Boil water for noodles: Fill a large saucepan with 3 liters of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. You’ll use this to cook the ramen noodles later.
Prep the ginger: Peel a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger with a spoon or peeler, then grate it finely using a microplane or fine grater.
Mince the garlic: Peel 2–3 garlic cloves and mince them finely to evenly distribute flavor in the broth.
Slice the spring onions: Trim and slice the spring onions thinly on the diagonal. Use the white and light green parts for garnish; reserve the tops for the broth if you'd like.
Prep the greens: Wash and dry your greens (such as pak choi or choi sum), then slice them into thin strips so they cook quickly in the broth.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly golden.
Simmer the broth: Add the vegan dashi, stock cube, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, salt, and wakame to the saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve everything fully. Lower the heat and keep warm.
Slice the tofu: Cut the tofu block in half horizontally to form one large, flat piece. This shape helps it crisp evenly during frying.
Season and dry the tofu: Place the tofu between paper towels and press gently to remove excess moisture. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on both sides.
Fry the tofu: In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Shallow fry the tofu for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
Drain and cut the tofu: Transfer the tofu to paper towels to drain any extra oil. Slice each piece diagonally into triangles.
Cook the noodles: Cook your noodles according to the package instructions. If using frozen noodles, blanch for 30–45 seconds until just loosened, then drain well.
Dish up: Divide the noodles between serving bowls, ladle in the hot broth, and top with tofu, greens, and spring onion. Finish with a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi and a drizzle of La-yu if desired.

Notes

Do not overcook the noodles
Cook ramen noodles just until tender, then rinse briefly or add straight to the bowl. Overcooked noodles will go soft quickly in the broth.

Assemble just before serving
Combine noodles, broth, and toppings right before eating to keep the texture at its best.

Layer your seasoning
Instead of adding all the salt at once, build flavour with soy sauce, kombu, or mushroom dashi, then finish with salt to taste.

Use hot bowls
Pre-warming your bowls helps keep the broth hot for longer and improves the overall eating experience.

Customise toppings
Great vegan toppings include simmered shiitake, tofu, sweetcorn, bamboo shoots, and spring onions.

Nutrition