Quick Vegan Ramen
Serves 2.
Flavorful ramen can be just the thing for a light summer supper. (Or the perfect antidote to a weekend of heavy barbecue fare.) Note: Although ramen is traditionally served with a soy-marinated egg on top, this recipe is for vegans. If you want to add the classic soft-boiled egg, add about 1 cup of dark soy sauce to a pan of boiling water and cook room-temperature eggs for 6 minutes. Cool in iced water, peel and leave in the cooled soy liquid until ready to serve. From "Jeremy Pang's School of Wok," by Jeremy Pang (Hamlyn, 2022).
For the miso glaze:
• 1 tbsp. red miso paste
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. water
For the ramen:
• Vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, unpeeled, quartered
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks
• 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled and smashed
• 4 green onions, roughly chopped, plus 1 green onion halved lengthwise
• 6 to 8 shiitake mushrooms, roughly torn
• 6 to 7 c. vegetable stock
• 1 heaped tsp. white miso paste
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 7 oz. firm tofu, cut into batons
• 2 small carrots, quartered lengthwise
• 7 oz. fresh ramen noodles
• 1 head of baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
Directions
To prepare the miso glaze: In a small bowl, mix the red miso paste, maple syrup, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and water. Set aside.
To prepare the ramen: In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, green onions and shiitake mushrooms, stir-frying for 30 seconds between each addition. Add the stock, white miso paste and light soy sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the tofu in the middle of the pan and the carrot quarters around the edges. Fry, turning from time to time, until the tofu is browned on both sides. Add the halved green onion around the edge of the pan and continue to fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the miso glaze over the top of it all and bring to a vigorous boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until syrupy in texture.
Remove the stock from the heat and strain into a large bowl. Discard all the flavoring ingredients except for the shiitake mushrooms. Pour the stock and mushrooms back into the wok over medium heat, bring to a boil and add the ramen noodles. Cook for about 2 minutes before transferring the noodles to serving bowls. Add the bok choy to the stock, boil for 30 to 60 seconds, then place on top of the noodles. Top with the glazed tofu, carrots and green onion before ladling the stock over the bowls to fully cover the vegetables. Serve.
