This vegan kimchi ramen soup is simple, but features a broth that's so flavorful! Includes chewy ramen noodles, crunchy bok choy and umami-loaded mushrooms. Perfect comforting weeknight meal that can be done within 25 minutes.
You don't need the instant powdered ramen, you can make your own vegan kimchi ramen using real food! It is not that much harder, but so much better 🙂 .
And we have been loving kimchi more and more recently. So bold in flavor and loaded with nutrition, it is easy to go through a jar within only a few meals. We add it to fried rice or Asian style noodles, especially these spicy garlic noodles. It adds a punch of Korean flavorful crunch, just like any pickled condiment does.
Plus, as you might already know, I am a noodle obsessed gal, trying to noodle-ize everything. So, needless to say that combining ramen + kimchi was a big success. Kimchi gives a nice tangy, spicy and salty head start in flavor to the broth, but also makes it more interesting in texture with a little crunch and thickness.
I say spicy, but can be milder depending on the kimchi you chose. We used a milder kind of kimchi and our kids absolutely loved this ramen!
And don't be fooled by the list of ingredients! If you are already cooking regularly, I bet you have most of them all already. Plus, there is room for variation too. To make the broth, I combined the flavors from the kimchi with a little miso paste to load it with tons of umami deliciousness, but also red curry paste to really push the flavor to the next level. And the shiitake mushrooms deepen the flavor even more on top of adding a nice chewy bite to the soup.
Wow, it is so delicious. Ultra comforting and filling too. We cannot stop making it!
And the thing is that even though there are a few components to making this ramen noodle soup, it is actually pretty quick to prepare. I'll make it for weeknight dinners and I often cook the noodles right into the broth, which makes it a no fuss recipe with less dishes to clean up.
Hope you enjoy!
What's to love about this recipe
- Healthy and wholesome.
- Bold in salty and tangy flavors.
- Customizable and fun to garnish to your liking.
- Comes together easily and quickly.
- Fully plant-based, egg-free and dairy-free.
- Delicious recipe to explore Korean flavors!
What is kimchi and where to find it
Kimchi is a traditional Korean condiment or side dish made by fermenting a variety of vegetables such as cabbage, cucumber, carrots, radishes, herbs, celery, etc. It is usually flavored with onion, salt, ginger, garlic and Korean chili spices (Gochugaru), but the recipes vary widely!
It is used in Korean style cooking to make pancakes, dumplings, fried rice, noodle dishes and stews/soups. Kimchi is LOADED with flavors combining sour, salty and a little spiciness too and a fresher kimchi will be nicely crunchy with tons of interesting texture.
Not only will it provides lots of flavor to dishes, but also, kimchi is a low-in-calorie powerhouse of nutrition. It does carry nutrients from the vegetables itself, but also, the lacto-fermentation process adds probiotics that are so healthy for the gut and amazing to help digestion.
You can find kimchi in most grocery stores in the refrigerated produce section, close to the tofu. You can also often find it at local markets where kimchi will be made using fresh veggies from gardens. Just be sure to look for a vegan kimchi as they will often also include fish sauce or anchovies.
Nasoya's Kimchi (with napa cabbage) is vegan and would work very well for this recipe (Walmart carries it). Nasoya also has a vegan kimchi relish that's more saucy, but still would work well if that's all you have! But if you have the time and want to try making your own, then check out this homemade vegan kimchi recipe by Minimalist Baker.
Ingredients you'll need
If you are missing something, you can easily swap some of the ingredients below when making your vegan kimchi ramen.
- Produce: onion, garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms (or any kind) and bok choy.
- Flavoring ingredients: miso paste, red curry paste, soy sauce.
- Ramen noodles
- Vegetable broth
- Vegan kimchi (check for no fish sauce or anchovies)
- Bok choy (or other kinds of cabbage)
- Toppings of your choice such as green onion, sesame seeds, soft tofu, spicy sauce, etc.
How to make it
Make the broth
In a medium pot, cook the onions until tender. Then, add the garlic, ginger and mushrooms. Keep cooking for about 5 minutes stirring often and then add the red curry paste, soy sauce, kimchi and broth. Stir, cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Cook the noodles and bok choy
During that time, whisk together the miso paste with a little water in a small bowl until smooth. When ready to eat, add the miso mixture, raw ramen noodles and the bok choy to the broth. Cover again and keep simmering until the noodles are al dente, 3-5 minutes. Serve right away and top with green onions, sesame seeds and soft tofu, if desired.
Watch how to make it
Cooking tips
- I usually cook the noodles right into the broth, it is simpler that way when I'm busy. But, you can also cook the ramen in boiling water apart, divide the cooked noodles in bowls and then pour the broth over. This is what you should do if not planning on eating it right away as the noodles will keep cooking in the warm broth.
- Use any kind of mushroom you like! I prefer shiitake for that kind of recipe, but buttons, cremini or even enoki would work great.
- Depending on your kimchi, you might want to chop it first in bite sized pieces.
- Kimchi tends to soften over time, so this is a perfect recipe to use older kimchi as you will boil it anyway.
- Ramen noodles often include eggs, so if you are strictly plant-based, then be sure to use a vegan brand. We love all the Asian style noodles from the brand Lotus. I used Lotus's brown rice and millet ramen. They are less curly than the classic ones, but so much healthier.
- I like to top ramen noodles soup with silken soft tofu, but feel free to use regular firm tofu and roast it first or simply boil it in the broth for a few minutes to warm it up and flavor it.
Variations to the recipe
Ramen soups are so versatile: you can make them thicker, more brothy, spicy or not, etc. I often make a simple miso ramen soup, which I was inspired for this kimchi ramen soup. There are no rules, the goal is to boost the flavor of the broth as much as you can.
This kimchi recipe is a Korean inspired dish. So if you have some Gochujang, which is a Korean red chili paste with a mix of sweet, savory and spicy flavor, then definitely add some to the broth. (Psst, check out this Gochujang pasta recipe for more ways to use this chili paste!)
Also, when cooking the onion, feel free to use a little sesame oil to flavor the veggies even more.
Other vegetables that would also work well are napa cabbage, kale, shredded carrots, broccoli or red pepper.
Storage
Once the noodles are cooked and incorporated within the broth, then this ramen soup does not store very well. The noodles get very soft and a little mushy. So, if you are planning on having leftovers, then definitely cook the noodles apart and pour the warm broth over in serving bowls when ready to eat. Keep the leftover broth in the fridge for a few days.
I encourage you to prepare the broth (without the noodles) ahead of time. The flavor will deepen over time and also will speed up the cooking process whenever you want to eat.
When ready to eat, warm up the broth on the stove and bring to a simmer. Add the ramen and bok choy and serve when the noodles are al dente.
More noodle recipes you might like
- Spicy garlic noodles
- Vegan chow mein
- Quick kale noodles
- One-pot curry ramen noodles
- Miso tempeh noodle bowl
- Simple miso ramen
- Cabbage miso soup
I hope you like this vegan kimchi ramen as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan Kimchi Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil - optional, to cook the vegetables
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 3.5-5 oz shiitake mushrooms - sliced, or other kind of mushrooms
- 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
- 1 inch ginger - grated
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 cup kimchi (with the juice) - roughly chopped as needed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- 3-4 baby bok choy
- 2 squares ramen noodles - without the seasoning packets
Optional toppings for serving
- sesame seeds
- green onion - sliced
- soft (silken) tofu - cubed
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the sesame oil (if using) and warm up on medium-high heat. Then, add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add the shiitake, garlic, ginger and keep cooking stirring often for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the veggies are done cooking, add the soy sauce, red curry paste, kimchi and broth. Stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Let it cook on low-medium for 5-10 minutes. During that time, combine the miso paste with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and whisk until creamy and smooth.
- When ready to eat, remove the cover and add the noodles, sliced bok choy and miso-water mixture. Bring back to a simmer and cook only for a few minutes or until the noodles are al dente. Divide in 2-3 bowls and serve with the silken tofu, sesame seeds and green onions or your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Once the noodles are cooked into the broth, then leftovers don't store very well as they will keep cooking and get mushy over time. If planning on having leftovers, then store the broth apart from the noodles.
- You can also cook the ramen in boiling water apart, divide the cooked noodles in bowls and then pour the broth over. This is what you should do if not planning on eating it right away as the noodles will keep cooking in the warm broth.
- Ramen noodles often include eggs, so if you are strictly plant-based, then be sure to use a vegan brand. We love all the Asian style noodles from the brand Lotus. I used Lotus's brown rice and millet ramen. They are less curly than the classic ones, but so much healthier.
- I like to top ramen noodles soup with silken soft tofu, but feel free to use regular firm tofu and roast it first or simply boil it in the broth for a few minutes to warm it up and flavor it.
Pin it for later!
I made this tonight after watching your youtube video. You hadn't posted the recipe yet, so I guessed at the measurements. It turned out great! Thank you so much for the inspiration!!!
Oh that's great Karen! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂