Ramen has got to be my favorite food right now. However I cannot make it worth a damn and I feel like I know my way around a kitchen pretty well. I have had some amazing Ramen over the last few months all around the world and every time I try to replicate it at home with some recipes I find online…it sucks or is soo mushroom heavy. Anyone have a go to? For reference the few that I have tried recently around the world (I am very fortunate to travel a good amount for work):
Chicago – Ramen-SAN (Tantan san): [https://www.ramensan.com/streeterville-menus/](https://www.ramensan.com/streeterville-menus/)
Tokyo – T’s TanTan (Golden Sesame Ramen): [https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/comments/w0g6ah/tokyos\_vegan\_ramen\_ts\_tantan/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vegetarian/comments/w0g6ah/tokyos_vegan_ramen_ts_tantan/) (not my post, but same place)
Monaco – Izakaya Cozza (Spicy Soup, miso)- [https://menus.mrg.mc/cozza/en/dinner/cozza\_en\_dinner.pdf](https://menus.mrg.mc/cozza/en/dinner/cozza_en_dinner.pdf)
I dont have any idea what the secret is to making broth that is rich and delicious like these places do. Anyone have any good recipes??
by chicago_2020
18 Comments
Sorry to hijack your thread Chicago 2020, but if someone can tell me how to make ramen half as good as ramen danbo’s, I’ll be forever grateful
[Vegetarian Ramen Recipe | Bon Appétit (bonappetit.com)](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/vegetarian-ramen)
I’ve tried a ton of recipes myself, used mushroom seasoning, ground dried shiitakes, lots of good sesame oil, fake chicken bouillon, nutritional yeast, you name it… yeah, it’s never that great, and I can’t imagine why! It’s just the broth that’s the problem. I’m good with the noodles and add-ins. I also cook most things decently and this haunts me. Mostly fresh in my mind because I made unsatisfying ramen from scratch yesterday.
https://preview.redd.it/7jx10465w2ka1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=d830650b3e1f249af9c9fb23b5a82610719efa85
My favourite! Can totally omit mushrooms if you want. The broth is 👌🏻
[Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegan-creamy-mushroom-ramen/) has an easy recipe that is pretty tasty. I made a different version yesterday with mushrooms, bok choy, miso paste, gochujang, green onion, sesame seeds and a soft boiled egg.
https://norecipes.com/vegan-tonkotsu-ramen/
Hands down, the best you can get without boiling bones.
It’s not ramen broth at all, but at the end of a long day I’ll whisk together miso paste with simmering water and a big glob of tahini, toss in some mushroom powder and go from there. Makes a tasty easy broth that’s a bit more rich from the tahini
For tantanmen, I make an adaptation of this (has meat): https://aaronandclaire.com/authentic-easy-tantanmen-at-home/
I replace the chicken bouillon powder with Better than Bouillon No-Chicken Base. My favorite meat substitute for the topping is chopped peanuts, or you can use fake meat crumbles or crumbled extra-firm tofu.
Now I’m in a mood for some ramen.
Make sure you get some good quality noodles, as well – noodles are just as important as the broth.
[Kenji Lopez-Alt’s vegan ramen](https://www.seriouseats.com/vegan-ramen-miso-creamy-vegan-vegetarian-food-lab-recipe)
This is my favorite recipe. It’s very labor-intensive, but gah that soup is worth it.
I use firm tofu baked, but otherwise love this recipe: https://thekoreanvegan.com/creamy-vegan-ramen-noodles/
If I’m feeling fancy, I make something like this [Minimalist Baker](https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-ramen/) recipe.
If I want something less time consuming, I just whip up something quick – broth (water, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sriracha, ground ginger, garlic), soft-boiled egg (boil for 7 minutes then put in an ice bath), and whatever veggies I have on hand (spinach, roasted red peppers, roasted carrots, etc.)
I use a boxed vegan ramen broth as my base to save time…then add in all the other stuff like pan fried tofu, noodles, and veggies.
https://shop.oceanshalo.com/products/2-units-of-oceans-halo-ramen-broth
The trick is to boil the noodles long enough that they become soft and absorb the flavor of the broth. For broth options I suggest throwing in onions and sesame oil for extra flavor.
r/veganramen is a good resource. The pinned post up top is very informative.
Totally untraditional, but I love making a French Onion Hot and Sour Soup combo for my broth. After that, it’s whatever you want in your ramen, but that was a game changer for my lazy days. Premake a pot of that and you have effortless deliciousness at your fingertips.
I’ve found the biggest improvement in my ramen was when I started using sun noodles. They taste so good! You can find them at most Asian food markets but also can get them delivered to you from the factory.