Spicy, oven-baked sriracha tempeh sits upon an undulating island of forbidden rice ramen noodles, surrounded by a moat of the most glorious miso-flavored broth that you’ll ever have the pleasure of slurping up. Pair all of this with creamy slices of fresh avocado and diagonal drizzles of extra hot sauce, and you’ve got yourself a fantastically delicious and well-balanced vegan ramen recipe, an unforgettable bowl that you’ll be coming back to time and time again.
“Contemporary ramen is totally different than what most Americans think ramen should be. Ramen is not one thing; there are many, many different types.”
– David Chang
The Magic of the One-Bowl Meal
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with food that is simpler to prepare and more contained within a single vessel, in this case a bowl.
There’s something truly satisfying about eating a big bowl full of delicious food where every ingredient works harmoniously together, where the flavors and textures play off one another, and where every bite is indeed messier but somehow better than the last.
And this vegan ramen recipe is just that.
A comforting bowl of flavorful miso broth with oven-baked spicy tempeh, hearty rice ramen noodles, and creamy sliced avocado. Every bite is a perfect balance of textures, tastes, and temperature.
This vegan ramen recipe is also pretty high protein, low in processed oils, fairly easy to make, and a great introduction to tempeh for people who are not really familiar with the ingredient.
For another incredible, tempeh-centric one-bowl meal that’s equally satisfying as this one, check out this BBQ Bibimbap!
“Hell, when I was growing up, I could make a meal out of a package of Top Ramen and a bottle of Windex.”
– Coolio
Vegan Ramen Recipe Video
Oven-Baked Sriracha Tempeh
Tempeh is one of those sleeper ingredients that I didn’t even consider exploring until a couple years into cooking plant-based food. Admittedly, it’s very strange looking on its own, a rather enigmatic hunk of beige that does as little for the tastebuds as it does for the eyes.
But, rather like tofu, tempeh must be transformed through the use of marinades, rubs, seasonings, ect., followed by some form of cooking that ameliorates the denser texture, such as pan frying, boiling, grilling or baking, ect.
As it relates to this vegan ramen recipe, the tempeh will be marinaded in a zippy soy sauce mixture, and then baked in the oven. And the result? An absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious and hearty slice of vegan protein that is perfectly suited to sit centerpiece in this vegan ramen recipe. The subtle spiciness of the tempeh is a great foil to the creaminess of the avocado.
The best basic store-bought and readily available tempeh is Litelife’s Original Tempeh, and it’ll only usually run you a couple bucks (last time I checked).
Note: make sure that if you are planning on buying tempeh for this recipe, you choose the original tempeh rather than any strangely flavored or mock-meat shenanigans.
“Ramen is a dish that’s very high in calories and sodium. One way to make it slightly healthier is to leave the soup and just eat the noodles.”
– Masaharu Morimoto
Easily Gluten-Free
Here are some quick modifications that you can change in this vegan ramen recipe to make it gluten-free, if that’s a necessity for you.
Instead of wheat-based ramen noodles, use rice-based ramen noodles like the ones you see in the photo (I used Lotus Foods Gourmet Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles – they’re beautiful, are they not?).
Secondly, consider using a gluten-free tamari, rather than soy sauce, which is typically not gluten-free.
“…ramen noodles are the international symbol for struggle.”
– Robert Stephens
A Vegan Ramen Recipe To Bookmark
You don’t have to take my word for it when I say that this vegan ramen recipe is one that you’ll have to make more than once. Try it for yourself; you’ll understand what I mean!
I’ve made this recipe several times, and each time it has been as addictively edible as the last, leaving me totally satisfied upon an empty bowl but also craving another.
“I drink a fair amount of ramen noodles.”
– T.J. Miller
I hope that you enjoyed this vegan ramen recipe. If you did, consider leaving a comment and recipe rating before you go.
Forbidden Miso Ramen with Sriracha Baked Tempeh
Equipment
- Baking Sheet with parchment paper
- Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, low-sodium preferred
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, or gochujang paste
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vegan worchestire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium preferred
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, low-sodium preferred
- 2 tablespoons sweet white miso
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 bricks of forbidden rice ramen noodles, or regular ramen noodles
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Begin by cutting the block of tempeh into ¼-inch strips, and then marinate the strips in the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, sriracha, maple syrup, vegan worchestire sauce and liquid smoke for at least 30 minutes, or more.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the marinaded strips of tempeh onto the baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, until slightly crispy and just beginning to char.
- Meanwhile, in a soup pot over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic until soft and just beginning to brown, about 7 – 10 minutes.
- Once the sautéed vegetable are browning, add to the soup pot the vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, sweet white miso, and mirin. Stir well, heat through, and then reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid to keep the broth warm.
- Next, boil a couple cups of salted water (3 – 4 cups) in a medium pot, and cook the ramen noodles for 1 minute at a rolling boil until they begin to break apart, and then another 3 minutes at a lower boil, until tender. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking anymore, then set aside until you're ready to use them.
- Lastly, scoop the bits of onion, garlic and ginger out of the ramen broth with a fine sieve. Press the bits that you scooped out well with a large spoon to squeeze out the maximum amount of flavor from them.
- To assemble the ramen, in a bowl lay down a ramen noodle base, followed by broth, then the avocado and baked tempeh. Top with extra sriracha, green onion, or toasted sesame seeds.
Video
Nutrition
May you have good food in good company,
That Vegan Nephew
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