Easy Mushroom Ramen
Easy Mushroom Ramen- just 10 ingredients + 30 minutes is all you need to make this cozy homemade ramen. (vegan, gluten-free with soy-free option)
Ramen will forever be one of my favorite comfort foods. It all started with the 99-cent package of noodles and powder that you add water to. How can something so simple taste so good?
As easy as the package version is to prepare, it doesn’t take that much effort to make your own with REAL vegetables and quality ramen noodles.
The trick to getting a majorly flavorful broth is…wait for it…dried mushrooms. As you let them rehydrate in hot water, they infuse the liquid with the most glorious salty, umami flavor. If you’ve made my vegetable bolognese or mushroom bourguignon then you know what I’m talking about. It’s liquid gold.
Mushroom Ramen Ingredients
- Onion or Shallot- I tend to go for shallot here because you really don’t need an entire onion and I find the shallot to be much more flavorful.
- Garlic- Just a few minced garlic cloves adds a nice depth to the broth. But feel free to leave it out if you can’t have garlic.
- Dried Mushrooms (optional)- As much I love using these, I have made the recipe without them and it is still very good. But the dried mushrooms really take it to the next level.
- Shiitake Mushrooms- Technically you can use any mushrooms you like but I personally enjoy the meaty texture of shiitakes here. Cremini mushrooms would make a good substitute.
- Greens- Bok choy is my favorite leafy green for ramen but any greens (or none at all) will work just fine.
- Vegetable Broth- I have yet to find a broth that I like more than Better Than Bouillon. It never disappoints.
- Miso Paste- If you’re not familiar with miso, it’s typically made from fermented soy beans although you can also find soy-free versions made from chickpeas. I tend to go for white miso paste as it has a very mild umami flavor.
- Tamari- Please do not skip the soy sauce as it is essential for that classic ramen flavor! Tamari is just gluten-free soy sauce but if want to make the ramen soy-free you can sub coconut aminos instead.
- Ramen Noodles- These millet & brown rice noodles are great for a gluten-free option or, if you can have wheat, we also enjoy these organic ramen noodles.
Tips for Leftover Mushroom Ramen
Keep in mind that the ramen noodles typically don’t hold up well in the broth for leftovers. Trust me, I tried it and they were a mushy mess. The solution to that is to keep the cooked ramen separate and add it to the warm broth when you’re ready to eat. So you have to use an extra storage container but it’s worth it to avoid mushy ramen!
Do I have to use dried mushrooms?
Dried mushrooms can be hard to find and somewhat expensive so please feel free to leave them out. I have made it 100 times this way and it is still really good. Just not AS good as it is with the dried mushroom broth.
Want to add more protein?
Cubed tofu makes a great addition for plant-based protein. I like to bake mine in the oven at 400°F for 10-minutes, just until it’s very light golden and warm. Then I toss it with a few tablespoons of tamari for extra flavor and add it to the ramen.
Easy Mushroom Ramen
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried mushrooms (I prefer porcini) , *optional, see notes
- ½ cup finely chopped shallot, or onion
- 1 bunch bok choy, chopped (roughly 2 cups worth)
- 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, or mushroom of choice
- 4 cups vegetable broth, add 1 cup if omiting dried mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste, use chickpea miso for soy-free option
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce, or coconut aminos for a soy-free option
- 8 ounces ramen noodles
- finely chopped green onions + sesame seeds for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, combine 1 cup hot water with 1 ounce dried mushrooms. Stir together then set aside to steep while you prepare the remaining ingredients. *Skip this step if not using dried mushrooms. Instead add an additional 1 cup of broth plus 1 tablespoon miso to the recipe below.
- In a large pot, warm 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion/shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the bok choy to the pot and cook for 3 minutes more. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil.
- From the dried mushroom broth, strain out the rehydrated mushrooms while reserving the remaining liquid. Pick out any hard pieces of rehydrated mushrooms then chop whatever is left and add it to the pot. Add the miso to the mushroom liquid and whisk until evenly combined. Pour into the pot with the broth along with the tamari the bring to a low boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Bring a separate small pot of salted water to a boil over medium high heat. Add the ramen noodles and cook as directed. Strain and set aside.
- Ladle broth into separate bowls for serving then add ramen noodles. Serve warm with green onion and sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Yummmm! I love how much flavor dried mushrooms add to a dish. Our old neighborhood had very few trick-or-treaters, but apparently our new one has a bunch. I’m not a Halloween fan, but I do love passing out candy to the littles. Hopefully we get a lot tonight!
I will be home tonight watching the World Series hoping that my Dodgers win! And passing out candy. I’d love nothing more than to cozy up with this soup too — I’m in love with all the mushroom goodness! Dried procini mushrooms are always in my cabinet — they are so flavorful!
Love LOVE the addition of mushroom broth… liquid gold indeed! I’m SO with you, Sarah. Ramen is total comfort food and so easy to pull together with a few simple ingredients. I’ll take it! We’ll be staying in tonight as well.. I think we have 4.5 kids in our neighborhood, so we just turn off all the lights and have a night in like any other. I’m contemplating dinner plans, but after seeing your post, I’ve got more to think about! Gorgeous and delicious work Sarah!
This ramen looks so cozy and yummy! I love that it’s easy to whip up to – that’s always a plus!
I think my neighborhood is the opposite of yours… we get so many kids & I always run out of candy by like 8 pm. Harley barks her head off all night and I dress her up in her costume, so it’s a scene!
That sounds like a blast, lol!
So so so good and quick. I had spinach to use up and I didn’t have ramen on hand so used rice noodles. Cooked them in with soup at the end. Family already asking when we are having next. Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe looks delicious! Wow, you got a picture perfect head of bok choy for your photo! A question; I’m guessing you did NOT use the flavor packet that came with the ramen noodles? Anyway, in terms of Halloween, we get at least 50-75 kids here. I’m not sure where they’re all coming from, because there’s just a handful that live on our block. Our 2 dogs will undoubtedly be barking for at least 2 hours!
No I didn’t use the packet! The noodles I bought don’t come with a packet. I have them linked in the recipe but you should be able to find them at Whole Foods.
That’s a lot of kids! Your neighborhood must give out all of the good candy. Either that or they just come to see Stella and Gracie. ;)
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Yum- This was very soothing. Great for a chilly day!
Very good mushroomy soup that’s not at all difficult to make. Thanks for a good recipe!
Thanks for the review, Vivian!
Have you ever tried to make this with a different dried mushroom? Porcini mushrooms are hard to find and expensive by me. Thanks!
I have tried it with dried shiitake mushrooms and didn’t think it was as good. But you can just leave out the dried mushrooms if you can’t find porcini (an sub extra broth- you’ll see directions in the notes). I make it without the dried mushrooms all of the time and it’s still delicious! It’s more like a miso ramen. :)
I just made this tonight and need to say how delicious it is. It was so flavourful. Will definitely make it again.
I subbed chicken broth because I prefer the flavour and kale because it’s what I had and it was great. I also added some more water to feed extra and it was still great. Definitely a keeper!
I’m so glad to hear that! We make this ramen every week. It’s our favorite! :)
We’re having winter like weather here in CA so this soup was perfect for tonight!! Holy cow it was so delicious! I used homemade bone broth and added in some swiss chard from our garden. I will definitely be making this again.
I’m so glad you liked it! We make it almost every week, we love it so much. So nice that you can use home grown veggies in it too! :)
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Easy and delicious! one of my favorite go-to weeknight meal.
This was absolutely fantastic! I had some leftover mushroom broth I was hoping to use up, so I subbed that for the veggie broth, and it still turned out wonderful! The broth was flavourful and had the right about of saltiness without being overpowering. I topped it with the green onions, sesame seeds, and some good ol’ chili oil. Will definitely be using this recipe again. Plus, it also acts as a great guideline for a tasty ramen broth! Thanks for sharing!
This was so good. I did not use the dried mushroom but was as good just like you said.
Loved this! Used some liquid from dried shiitake mushrooms and seaweed to make dashi earlier in the week. Added the chopped rehydrated shiitake and seaweed, too. It was amazing! Definitely doing this again for a lockdown lunch full of goodness.
First time trying this recipe and it turned out excellent! I didn’t have green onions and sesame seeds on hand, and it was still a 10/10. It warmed me from the inside out – definitely a keeper!