10 Vegetarian Ramen Recipes
Ramen noodles themselves are inherently vegetarian. But if you want to enjoy a bowl of ramen as a complete meal, you’ll want more than just noodles and broth. You’ll also want some vegetable and protein toppings.
This can be somewhat limiting if you’re a vegetarian. Chicken, beef, and pork-based recipes are all off the menu. But there are plenty of ways to make delicious, vegetarian ramen bowls that fill you up and satisfy your taste buds.
At Mike’s, we like to share recipes for you to make with our all-natural ramen. Here are ten of the best vegetarian ramen recipes we’ve seen. As an added bonus, numbers 7 through 10 are also vegan-friendly. Let’s get started!
Know that the perfect vegetarian ramen bowl starts with the perfect vegetarian/ vegan ramen! Shop all 4 of our vegan instant ramen flavors HERE.
1. Loaded Veggie Ramen
Broadly speaking, you can make a loaded veggie ramen with pretty much any ingredients you want. It’s the tiramisu of ramen bowls. That said, the base is the same; you start with Mike’s Vegetarian Vegetable Ramen Noodle Soup Cup.
Next, add your veggies. We went with a combination of shiitake mushrooms, green onion, baby spinach, and corn, along with some fried garlic and spices. In our version of the recipe, we also used a soft boiled egg, but if you want to make a vegan version, you can just swap in some tofu.
Regardless, you’ll come out with a rich, surprisingly-savory ramen bowl that doesn’t need any meat.
2. Spicy Cheesy Ramen
Spice? Cheese? Ramen? Count us in! This spicy cheesy ramen noodle recipe is anything but bland. You start by mixing milk into the broth, which makes it rich and creamy. Then, add your sriracha and hot sauce to make it spicy. Top it off with cheese and red pepper, and you’ve got something you can really sink your teeth into.
This is a spicy dish, but it’s one of the easier ones to make because it’s so simple. It’s also possible to make a vegan version. Just replace the milk with soy milk and the cheese with vegan cheese, and you’re all set.
3. Rabokki Ramen
Rabokki ramen is a fusion dish that combines ramen noodles with tteokbokki. Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food that’s slowly making inroads in the US. It’s a combination of rice cakes, fish cakes, gochujang paste, and soup broth. The combination is equally savory and spicy, and it’s worth trying in its own right.
Our recipe uses Mike’s Mighty Good Vegetarian Kimchi Ramen as a base, with gochujang, scallions, and soy contributing to the flavor. We also use an egg, which vegans can simply leave out. And while we use Korean rice cakes, we don’t use fish cakes, so you don’t have to worry about eating any fish.
4. Cheesy Egg Drop Ramen
Cheesy egg drop ramen is another fusion recipe, combining the goodness of egg drop soup with a nostalgic bowl of ramen. The ramen itself is our Vegetarian Kimchi Pillow Pack, with egg, cheese, and green onions. Garnish with sesame seeds, and you’re all ready to go.
This recipe takes only a few minutes to prepare, and will satisfy both your need for protein and your craving for cheese.
5. Creamy Spicy Miso Ramen
One of the most popular things to do with ramen is to make it spicy. That’s where our creamy spicy miso ramen comes in. This ramen starts with our Savory Miso Ramen Pillow Pack, and builds on that with mushrooms, green onions, egg, and other ingredients. Most of the spice comes from gochujang, a popular Korean chili paste.
To make this recipe truly stand out, we also added soy milk to the broth. This helps mitigate the heat, and makes the broth feel and taste richer. If you want a smooth, creamy ramen that also has some kick, you’ll be fully satisfied.
6. Creamy Sesame Miso Ramen
Like the spicy miso ramen recipe, the creamy sesame miso ramen starts with a miso ramen base. But instead of being spicy, it’s meant to be nutty and savory. Soy sauce, cilantro, and tahini all contribute to the flavor. There are also white and shiitake mushrooms, which bring their own taste and texture to the equation.
In our recipe, we top this ramen bowl with a soft boiled egg for protein. If you’re vegan, you can skip that part, or add some fried tofu instead.
7. Vegan Spicy Cheesy Ramen
The vegan spicy cheesy ramen is a pared-down version of the spicy cheesy ramen we already discussed. It’s similar in many ways, including the fact that the main seasoning is sriracha sauce. Start with any of Mike’s vegan ramen cups, and add your sauce.
Then, instead of using cheese, simply top your bowl with vegan cheese. You’ll also have to use soy milk instead of milk in the broth. Whatever you do, make sure it’s plain, unsweetened soy milk. This will make the broth creamy without making it overly sweet.
8. No-Cook Vegan Chili Black Bean Noodles
One of the challenges of a vegan diet is getting enough protein to meet your needs. So why not add some black beans to your ramen. This no-cook vegan chili black bean noodles recipe isn’t technically no-cook. You still have to prepare the noodles, but all the other ingredients just get dropped in after the fact.
Other ingredients include garlic, soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, and a generous helping of black bean sauce. In less than 10 minutes, you can prepare and enjoy one of the tastiest ramen recipes around.
9. Vegan Tofu Ramen
This is yet another simple, easy-to-prepare recipe. Vegan tofu ramen begins with one Mike’s Mighty Good Vegetarian Vegetable Ramen Cup. Add peppered, pan-fried tofu, carrot, corn, onion, red bell pepper, and other veggies. Pour it all in the same bowl, and enjoy!
10. Korean Fire Noodles
Korean fire noodles aren’t as incredibly spicy as the name implies, but they do have some heat to them. Gochujang sauce and chili oil provide the spiciness, while the kimchi flavor from the noodle packet helps to moderate the intensity. Shredded seaweed provides additional texture, and further takes the edge off the heat.
The nice thing about this recipe – or any spicy ramen recipe – is that you’re in control of the temperature. Add more gochujang for more heat, or use less if you want a little less intensity.
Key Ingredients for Vegetarian Ramen
The main thing with vegetarian ramen is flavor. Without meat, you’re going to need to be more creative with the veggies, herbs and spices you use. Garlic is a huge help here. Not only is it healthy, but it goes well with a wide variety of recipes. If you want a similar bite and savory aroma, but garlic is too overpowering, scallions can be a viable alternative.
Eggs are a great choice for adding protein. They’re easy to prepare, and a runny yolk makes great dipping sauce for your noodles and veggies. If you’re vegan, tofu serves as an adequate substitute, but you’ll need to rely more on your other ingredients for flavor.
For texture and flavor, mushrooms are a great choice. They’re squishy and savory, and pair well with creamy and spicy bases alike. Seaweed is another excellent choice. You’ll want to be careful, since it’s inherently salty, and ramen is already a salty dish. But in moderate quantities, it can contribute flavor as well as texture.
Sesame can provide a rich, nutty flavor that makes your ramen taste more robust. Soy is another great choice for many recipes, although once again, you’ll want to be careful due to the salt content.
Cheese or vegan cheese are a good choice for their savory, creamy qualities. They work best when shaved or sliced, and placed over top of the ramen. That way, they can melt right into your bowl, and you’ll get some cheesy goodness with every bite.
