This vegetarian ramen is just so hearty and warming, it makes a perfect meal for the cold days. The broth is really rich you wouldn’t believe it’s completely vegan. The broth uses a lot of ingredients I haven’t used when making ramen before, but it worked really well! Turns out soy milk makes broth really silky. Just don’t add the eggs if you prefer to keep it vegan and it will be just as tasty. I’ve adapted the recipe a little from the original and added a few steps.

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Miso ramen with squash, tofu and kimchi

Miso ramen with squash, tofu & kimchi

Serves 2 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 1 hr
Easy | Dairy-free | Vegetarian

You’ll need:

  • 6 slices butternut squash;
  • 2 eggs;
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil;
  • 1 onion, finely chopped;
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped;
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped;
  • 2 tbsp curry powder;
  • 1 tsp ground coriander;
  • ½ tsp turmeric;
  • 1 tbsp chilli oil;
  • 1.2 litres boiling water;
  • 200g white miso paste;
  • 3 tbsp mirin;
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast;
  • 1 tsp Marmite;
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce;
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar;
  • 400ml soy milk;
  • 200g shiitake mushrooms, sliced;
  • 200g firm tofu, sliced;
  • 100ml teriyaki sauce;
  • 180g buckwheat noodles;
  • 2 tbsp kimchi;
  • 2 spring onions, sliced;
  • ½ tsp chilli powder;
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds.

First of all, prepare the squash. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Put the squash slices in a small tin, add a little oil and cook in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Check if cooked through and roasted. Meanwhile, put the two eggs in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes then take out and leave them in cold water for 5 mins. Peal carefully and set aside.

Put the coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion. Fry for about 15 minutes, until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and ginger, and fry for three minutes. Add the spices and chilli oil, fry for two minutes, then add the water. Whisk in the miso, mirin, yeast, Marmite, soy and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes, then add the soy milk. Blitz smooth in a food processor and return to the pan. While the broth is cooking, cook the noodles as per the pack instructions and set aside.

In a frying pan, heat some oil and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for five minutes, until they start to caramelise, then set aside. Return the pan to the heat, add a little more oil and fry the tofu for a minute on each side, until charred.

Put the teriyaki sauce in a bowl, add the tofu and the eggs and coat thoroughly. Set aside.

Divide the noodles between two bowls and pour some of the soup base into each. Halve the eggs and put on top. Add slices of tofu, followed by the squash and kimchi. Sprinkle the spring onions, chilli powder and sesame seeds over and serve.

Adapted from a recipe by Gizzi Erskine in Feast magazine, available online here,