Vegetable Miso Ramen (w. Vegetable Broth) Recipe

Combine 8 cups water, kombu, dried shiitake, quartered onion, sliced carrot, smashed ginger, smashed garlic, and scallion whites in a large pot.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Just before boiling, remove kombu (about 10 minutes) so broth doesn't get bitter. Continue to simmer gently for 25 minutes to extract flavor from mushrooms and vegetables.

After simmering, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids or reserve shiitake for another use.

Return strained broth to the stove, stir in soy sauce, mirin, and 1 tsp salt. Keep warm over low heat while preparing other components.

Place white miso paste in a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp hot water and whisk until smooth to make a miso slurry.

Stir in roasted sesame oil. Taste and adjust: add up to 1 tsp more miso or a pinch more hot water if you want stronger or thinner seasoning. Keep warm; do not boil miso or it will lose flavor.

Press tofu between paper towels or a clean kitchen towel with a weight for 15 minutes to remove excess water. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.

Lightly toss tofu cubes with cornstarch to coat evenly. This yields a crisp exterior when pan-fried.

Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add tofu in a single layer and fry, turning occasionally, until all sides are golden brown and crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and season lightly with salt.

Bring a separate large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add ramen noodles and cook according to package directions (typically 2–4 minutes for fresh; 4–6 minutes for dried) until just tender. Drain and rinse briefly under hot tap water to stop cooking, if desired, and set aside.

While broth simmers and tofu fries, prepare vegetables: slice straw mushrooms if large, halve baby corn lengthwise, cut broccoli into small florets, rinse and drain bamboo shoots, measure corn kernels, rehydrate wakame by soaking in 1/4 cup warm water for 5 minutes then drain and squeeze out excess, and cut tomato into wedges.

Blanch broccoli and baby corn: bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp oil. Add broccoli florets and baby corn; blanch 1–2 minutes until bright green and just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.

Warm straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and corn kernels briefly in a small skillet with 1 tsp oil over medium heat for 1–2 minutes to heat through and slightly caramelize. Keep warm.

For each serving (recipe makes 2–3 servings), ladle about 3 cups of the warm vegetable broth into a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat. Stir 2 tbsp miso slurry into the hot broth and whisk until fully incorporated. (Adjust miso per bowl to taste.)

Divide cooked noodles between bowls.

Pour miso-seasoned broth over the noodles, leaving space on top for toppings.

Arrange toppings attractively: place fried tofu cubes, blanched broccoli and baby corn, warmed straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, corn kernels, tomato wedges, and rehydrated wakame on top of noodles.

Garnish with sliced scallions, nori strips, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Add shichimi togarashi at the table if desired.

Serve immediately while hot.