This creamy vegan ramen recipe is packed with flavorful vegetables and a spicy Thai twist. It’s super easy to make with a touch of healthy thrown in. It’s the perfect quick vegan weeknight dinner and ready in around 30 minutes – you can’t beat that!
If you’re in love with ramen, you’re not alone. Ramen is a pretty popular meal all around the world and for good reason. It’s tasty, versatile, easy to make, and furthermore inexpensive. It doesn’t take much to whip up a large batch, which is why it’s such a sought out dish in many countries.
Everyone has their own version of ramen. If you don’t believe me, simply make a post on your Facebook asking for ramen ideas. It will quickly fill up with all the ideas and ways people make ramen.
Did you know there are multiple ways to say “ramen?” Of course, most of them are cultural pronunciations, but those pronunciations are widely accepted as correct in the areas they’re spoken in. For example, in the United States, there’s a common debate on whether it’s “ray-men” or “rah-men.” Both options are used pretty popular making them both correct under linguistic ruling.
However, the original and correct way to pronounce “ramen” is difficult for those who don’t speak Japanese since the “r” is very different than what English speakers are used to. In the end, Japanese natives state that the closest pronunciation they find acceptable is “rah-men.”
What Kind Of Noodles Are Ramen?
There is quite the messy history with ramen since the dish has been adapted across various Asian cultures as it made its way around the world. The origin of ramen is definitely Asian and is officially credited to China by historians. However, it has become the national food of Japan and there’s a bit of a story of how it made the jump.
In other words, there are a lot of names for the noodles used in ramen, but they remain the same noodle style across the various styles. The type of noodle doesn’t change, but the style of ramen dish does. Here are a few different types of ramen you might run into.
Shoyu – This type of ramen gets its salty flavor from a soy sauce-based chicken broth.
Shio – This is the more common type of ramen with chicken broth that gets its salty taste and flavor from your basic, run of the mill table salt. In other words, it’s less fussy which is why it’s so popular.
Miso – This ramen with chicken broth gets its salty flavor and overall taste from miso paste which is a common Asian ingredient.
Tonkotsu – This is flavored and salted using a broth made from pork bone. It’s credited as one of the main four types of ramen popularly served across the world.
My ramen version is, of course, vegan and doesn’t contain chicken broth or pork broth!
How to Make Creamy Vegan Ramen?
This homemade vegetable ramen is so easy to make and much healthier than the store-bought stuff which often contains artificial flavors and questionable ingredients.
STEP 1 Heat the oil over medium heat and sauté onion, ginger, garlic, red pepper, and mushrooms for a few minutes.
STEP 2 Add the vegetable broth, cauliflower florets, and all the spices to the skillet and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.
STEP 3 In a boiling pot, prepare the ramen noodles per the package’s instructions. Then drain.
STEP 4 Mix the cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl before adding it to the skillet with the cauliflower mixture.
STEP 5 Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, and vinegar to the skillet. Mix well.
STEP 6 Add the noodles to the Thai peanut ramen, stir, and enjoy!
The full recipe with ingredients and measurements can be found below in the recipe card!
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Make it more traditional – This isn’t your classic vegetable ramen soup! If you want to make a more traditional ramen noodle soup, remove the cornstarch and add more broth.
- How to store – Ramen is best eaten right as it finishes. If the noodles are stored in the broth, they will become gooey and gross as they continue to soak up the liquid. However, if you don’t mind this issue, you can store ramen in an airtight container in the fridge. This dish does not freeze well.
- Add more vegetables – If you enjoy your veggies, add more to the dish. Some examples are zucchini, squash, broccoli, etc. to liven it up.
- Add tofu for more protein – Vegan ramen sometimes contains tofu which further adds healthy plant-based protein to the dish.
- Make it less spicy – You can remove the crushed red pepper flakes if you’re not a fan of spicy dishes.
- Make it spicier – You can always toss a sliced jalapeño into your Thai peanut ramen. Or add some extra crushed red pepper flakes to kick up the spice a bit more.
If you make this tasty creamy vegan ramen, do let me know in the comments below and please also tag me in your Instagram/Facebook posts with @elavegan and #elavegan.
You also might want to check out my other vegan noodle recipes:
- Thai Coconut Curry Soup
- Peanut Butter Noodles
- Vegan Lasagna Soup
- Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups
- Creamy Pasta Soup
Creamy Vegan Ramen
Video
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp oil e.g. sesame oil
- ½ large onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 medium red pepper sliced
- 10 oz (280 g) fresh mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups small (200 g) cauliflower florets
- 1 tsp curry powder or 1 tbsp Thai curry paste
- 1 tsp sea salt or less/more to taste
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Black pepper to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth
- 6 oz (170 g) ramen noodles or rice noodles if gluten-free
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dairy-free heavy cream or coconut cream
- 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot flour (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
- Fresh herbs and peanuts to garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic, fresh ginger, red pepper, and mushrooms. Sauté for a further few minutes.
- Now add cauliflower florets, all spices, and 2 cups of vegetable broth.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer with a lid on for about 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is softened.
- Meanwhile, cook the ramen noodles (or rice noodles) in a pot according to package instructions.
- In a small bowl, mix dairy-free heavy creamy (or coconut cream) with cornstarch or arrowroot flour and add the mixture to the skillet (read "Notes" below).
- Stir in peanut butter, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt/pepper/spices if needed.
- Finally, add the cooked noodles and stir to combine. Garnish with herbs and peanuts. Enjoy!
Notes
- This isn't a traditional clear ramen noodle soup. If you prefer a soup/broth which isn't creamy, simply leave out the cornstarch and add more vegetable broth.
- Read the blog post for more helpful tips are variations.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Tara
Thank you for another great vegan recipe!
Ela
Hi Tara, you are very welcome. 🙂
Michelle
Amazing recipe. Recently turned vegan and all your recipes we’ve tried so far have been fantastic. This is particularly good – it’s our favourite! We sub the cauliflower for broccoli and use unsweetened oat milk instead of the heavy cream/coconut cream, and it’s so good. I also leave out the salt as doesn’t need it for our taste! Thanks so much 🙂
Ela
Sounds amazing, Michelle! I am so glad you enjoy my recipes. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Cindy
Has anybody tried leaving out the peanut butter?
Lydia
I’m wondering the same thing! Can this be done without the peanut butter?
Ela
Sure, you can leave it out, but it won’t be as creamy and rich then. 🙂
Kino
Thank you Ela for all of those awesome recipes ! Delicious again !!! Posted pix in instagram and tagged you
Ela
Saw your photos on Insta, they look great! So happy you love my recipes. Thanks for your feedback, Kino. 🙂
Nicole Bassit
I did this the other day and OH MY GOD it was divine!!! My husband’s been craving ramen and this certainly hit the jackpot xx
Ela
I am so glad you and your husband loved it, Nicole! Thanks so much for your great feedback. 🙂
Marlee
Thank you for all of your recipes Ela! This meal along side all others I have made from your recipes have been delicious!!!
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Ela
Aww that’s amazing, Marlee! Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂
Margaret
This is so very good! I did use carrots instead of mushrooms but otherwise followed the recipe. So So GOOD!
Ela
That’s fantastic! I am so glad you enjoyed the meal, Margaret. 🙂
Jenna
Hi Ella! I love your recipes so much I make something new a few times a week and everything always comes out great. I want to make this ramen tonight but my family isn’t too big on curry. If I use miso paste instead how much of that should I use?
Ela
Thanks, Jenna, glad you love my recipes. I would just use enough to taste. 🙂
Emily
So simple, cheap and versatile! I added bean sprouts and sesame seeds too. Thanks for the recipe!
Ela
You are very welcome, Emily! Bean sprouts and sesame seeds sound delicious. 🙂
Paige
super easy! super good! hard to mess up! I added more cauliflower and also added some vegan “meat” pieces. definitely a favorite.
Ela
Fantastic! I am glad you enjoyed the dish. 🙂
Iraís
Gave it a Japanese twist and used miso instead of curry. For those who eat tofu, I fried some, the crunchiness was delicious and went perfect with the veggies. Thanks Ela, your recipes are so healthy and full of taste. You’re the best!
Ela
It sounds really fantastic with Miso! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback, Iraís! 🙂
Gillian
Made this for me and my family and everyone loved it! Soooo delicious!
Ela
That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Dawn Solomon
This was so good!!! I have made a bunch of your recipes and they have all been really, really great! Thank you!!!
Ela
I am so glad you enjoyed the dish! Thanks for your great feedback, Dawn! 🙂
Nikki
I loved this! Super delish! And easy enough to make that my husband made if for us for dinner!! ???????? This will be a regular on the menu. Thanks Ela for sharing!
Ela
You are very welcome, Nikki! I am super glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Carole
So so yummy! Added zucchini since I’m the only mushroom eater, but this is a hit!
Ela
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe, Carole! Zucchini is a great addition. 🙂
Sarah
This recipe was amazinggggg.
I used what I had so I swapped cauliflower for broccli, mushrooms for sliced carrots, and coconut cream for oat milk. DELICIOUS! My only mistake was I cooked the noodles in the skillet with everything so I had to add more veggie broth but it was a easy fix. The only thing I would change is just a 1/2 TBS – 1 TBS less of cornstarch. The flavor was on point and so darn creamy, going straight into my recipe book. Thank you!
Ela
I am so happy you loved the recipe, Sarah! Thank you very much for your awesome feedback. 🙂
Loren
I really enjoyed this. Quick to put together, and I was able to make it from things I already had in my pantry. Excellent, Ela.
Ela
I am glad you liked the recipe, Loren! Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂
Bianca Zapatka
This is my favorite kind of food! Looks so delicious and flavorful! ????❤️
Ela
It really is! So happy you love it as well dear. 🙂
Linda
Absolutely amazing recipe I didnt have curry paste so I subtle with just curry powder and I also dont have having cream I use soymilk mix with oil and cornstarch turn out very yummy
Ela
That’s awesome, Linda! I am so glad it turned out delicious. Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂