Creamy Soy Milk Ramen

This vegan ramen is so flavorful! It's savory, a little spicy, and ultra creamy thanks to the soy milk. Add any of your favorite vegetables (bean sprouts, kale, and shiitake mushrooms are my go-tos). The perfect cozy meal. Recipe adapted from Just One Cookbook blog!

This vegan ramen is so flavorful! It’s savory, a little spicy, and ultra creamy thanks to the soy milk. Add any of your favorite vegetables (bean sprouts, kale, and shiitake mushrooms are my go-tos). The perfect cozy meal.

a bowl of creamy soy milk ramen, topped with scallions, bean sprouts, edamame, shiitake mushrooms, and sesame seeds

Ingredients for Creamy Soy Milk Ramen

  • Scallions, garlic, and ginger. These create a delicious aromatic flavor base for the ramen broth.
  • Sesame oil. To add a nice toasted sesame flavor. Feel free to substitute a neutral vegetable oil if you’re not a fan.
  • Soy sauce & miso. Together, these provide the bulk of the broth’s salt and umami. I typically always have white miso in my fridge, so that’s what I use, but feel free to use red or yellow miso. The miso adds a mild sweetness.
  • Chili paste. Add as much or as little as you like to suit your preference for spice. You can use something like fermented chili bean paste (doubanjiang) or a chili garlic paste like sambal. If you don’t have any of these on hand, you can even gochujang or sriracha for a slightly different flavor profile.
  • Mirin. This is a type of sweet rice wine. We use it to deglaze the pan. Substitute sake or another kind of cooking wine in a pinch.
  • Mushroom & konbu dashi. A simple broth made of dried shiitakes and seaweed. These provide
  • Soy milk. For a creamy and luxurious mouthfeel that takes this ramen to the next level. If you prefer a simpler broth, feel free to omit and use more water instead. You can also experiment with different types of unsweetened plant milks, such as cashew, oat, or even coconut.

Make the Dashi

For the base of our soup, we’ll be making a simple dashi broth with dried shiitake mushrooms and konbu, a type of dried seaweed. Both of these contribute umami to the dish, adding more depth of flavor. If you have a well-stocked Asian market near you, check there for these ingredients. You can also buy them online.

This dashi is so simple to make: simply steep a few dried mushrooms and a piece of konbu in boiling water for at least an hour. You can let it steep while preparing the other ingredients for the ramen.

Afterwards, you’ll discard the konbu, because it tends to develop a slimy texture when boiled. You can choose to discard the rehydrated shiitakes, or give them a chop and add them back into the ramen.

shiitake mushrooms and konbu soaking in water

Preparing the Ramen Broth

This broth actually comes together very quickly once you have taken the time to prepare the dashi. From there, you’ll simply:

  1. Sauté your aromatics (scallions, garlic, and ginger) until fragrant.
  2. Add miso and (optional) chili paste and sauté until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Quickly deglaze with mirin, scrape the bottom, and add in soy sauce and the dashi broth.
  4. Prepare your ramen noodles, add-ins, and toppings while the broth simmers.
  5. When you’re ready to eat, stir in the soy milk, cook just long enough to heat through, and then assemble your ramen bowls.
three white pinch bowls containing scallions, garlic, and ginger

Add-Ins and Topping Ideas for Creamy Soy Milk Ramen

My favorite ramen noodles are the Millet & Brown Rice variety by Lotus Foods. I also love the Organic Brown Rice Ramen by King Soba. Feel free to use any of your favorite brands of noodles; simply prepare them according to package directions. Then add them to your bowl and ladle hot broth over them.

The options are endless as far as add-ins and toppings for your ramen! Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Bean sprouts. These are highly nutritious and my personal favorite add-in. I generally like to boil them in generously salted water for 5-8 minutes until they’re tender. You can also buy them pre-cooked in a can to cut down on prep time.
  • Sautéed shiitake mushrooms. I love to stir-fry these in vegan butter, along with with lots of fresh minced garlic, black pepper, and a splash of soy sauce.
  • Corn. This adds a nice sweetness. To keep things quick and easy, I buy frozen corn, microwave it, and toss it with a little bit of vegan butter, salt, and pepper.
  • Kale, spinach, or bok choy. I love adding sautéed or blanched greens of some kind to my ramen. If adding spinach, I will typically add it directly to the broth during the last 5 minutes of cooking, just to wilt it down. For kale, I like to sauté it until it’s nice and tender in a separate pot.
  • Sliced scallions & sesame seeds – For a little extra flavor and decorative flair.

Looking for More Cozy Dinner Recipes?

Soy Milk Ramen

Creamy Soy Milk Ramen

This vegan ramen is so flavorful! It’s savory, a little spicy, and ultra creamy thanks to the soy milk. Add any of your favorite vegetables (bean sprouts, kale, and shiitake mushrooms are my go-tos). The perfect cozy meal. Recipe adapted from Just One Cookbook blog!
4.7 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Sarah Sullivan

Ingredients

Konbu Dashi

  • 4 cups water
  • 4 ” square konbu
  • 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms

Ramen

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 4-6 green onions sliced
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons chili paste
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 cups konbu dashi recipe above
  • 1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk

Optional Add-Ins

  • bean sprouts boiled 5-8 minutes
  • frozen corn
  • blanched kale or spinach
  • sautéed bok choy
  • sautéed shiitake mushrooms

Optional Toppings

  • toasted sesame seeds
  • sliced scallions green parts
  • sriracha
  • togarashi
  • roasted nori sheets

Instructions

Prepare the Dashi

  • Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add kombu and shiitake mushrooms and remove from heat. Cover and allow to steep for an hour.
  • Remove kombu and discard. You can discard the mushrooms or remove them, slice them, and add them back in.

Make the Ramen Broth

  • In a pot over medium-high heat, sauté garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the green onions (save the green parts for topping) in sesame oil until fragrant and tender, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add in miso paste and chili paste and continue to cook, stirring often, for another minute.
  • Deglaze the pan with mirin, then pour in the konbu dashi and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer while you prepare your noodles and add-ins.
  • When you’re ready to serve, add in soy milk and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Taste and add additional soy sauce if you like it saltier.

Assemble the Bowls

  • Prepare ramen noodles according to package directions. Drain and add to bowls.
  • Prepare any vegetables you like. My favorite add-ins are blanched bean sprouts, frozen corn (I reheat it in the microwave to keep things easy), and blanched kale or spinach. Some other options are bok choy, carrots, or shiitake mushrooms.
  • Arrange desired add-ins in bowls with noodles. Spoon broth over noodles, and top as desired. I like to add sliced scallions, sriracha, and a mixture of black and white sesame seeds for presentation.

Video

Notes

Milk options: Soy milk works best, but you can also prepare this recipe using unsweetened oat milk. Some brands of cashew milk will work too — you just want to make sure you select a milk that’s creamy/not watery or thin. If you don’t mind the flavor, you can also try using canned coconut milk.
Chili paste: If you have access to an Asian market, I recommend using doubanjiang. It’s a spicy paste made from fermented soybeans, broad beans, and chilis. If you can’t get your hands on this, you can simply use something like Sambal Oelek, which is available at most chain grocery stores. If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, feel free to leave this out altogether.
Dashi substitutions: The kombu and dried shiitake mushroom together make a broth that’s very savory. You can find these ingredients at many Asian grocery markets or online. If you can’t access these ingredients or they don’t appeal to you, you can try using use your favorite vegetable broth instead. Depending on how salty your broth is, you may want to reduce the soy sauce in the recipe.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free soy sauce/tamari in the broth, and gluten-free ramen noodles.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.

One Comment

  1. Lisa Rubino

    5 stars
    Made this and it was very good. My first time using konbu and it will not be my last. Overall great flavor for sou base. I used coconut milk since that is what I had on hand. I did however make one addition. I threw in a few tablespoons of peanut butter for incredible flavor and creaminess. For toppings, I added bean sprouts that I sprouted, julienned carrots, celery, green onions, mushrooms, and soft boiled egg (sorry I have a hard time letting go of eggs but trying on all other areas). Thank you Sarah!

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