Spicy Vegetarian Ramen Recipe - Peas and Crayons (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables are good in ramen noodles? ›

Let's face it: Ramen ain't health food. But it's pretty simple to add a bit of roughage to your starch. Quick-cooking vegetables like baby spinach, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, thinly sliced cabbage, watercress, and scallions (amongst others) can be stirred into the soup right before serving.

Then right before you enjoy your steaming bowl of noodles, add spicy condiments like sriracha, togarashi (a spicy Japanese seasoning blend), chili crisp and chili pepper flakes.

FOR PLAIN TOFU

For a speedier tofu ramen, you can 100% use firm or extra firm tofu and simply cut it into smaller, spoon-sized cubes to add to each ramen bowl. Add to hot broth for a few minutes until cooked through, then add toppings.

Some of the most popular spices used to flavor ramen noodles are chili powder, sriracha sauce, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and curry powder. You can also add minced fresh chili peppers or chopped scallions for a little extra kick. A variety of spices can be added to ramen to add flavor.

Cooking the noodles in stock can add flavor, and you can also add things like eggs or bacon. Soy sauce, herbs, and seaweed are also easy additions that can boost instant ramen's flavor.

Diets high in instant noodles have been linked to poor diet quality and an increased risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Adding vegetables and protein to instant ramen is an easy way to boost the nutrition content of the meal.

Dairy milk gives your ramen a milky, creamy character. It takes the heat out of spicy ramen and adds a thick, rich texture.

The key condiment in this recipe is doubanjiang (豆板醤) or spicy bean paste, a combination of fermented broad beans as the main ingredient, soybeans, and often hot chilies. The salty, savory, umami-rich paste adds an incredible depth and character to the broth that you should not substitute.

Sriracha: It's a classic for a reason, it adds just the right amount of heat and tanginess. Plus, it's readily available almost anywhere. Garlic Scorpion: If you want a garlic flavor with that extra heat, this hot sauce is for you.

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

Do you put gochujang in ramen? ›

You can add spicy ingredients like Gochujang paste, red pepper/chili flakes, or hot sauce, and then mix it into your cooked noodles for a fiery kick. Just be aware of how it might change the texture of your ramen noodles. For instance, red pepper flakes or chilli powder won't usually change the textures of dishes.

Add Japanese seasoning like furikake or togarashi for a boost of flavor. Try beefing up the flavor of instant ramen with a sprinkle of furikake, a common Japanese seasoning that contains seaweed, sesame seeds, and fish flakes.

your supermarket-bought Maruchan ramen seasoning is basically: celery, carrots, onion, ginger, and chicken stock, plus MSG (or kelp if you wanna get natural umami flavor). Just put all of them together and boil until everything is super soft. The above should create a similar flavor to the seasoning packet.

Adding hot sauce to your ramen is a simple way to intensify the heat and bring new flavor profiles to your dish. You just want to make sure the hot sauce (or chili paste/chili pepper) you choose complements the other flavors in your soup.