Chicago has some great ramen. I recently had some awesome ramen with char sui pork at Four Belly (see the proof on Instagram). I figured it was time to make some from scratch. Ramen is arguably a very forgiving dish, at least the way I like to make it. You can add in all the veggies you have on hand, toss in any meat or meat substitute you like, and pile it all in a dish for chopstick heaven.
This miso ramen swaps traditional ramen noodles for super low-calorie and low carb shirataki noodles, and adds in baby bok choy, thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms and savory fried tofu.
This miso ramen has back hints of garlic, lemongrass, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little heat from sriracha. Feel free to throw in your own blend of flavors like fish sauce, corn, cremini or chanterelle mushrooms, or other flavors of miso. I’m also a big fan of soba noodles and edamame noodles, too, if you’re game for swapping out the grains. No lie: it’s SO flexible.
This particular blend ends up being vegan if you omit the egg, which is always a bonus in my book. Miso paste is so rad, too, since it lasts forever. You can get a lot of soup out of it, which is great for low budgets.
If you’re unfamiliar with shirataki noodles, prepare to be amazed. They’re either soy-based or soy-free, but all varieties are low-calorie (like 15 calories per serving), and some even have ZERO calories. Some people are turned off by their texture straight from the package, but I’ve got a trick that makes them taste pretty much just like regular noodles. Here’s how I do it:
- Drain the noodles, give them a good rinse in water, and pat/squeeze them as dry as possible with some paper towels.
- In a dry, hot pan, heat the noodles for about ten minutes until they’re nice and dry.
- Add sauce, add to soup, and they’re awesome!
Want more recipes in your life? Sign up to receive recipes via email and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Bloglovin, and RSS for all of the latest updates.
Ingredients
- 16 oz shirataki noodles (or ramen noodles)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 4 heads baby bok choy, chopped
- 5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1 (5-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, sliced OR 1/2 tsp dried ginger
- 1 whole garlic head, peeled and crushed OR 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried lemongrass, chopped finely
- 7 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and diced
- 3 Tbsp miso paste
- 1 Tbsp sriracha sauce
- 3 Tbsp sesame oil, divided
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- Optional garnish: seasame seeds, chopped scallions, dried seaweed
Instructions
- Drain and rinse shirataki noodles, then squeeze dry with paper towels. In a hot, dry pan, fry the noodles, stirring often, for about 10 minutes to dry them out. Divide noodles between two serving bowls and set aside.
- In a large sauce pan or pot,mix vegetable stock, miso paste, bok choy, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, sriracha, soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Heat on medium-low for 15 minutes.
- In the dry frying pan, add the rest of the sesame oil and heat to medium. Stir fry the tofu until browned and heated through.
- Add the tofu on top of the noodles, and divide the miso soup broth and vegetable mixture into the bowls.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, dried seaweed, or any other toppings you like.
If you make this recipe, share a photo and hashtag it #BIJOUXANDBITS. I’d love to see what you’re cooking!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Looks delicious. I love ramen but never have made it before!
Catherine says
Thanks so much, Thalia! It’s nice and quick, which makes it awesome for weeknights. ๐
Bonnie Eng says
What an awesome idea to swap out shirataki for regular ramen. And the photos are amazingly gorgeous! ๐
Catherine says
I’m fully obsessed with shirataki. Let me know if you try it! And thank you so much!!
Erin says
This is heavenly looking! I might just have to buy some ramen and whip this bowl of deliciousness up ๐ Pinned!
Catherine says
Do eet! Let me know how you like it! ๐
Jessica says
I’ve been disgusted by shirataki before…. but I might just have to give this a try. See if I can get my picky husband to eat it!
Catherine says
It can definitely be weird, that’s for sure. This method of drying it out works great for me, but I’d totally get it if it just didn’t work for you. good luck! ๐