When food is heritage
A fun fact about me is that I am a quarter Japanese. My grandfather was stationed in the army in Japan and met my grandmother, they then settled back down in the US. I have always felt a strong tie to my Japanese heritage and grew up having sushi or ramen once a week. A warm bowl of ramen is tied to so many emotions and memories in my family, feelings of comfort, warmth, safety and tradition. As a kid I always thought nothing can ever go wrong when I was slurping down a bowl of ramen. As I have gotten older and switched to a plant based diet, finding a vegan option has been more challenging since the traditional dish is made with pork broth. That is why I came up with this vegan alternative that respects my dietary choices, but still pays tribute to the special ramen dishes that I grew up loving. I hope this will bring back memories for you too, enjoy!
Ingredients
3 cloves of garlic
3 green onions
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp peanut butter
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups oat milk (or dairy alternative)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp chili oil (per spice level)
4-6 dried shitake mushrooms
1 -2 Bok choy
1 package of ramen noodles
Toppings:
2 tbsp mug beans
2 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp kimchi
1 tbsp green onion
2 tbsp mushrooms
Preparation
1. Heat medium sized pot over high heat, add sesame oil. Once hot, add in garlic and scallions, then minced ginger. Sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add miso paste, peanut butter, vegetable stock, oat milk, soy sauce, chili oil, and dried mushrooms.
3. Cover the pot and leave on high heat for about 5 minutes, once boiling reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Add in Bok choy and ramen noodles. (I recommend to cook noodles separately and then add them into the broth).
5. Adjust broth based on liking, adding more chili oil, soy sauce, or sesame oil as desired.
6. Remove mushrooms and dice. Top with sliced mushrooms, green onions, ginger, kimchi, greens, mug beans, and any other toping as preferred. Enjoy!