I do love a ramen soup but I must admit I hardly make it at home as I always think it’s too long and complicated to make. Well, this recipe definitely changed my mind as it’s pretty much ready in under 30 minutes. The Ramen stock is definitely the most important part so make sure not to skip any ingredients, they are all pretty crucial. Especially the dry mushrooms as they create that delicious depth of flavour which you need in this soup. I couldn’t find any dry shiitake so I used dry porcini mushrooms which they ended up working so well. The most perfect bowl of nourishment on a chilly evening.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

For the broth:

1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds oil 

1 white onion – roughly chopped 

3 garlic cloves – chopped 

A thumb size piece of ginger – grated 

1 red chilli (optional) – finely chopped 

15g of dried mushrooms – ideally you want to use dry shiitake mushrooms but any dried mushrooms will work well 

2 tbsp of soy sauce 

1 tbsp of white miso paste 

1 litre of veggie stock 

For the rest of the ramen:

280g of firm tofu – drained and pressed 

1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds oil 

2 tbsp of tapioca flour or corn starch 

150g of tenderstem broccoli 

3 spring onions – fine chopped 

2 servings of ramen noodles 

A generous pinch of salt & pepper 

Optional toppings:

A sprinkle of sesame seeds 

Some kimchi 

Start by making the broth. Add the oil to pan and once hot add in the chopped onion, garlic, chilli and ginger. Cook on a medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the onion starts to brown. Add in the dried mushrooms, soy sauce, miso paste and veggie stock. Mix everything together, turn down to a simmer and cook the broth for around 20-25 minutes. 

In the meantime make the tofu. Mix the tapioca flour in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cut the tofu into cubes and coat them in the tapioca flour. Shake off any excess flour. Add the oil to large pan and once hot add in the tofu cubes. Cook the tofu on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to cook the tofu on each side so it gets nice and crispy. 

Cook the noodles according the packet’s instructions. Drain them, add a drizzle of oil to prevent from sticking.

Drain the broth and discard the onion/mushroom mixture. Add the broth back to the pan and add in the tenderstem broccoli  and the chopped spring onions (reserve some to sprinkle on top). Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tenderstem are tender. Divide the broth into bowls and add in the cooked noodles and the pan fried tofu. Serve with some kimchi and sesame seeds (optional).