This Easy Vegan Ramen recipe simmers noodles, simple vegetables, and a mushroom-enhanced veggie broth together in one pot. It’s a flavorful and umami-packed meal that’s ready in less than 20 minutes!

vegan ramen in a large white bowl with chopsticks.

Every spoonful of this Japanese-inspired soup is overflowing with umami flavors, an enhanced vegetable broth, and flexible toppings. While the flavors are restaurant-worthy, it’s the quick 20-minute cook time that will have you turning to this recipe on a weekly basis!

This is a quick and easy recipe, and nothing close to authentic Japanese ramen. For a creamy, delicious more authentic recipe, check out this Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen by Lisa at Okonomi Kitchen.

The process is foolproof; simmer the ingredients together in one pot, add your toppings, then enjoy! Easy veggie ramen is as simple and comforting as a classic Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup but you’ll find that it’s the Japanese-inspired flavors that are especially hard to resist. 

It’s a flexible recipe, too. Turn to it when you need to upgrade a package of ramen noodles, or mix and match the toppings, flavors, and spice level as much as you want. The customization options are endless!

What is ramen?

Ramen is a popular Japanese noodle soup that consists of 4 elements:

  • Wheat noodles
  • Broth
  • Flavor boosters (soy sauce, hot sauce, or miso)
  • Toppings (mushrooms, scallions, bok choy, etc.)

There are endless add-in and topping options for ramen recipes, but the popular choices are meat, seaweed (nori), soft-boiled eggs, vegetables, bamboo shoots, and scallions. Luckily, there is no one right way to make this flavorful soup. That’s why it’s so easy to make a quick vegan ramen with as many toppings as you like.

vegan ramen in a large white bowl with chopsticks.

Ingredients needed (with substitutions)

  • Sesame oil – A nutty and rich-tasting alternative to vegetable oil. Try not to substitute this!
  • Garlic
  • Ginger – Use fresh ginger root if you can. It will give you the most flavorful baseline in the broth.
  • Carrots
  • Shiitake mushrooms – Or use button, oyster, or portobello mushrooms.
  • Vegetable broth – Simmering the mushrooms, soy sauce, and vinegar in the vegan ramen broth transforms it into a base that’s bursting with rich umami flavors. If you want to double up on the mushroom flavor, use vegan mushroom broth. Vegan chicken broth or vegan beef broth can also be used for an extra savory base.
  • Water
  • Soy sauce – Low-sodium soy sauce is used to enhance the vegetable broth even further. Use tamari if you’re gluten free. If you love umami, use 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of white miso paste.
  • Rice vinegar – The sweet and sour flavor adds balance to the broth.
  • Sriracha hot sauce – Or the hot sauce of your choice.
  • Ramen noodles – Vegan ramen noodles are easy to find in most well-stocked grocery stores and Asian markets. Remember to discard the flavor packets ahead of time. Most ramen noodles are wheat-based but you can use gluten free ramen noodles if you’re gluten free.
  • Scallions
ingredients for easy vegan ramen in individual white bowls.

How to make easy vegan ramen

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Start by heating the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the garlic and ginger, and cook until they’re fragrant.

sauteeing garlic and ginger in an oiled white pot.

Stir the shredded carrots, mushrooms, broth, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and hot sauce into the pot. Bring the soup up to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. 

Let it cook until the carrots and mushrooms soften.

mushrooms and carrots simmering in a dark brown broth in a large white pot.

Next, add the noodles to the pot and simmer until they’re soft. Finish by stirring in the scallions.

Take the ramen off of the heat and give it a taste. Adjust the flavors, adding more hot sauce or soy sauce as needed.

Ladle it into bowls, add the toppings of your choice, and enjoy!

pouring diced scallions into a large pot of vegan ramen.

More vegan ramen toppings

Prepare the toppings while you wait on the soup to simmer. Toppings are a necessary part of veggie ramen recipes because they add bulk, flavor, and color to every bite! There are plenty to choose from:

  • More sliced scallions
  • Sesame seeds
  • More shredded carrots
  • Air fryer tofu
  • Marinated tofu
  • More hot sauce
  • Baby bok choy
  • Cilantro
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Extra firm tofu slabs
  • Nori
  • Red chili flakes
  • Lime wedges
  • Parsley
  • Chili oil
a large pot of vegan ramen next to a small bowl of scallions.

Frequently asked questions

What else can you add to vegetarian ramen?

Feel free to cook as many vegetables as you like in the soup, like bok choy, spinach, celery, edamame, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, or corn. Roasted sweet potatoes or fried tofu will add even more protein and substance.

Is it gluten free?

This ramen recipe isn’t naturally gluten free but you can easily make it gluten free by substituting tamari for soy sauce and gluten free ramen noodles for regular ramen wheat noodles.

How do you store ramen?

I recommend keeping the noodles separate from the broth if you plan on storing leftovers. They tend to become soggy the longer they sit in the liquid.

To store, keep the cooked broth and noodles in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Reheat them together in a pot on the stove when it’s time to eat, add your toppings, then enjoy.

vegan ramen in a large white bowl with chopsticks.

Want more easy dinner recipes?

close up on a white bowl filled with vegan ramen.
5 stars (8 ratings)

Easy Vegan Ramen

This Easy Vegan Ramen recipe simmers noodles, simple vegetables, and a mushroom-enhanced veggie broth together in one pot. It’s a flavorful and umami-packed meal that’s ready in less than 20 minutes!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 
 

Optional toppings

  • more sliced scallions
  • sesame seeds
  • more shredded carrots
  • extra-firm tofu, sliced
  • more hot sauce

Instructions 

  • Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute or two, until fragrant.
  • Add the shredded carrots, mushrooms, broth, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar and hot sauce. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrots and mushrooms soften.
  • Add the noodles to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, until the noodles have softened. Now add the sliced scallions and stir in.
  • Taste; add more hot sauce or soy sauce as desired.
  • Remove from heat and serve in bowls with more sliced scallions, sesame seeds, more shredded carrots, extra firm tofu and more hot sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Gluten free – Use gluten free tamari and gluten free ramen noodles.
  2. Also good topped with marinated tofu or perfect fried tofu.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 servings | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1860mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3905IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Japanese-inspired
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

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Comments

  1. Just finished up 2 bowls of your Vegan Ramen! As I always do, I followed your recipe exactly. I also took your advice on adding a few extras and added edamame, bok choy and spinach. It was sooooo delicious! I will definitely add this to my “go-to” recipes. Thank you for sharing your talents!

    1. Thank YOU, Maria, for sharing your encouraging words and positive review! I am thrilled that you loved the recipe and that you’ve added it to your go-to recipes! Wishing you happy cooking!

  2. Just found this recipe and I’m wondering if I can use Red Cap Mushrooms that I’ve grown here in Chicago, IL land?

  3. Nora, I have been using your recipes religiously for a while now. Like all the rest, this one satisfied everyone in the family ages 5 to 45.
    Thanks for all the great dinner (and desert) recipes and giving my family another reason to say “thank you Nora” once we’re done.

    1. Thank YOU for your heartwarming words and great review! I’m so glad you are all loving my recipes! Happy cooking!

  4. Excellent flavor. Thoroughly enjoyed it! I added ripped firm tofu just before the ramen. Will definitely make this quick and easy meal again! Thank you Nora!

  5. So good! It was my first time making ramen and I couldn’t be happier. I added your marinated tofu and some crushed peanuts as suggested. I found a big bag of millet & brown rice ramen at Costco and it worked perfectly. Thank you for another delicious recipe, Nora!

    1. Hi Shelly. I’m so glad you loved the ramen recipe! How fabulous it turned out great for you! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and review! Happy cooking!

  6. Made it just as written, except used fresh mushrooms. Everyone loved it, kids and adults alike! The broth had a ton of flavor.

    Thank you, Nora, for another great recipe!

  7. The email tag enticed me to look and after seeing the picture I jumped to the recipe because I hoped to see exactly what I saw, “Discard the flavor packs.” Yes!!

    I’ll now go back and read the entire post because you write very well Nora, and you’re interesting. Ramen without the flavor pack is so useful.

    Well done Nora, thank you for this wonderful recipe.

    1. Hi Frank. You are welcome! I’m so pleased you like my posts! Thanks for your encouraging feedback. Enjoy the Ramen!

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