Vegetarian Ramen Bowl (and March Food Delivery!)

These are truly crazy times. We want to send our love out to you, wherever you are. I know we’re being told not to hug, not to travel, to wash our hands incessantly. But keep spreading the love and making people laugh and bringing some cheer into the world. We really need each other right now!

Despite the world chaos, we’ve got lots to share over here. There’s always something new when it comes to beautiful food, healthy living, and happy lifestyle! So for starters, head on over to our website to check out the menu for our DC-area healthy food delivery…so much yum happening!!! Last day to place your order is Wednesday. It’s a really good time to bolster your immunity with this anti-inflammatory menu and all these healthy antioxidants!

Then…there’s ramen we’ve been working on that’s ACTUALLY VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE. Yes, my people, I am saying this ramen is cleanse-worthy! It’s actually packed with nutrients but is also totally anti-inflammatory.

So I’ll also be honest here…this is like a pho mated with a ramen. I kind-of made a pho broth but also was craving a ramen bowl…not just the thin rice noodles that usually go with pho. The broth I have been experimenting with in an Instant Pot because I think it makes the flavors meld together more. The broth took me about 1 hour to prepare, cook in the instant pot, and depressurize. You could easily cook it on the stove top, but you’d just leave it to simmer for a few hours instead of the 30 minute cooking time with the instant pot.

I’ve been looking for good gluten-free ramen noodles and finally found the perfect ones. Made by Lotus Foods, the organic millet and brown rice ramen noodles have a great texture and are made with gluten-free grains. I’m really happy with them!

Another requirement of this dish is charring some of the veggies before you make the broth. I put both white onions and shiitake mushrooms in the oven at a high temp before adding all the ingredients for the pho, letting them really brown and almost blacken at the edges. The charred-ness gives the broth some depth and richness, along with all the spices that you add to it.

Please let me know in the comments if you’re able to try this out, and how you like it!

Vegetarian Ramen Bowl

Serves 3

For Charring:
2 pints shiitake mushrooms
1 white onion, cut into wedges
1 red onion, cut into wedges

For the Pho Broth:
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 apple, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley
2 inches ginger, cut into a few pieces
1 dried red chili
4-5 coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
5-6 cloves
6 cups boiling water
1 Rapunzel veggie bouillon cube
2 Tbsp. amino acids (or tamari)

For Finished Soup:
Lotus Foods Millet and Brown Rice Ramen noodles
Bokchoy
2 carrots
2 green onions
1 pint shiitake mushrooms

For Garnish:
1 lime, cut into wedges
bunch of basil
bunch of cilantro
2 soft-boiled eggs (optional)
Tofu (optional)
Bean sprouts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with parchment. Roughly chop the white onion and 1 pint of the shiitakes. Also include one red onion cut into wedges, but keep to one side of the pan because you’re going to reserve this and it won’t go into the broth. Cover in olive oil and salt and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once, until veggies are charred on the edges. Reserve the red onion.
2. In an instant pot or pressure cooker, put all the ingredients for the broth, including the charred white onion and shiitakes. Set to pressure cook for 30 minutes. Let depressurize naturally (will take about 20 minutes.) This will allow the flavors to really meld. Manually depressurize any remaining steam.
3. Place a large dutch oven or pan in your sink with a strainer over it. Pour the contents of the instant pot through the strainer, catching all the broth in the pot. Use tongs to squeeze the veggies in the strainer a bit, to get out any remaining juice and flavor. Compost or discard the veggies, and move the broth to the stove.
4. Cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions and divide among bowls. Bring the broth back to a simmer and add the finished soup ingredients, to cook for just a few minutes until just tender (4-5 minutes).
5. Serve with whichever garnishes appeal to you, but we think basil and cilantro and lime are MUSTS! And enjoy!!!