A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

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Can we replicate the depth of flavor found in traditional meat-based ramen broths with a vegetarian alternative? My answer: Absolutely YES!

You can create a hearty vegetarian ramen at home that rivals the richness of tonkotsu broth. And this recipe is all you need.

“This is it, the ultimate vegetarian ramen. I have tried numerous recipes, and some of them were really good, but none of those compare to Nami’s ramen. I just have to keep coming back!”

Dave

Since sharing this Vegetarian Ramen recipe in 2015, it’s become one of our all-time most popular recipes. I hope you continue to enjoy this amazing ramen, and thank you so much for the generous reviews you’ve given me.

Vegetarian ramen served in a black ramen bowl.

About This Vegetarian Ramen

I developed this recipe after tasting the exceptional vegetarian ramen at Towzen (formerly Mamezen) in Kyoto, a renowned plant-based ramen establishment celebrated for its Tonyu Ramen, or soy milk-based ramen.

Their luscious, creamy broth was amazingly good, proving that the right plant-based ingredients can yield remarkable flavors. I felt like I had unlocked the secret codes and had to share the recipe with all the ramen lovers out there.

You’d be hard-pressed to believe that this umami-packed vegetarian ramen is entirely meat-free! Let’s take a look below at what you need to make this ramen.

A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

4 Key Ingredients for the Soup Broth

The following 4 ingredients are very important to make a bowl of authentic vegetarian ramen broth Please do not substitute.

1. Soy Milk

Vegetarian Ramen

To create a vegetarian ramen broth that is smooth, rich, and creamy, the secret lies in plant-based soy milk. The use of soy milk also adds color, depth, and a hint of delicate sweetness that rounds up the flavor of the soup.

Hopefully, even if you’re not vegetarian, I could convince you to try this rich and creamy delicious ramen by the end of this post. The best part? The soup broth takes less than 20 minutes to make!

2. Vegan Dashi – Umami Packed Broth

Glass pitchers containing vegan dashi (shiitake kombu dashi).

To make umami-packed broth, we’ll make Vegan Dashi (精進だし) with kombu and dried shiitake mushroom. Both ingredients are packed with umami substance and they are essential for this recipe.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms and Kombu

If you’re not vegetarian/vegan, you can use Awase Dashi (with kombu and bonito flakes) and/or chicken stock instead.

3. Miso

Hikari Miso Kodawattemasu

Miso (味噌) is a Japanese fermented soybean paste and the tub shown above is my favorite brand of miso. There are different kinds of miso and if you are not sure which one to pick, get Awase miso (the combination of red + white miso) or Koji miso (my favorite). They work great for almost all recipes that call for miso. More about miso on this page.

4. Doubanjiang (Spicy Bean Paste)

Doubanjiang | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

To make a vegetarian broth that is robust in flavor, doubanjiang (豆板醤) or spicy bean paste is a necessary ingredient.

Doubanjiang is a combination of fermented broad beans, soybeans, and hot chilies. The salty, savory, umami-rich paste adds an incredible depth and character to the broth that you should not substitute. You can add more if you like your soup to be spicy, but a small amount would be enough to give it a good kick.

Did you know that there is non-spicy doubanjiang? Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Guangdong in China have non-spicy doubanjiang. It has the same savory depth but without the heat.

Doubanjiang Spicy Bean Paste
The spicy (辣) version is on the left, and the NON-SPICY version is on the right. To distinguish the two versions, the Sichuan doubanjiang is called la-doubanjiang (辣豆瓣醬, “la” (辣) meaning ‘hot’ or ‘spicy’).

When the kids were small, I used non-spicy doubanjiang to make my Mapo Tofu. Taiwanese brands like Kangshan (岡山) (shown above) and Ming Teh (明德) offer the doubanjiang made from fermented broad beans and soybeans, and they usually have both spicy and non-spicy versions.

You can get these Taiwanese brands at a local Chinese grocery store. Amazon does not sell the non-spicy doubanjiang at this time (please let me know if you find one).

Doubanjiang Substitute: If you really can’t find doubanjiang, you can use gochujang (Korean chili paste; spicy) or doenjang (Korean soybean paste; non-spicy). However, please keep in mind that these pastes will yield slightly different flavor profiles.

Vegetarian ramen served in a black ramen bowl.

Fresh Ramen Noodles

Fresh ramen noodles are made from four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt, and kansui. Despite the yellowish color, the noodles do not contain eggs. Kansui, an alkaline solution, is what gives ramen its yellow tint and springy texture.

Fresh Ramen Noodles
Medium-thick wavy ramen noodles
  • Ramen noodles are either straight (ストレート麺) or wavy (ちぢれ麺). Generally, straight noodles are used for tonkotsu ramen while wavy noodles are used for soy sauce ramen, salt ramen, and miso ramen, but of course, there are exceptions.
  • Ramen noodles have 6 different thicknesses: ultra-thin (極細麺), thin (細麺), medium-thin (中細麺), medium-thick (中太麺), thick (太麺), and extra thick (極太麺).

Where to Buy the Ramen Noodles

Big Japanese grocery stores like Mitsuwa, Nijiya, and Marukai (Tokyo Central) sell packages of fresh ramen noodles (with or without soup packages included). Some large Korean and Chinese grocery stores also carry packages of fresh ramen noodles from Myojo and Yamachan Ramen.

Sun Noodles make great noodles and they ship domestically!

Ramen Noodles

If you don’t have access to fresh ramen noodles, you can purchase dried ramen noodles (what we call Chukamen, 中華麺) by the HIME brand at Japanese or Asian grocery stores or Amazon.

If you are looking for gluten-free noodles, check out my favorite vegan-friendly ramen noodles by Gluten Free Meister (Kobayashi Seimen).

A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

Various Ramen Toppings

If you want to stick with the traditional ramen toppings, I recommend:

A white ceramic plate containing ramen eggs.
spicy bean sprout salad served in a bowl

However, feel free to enjoy your ramen with what you have on hand. You can use any ingredients that complement the ramen broth and ramen noodle texture. Some of the examples that go well with your ramen include:

  • Homemade vegetarian kimchi (I recommend my friend Seonkyoung’s vegan kimchi recipe)
  • Blanched Shanghai bok choy, baby bok choy, or spinach
  • Colorful veggies like julienned carrots
  • Deep-fried tofu
  • Shelled edamame

There is plenty of flexibility to work with!

A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Toasted white sesame seeds
  • Aromatics including garlic, ginger, and scallions
  • Roasted sesame oil
  • Doubanjiang (spicy chili bean sauce/broad bean paste) (more below)
  • Miso (more below)
  • Sake
  • Soy Sauce
  • Vegan dashi made with water, kombu, and dried shiitake mushrooms (more below)
  • Unsweetened soy milk (more below)
  • Salt and white pepper powder
  • Fresh ramen noodles (more below)
  • Toppings: Blanched Shanghai bok choy, Ramen Eggs (skip for vegan), vegan kimchi, sweet corn, Spicy Bean Sprout Salad

How to Make Vegetarian Ramen

  1. Make the cold brew vegan dashi by soaking kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms in water.
  2. Then, bring the cold brew dashi in a pot to almost a boil. Discard the kombu and mushrooms and set the dashi aside.
  3. In a separate saucepan, cook the aromatics with sesame oil and add all the condiments, prepared vegan dashi, and soy milk.
  4. Cook the Shanghai bok choy and fresh ramen noodles.
  5. Assemble each ramen bowl with the noodles, soup, and toppings. Serve hot!

If You’re Not Vegetarian or Vegan…

If you are not vegetarian or vegan, you can cook 4 oz or 113 g of minced pork (for two servings) after stir-frying the aromatics (ginger, garlic, and scallion). The meat will give more complexity to the soup broth.

Thin slices of Chashu on the cutting board.

You can also add Chashu as a topping. The bottom line is to use my recipe as a guide and create your own version!

What to Serve with Vegetarian Ramen

I hope this Vegetarian Ramen will be your go-to recipe. Once you’ve tried it, leave a comment below and let me know how it goes.

A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

FAQs

How long does it take to make this vegetarian ramen?

Really fast! If you prepare the cold brew dashi in advance, you can make this ramen in 30 minutes from start to finish. Make sure to read the recipe and understand the process ahead of time.

Is Soy Milk Ramen (Tonyu Ramen) always vegetarian/vegan?

No. When you visit Japan and order Soy Milk Ramen or Tonyu Ramen, make sure that it is vegetarian/vegan. Tonyu ramen is not necessarily vegetarian or vegan-friendly in Japan.

“Soy milk” in the ramen is considered one of the flavor options like miso, shoyu (soy sauce), and shio (salt). It’s easier to spot meat as a topping, ask if the soup broth are made with pork bone (Tonkotsu 豚骨), chicken carcass (Torigara 鶏ガラ), bonito flakes (Katsuobushi 鰹節), or other types of fish (such as ago アゴ).

Is it easy to find vegetarian ramen in Japan?

Vegetarian ramen is not typically found on the standard menus that ramen shops offer. However, with the increasing number of foreign tourists, you’ll be able to find more vegetarian and vegan options in larger cities. Check or ask in advance.

Are ramen noodles vegan?

The traditional ramen noodles are made with wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui, and they are vegan. But not all ramen noodles are vegan. Occasionally, some ramen shops create noodles with eggs. So, you should definitely ask or check the ingredients.

More Delicious Ramen Recipes You’ll Love

A white bowl containing Tan Tan Ramen (Tantanmen) which consists of ramen noodles and spicy creamy sesame soup, topped with savory ground pork mixture and blanched bok choy.
A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

Vegetarian Ramen

4.82 from 411 votes
by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
A bowl of Vegetarian Ramen topped with ajitama (soy marinated egg), spicy bean sprouts, corn, and a green veggie.
This Vegetarian Ramen is going to rock your world! Learn the secret to creating a superrich and creamy broth with soy milk, miso, sesame seeds, and spicy chili bean sauce. Make it vegan by skipping the ramen egg!
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Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Dashi Prep (in advance): 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Servings: 2

For the Soup Broth

For the Vegan Dashi

For the Ramen

Instructions

Before We Start

  • This recipe requires 30 minutes of kombu and shiitake soaking time (inactive prep).
    Gather all the soup ingredients and toppings of your choice. For 2 bowls, prepare 2 Ramen Eggs (make 1 day in advance), ½ cup Spicy Bean Sprout Salad, ½ cup vegan kimchi, ¼ cup corn, and ½ sheet nori.
    Note: Standard ramen bowls hold 1200–1400 ml. This recipe provides 1½ cups (360 ml) of broth per bowl. See Recipe Notes below if using larger bowls.
    Ingredients for ramen displayed on a wooden surface, including noodles, broth components, aromatics, kimchi, eggs, corn, bok choy, and nori.

To Prepare the Vegan Dashi

  • In a 2-cup measuring cup or container, combine 1 cup water, 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), and 1–2 dried shiitake mushrooms. Place a small heavy cup or bowl on top to keep the mushrooms fully submerged. Soak for at least 30 minutes.
    A dried shiitake mushroom and a strip of kombu being placed into a measuring cup filled with water.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Grind 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle (Japanese suribachi and surikogi works great).
    A three-part sequence showing sesame seeds being poured into a suribachi, ground with a wooden pestle, and finished as a crushed paste.
  • Grate 1 inch fresh ginger (a ceramic grater works great) to yield 1½ tsp grated ginger with juice. Mince or press 2 cloves garlic using a garlic press.
    Nami's Tip: If you prefer a milder ginger flavor, start with less and adjust to taste later.
    A ceramic grater being used to prepare ginger for vegetarian ramen, followed by measuring the grated ginger with a teaspoon and pressing pieces through a garlic press.
  • Cut 2 green onions/scallions in half to separate the white and green parts. Thinly slice the white parts for the broth and the green parts for garnish, keeping them in separate bowls.
    Three-panel image showing a person slicing green onions on a wooden cutting board, with the sliced pieces separated into two small glass bowls.
  • Quarter 1 head Shanghai bok choy lengthwise and rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt between layers.
    A hand uses a knife to slice bok choy on a cutting board, and the sliced pieces are placed in a metal colander.

To Make Vegan Dashi

  • After 30 minutes, transfer the cold brew vegan dashi (liquid, kombu, and shiitake) to a medium saucepan. Slowly bring it to a near boil over low heat to extract maximum flavor.
    Three views of a shiitake mushroom and a piece of kombu soaking in water.
  • Right before it boils, remove the kombu and shiitake and transfer the dashi to a measuring cup. Ensure you have 1 cup Vegan Dashi (top off with water if needed).
    Nami's Tip: Removing the kombu before boiling prevents the broth from becoming slimy and bitter.
    Three-panel image showing a mushroom and kelp being added to a pot of water, followed by liquid being poured into a measuring cup, and a smaller amount of liquid being added to the cup from a small measuring scoop.
  • You can repurpose the spent kombu to make Simmered Kombu (Kombu Tsukudani) and Homemade Furikake (Rice Seasoning). For the spent shiitake mushroom, discard the tough stem and use the cap just as you would a fresh shiitake mushroom.
    Spent Kombu for Furikake

To Make the Soup Broth

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking both the bok choy and noodles.
    Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and the white parts of the green onions.
    Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn the aromatics.
    A three-part image showing oil, minced ginger and garlic, and sliced scallions being added to a stainless steel pot and stirred with a wooden spoon.
  • Add 1½ Tbsp doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste) and 1½ Tbsp miso. Stir constantly for 15 seconds to prevent burning.
    Hands hold two small glass bowls containing chili paste and miso paste above a stainless steel pan, which is shown on the right with the ingredients being stirred into aromatics.
  • Pour in 1 Tbsp sake to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then stir in 1½ Tbsp soy sauce and ground sesame seeds.
    A three-part sequence showing a hand pouring clear liquid, then dark liquid and ground seeds into a stainless steel pot, followed by a wooden spoon stirring the mixture into a sauce.
  • Gradually stir in 2 cups unsweetened soy milk until the pastes fully dissolve, then pour in 1 cup Vegan Dashi.
    A two-part image showing cream being poured into a sauce in a pot, followed by liquid being poured into the same pot while a wooden spoon rests inside.
  • Taste and season with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half the amount or the same weight for table salt) and 1 dash of ground white pepper. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside.
    Nami's Tip: Don‘t be afraid to add salt—the broth will taste less salty once noodles are added.
    Hands holding small bowls of salt and pepper over a saucepan of sauce, followed by a wooden spatula stirring the sauce.

To Blanch the Bok Choy

  • In the big pot of boiling water, add the bok choy, stem end first, and cook for 2 minutes. When tender, remove with tongs or chopsticks to a plate to cool. Keep the water boiling for the noodles.
    A split image showing bok choy being placed into a pot of boiling water and then stirred with chopsticks.

To Cook the Noodles

  • Reheat the soup broth until piping hot over low heat, taking care not to let it boil rapidly to avoid curdling.
    Loosen 8 oz fresh ramen noodles with your hands. Bring the large pot of water back to a rolling boil, add the noodles, and cook according to package instructions, separating them with chopsticks.
    Three photos showing fresh yellow noodles being lifted from a tray, poured into a pot of boiling water, and stirred with chopsticks.
  • Drain the noodles thoroughly in a strainer, shaking off excess water so it doesn't dilute the soup broth. Divide the noodles evenly between 2 ramen bowls.
    A mesh strainer lifts noodles from a pot of boiling water, and a pair of chopsticks places the cooked noodles into a blue and white patterned bowl.

To Assemble and Serve

  • Divide and ladle the hot soup broth over the noodles in each bowl.
    Divide and top between 2 bowls with blanched bok choy, ramen eggs, spicy bean sprout salad, corn, vegan kimchi, and sheet nori.
    Garnish with reserved green onions and serve immediately.
    Three views of ramen in a blue patterned bowl: a ladle pouring broth over noodles, chopsticks stirring the broth, and the finished bowl topped with a soft-boiled egg, corn, bok choy, and kimchi.

To Store

  • Store leftover soup broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Always cook noodles fresh just before serving.

Notes

Ramen Bowl & Broth Capacity: A typical ramen bowl can hold 1200–1400 ml of liquid. We prepare 1½ cups (360 ml) of soup broth per bowl, which is standard and more than enough for traditional serving sizes. If you are using oversized or unusually large ramen bowls, you may want to scale up the broth ingredients by 1.5x or 2x so your bowls look fully filled.
Miso: I use my favorite miso Kodawattemasu by Hikari Miso. Try different miso types, except Saikyo and Hatcho varieties, to create unique flavor profiles for the broth.
Unsweetened Soy milk: Traditional Asian soy milk contains only soybeans and water, featuring a fresh, earthy flavor and light texture meant to be enjoyed on its own. American soy milk adds thickeners, sweeteners, and vitamins to neutralize the bean flavor and mimic dairy milk for coffee or cereal.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 211mg, Sodium: 2109mg, Potassium: 1524mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 19784IU, Vitamin C: 193mg, Calcium: 767mg, Iron: 9mg

The nutrition facts shown are generated by an online calculator and are estimates only. Please consult a professional nutritionist for specific dietary needs.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Nov 18, 2015. It was updated with new pictures, an updated recipe (for two servings, instead of one), and more helpful content on April 9, 2023. It has been republished with a new video on October 20, 2023.