Not Your Ordinary Ramen under 30 minutes. Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Fat. Creamy, rich winter comfort food in a bowl.
Slurping down the last strands of wheat noodles, I lifted the porcelain bowl to my lips to finish off the last mouthfuls of warm broth. It probably wasn’t “lady-like” of me at all, but it was delicious. Zoe was struggling to keep up with me as the finicky noodles slipped between her wooden chopsticks plopping right back into the soup. Even though it was tricky, it is a meal best eaten with chopsticks – an art of enjoying a good bowl of noodles.I have fond memories of my grandpa sitting patiently next to me to correct the way I held my chopsticks. His soft voice, gentle smile and tender touch made quite the impression on me:
“Your middle finger needs to be resting between the two chopsticks and your last two fingers curled up below to balance the weight of the rest of your hand. Whenever using them, you always hold them mid way or higher, never near the bottom.” I remember my grandpa telling me.
Other rules included: not using your own chopsticks to take more food; so each individual would be given another pair of chopsticks to get more food. Eating with chopsticks, like I said is an art form, and is part of Chinese etiquette as much as fine dining would be in any western culture.
As simple as a bowl of noodles may be, to me this comforting, warm meal is so much more meaningful than any 3 course French meal or expensive buffet. Wrapping my hands around the steaming bowl and smelling that fragrant milky broth is pure therapy to the soul. To me it is comfort for the mind as well as for the body. Sometimes rather than extravagant gifts or scholarly achievements, it is the simpler and less obvious things in life that brings us joy. Most of us desire more than temporary moments of euphoria, rather the deep, lasting peace that warms your heart when you receive a random compliment from a stranger; unexpected notes of appreciation from friends; the thoughtful words of advice, a simple “thank you”; or even reconcilation with a loved one. It is the realization, as one friend put it, “people” not materialistic items are what matters most in life. It makes me wonder how much we miss out on when we ground our focus and efforts on superficial successes that will never bring ultimate joy. As cliche as this may be, it seems as though we all run into the same cycle of forgetting that we may already have our greatest happiness within our grasps – our family, our significant other, our friends. Remember, the pursuit of happiness brings all well seasoned veterans to the same simple conclusion, “people matter more”.
As I stand back to admire the lovely vibrant colors of this noodle dish, I can’t help but want to share this beautiful meal with the people I love. Creating something wonderful is meaningless without the people you love. That is what makes cooking so beautiful. That is what makes life meaningful.
Mamezen Ramen is an unusual delicacy originating in Kyoto Japan, created by a young chef, Minoru Yonegawa. Unlike other types of Japanese Ramen that is made with beef/pork stock, this particular ramen is made out of soy milk. Unfortunately, Regular Ramen is loaded with sodium, fat and MSG, but this version is way healthier, lighter and VEGETARIAN/VEGAN. In fact Chef Yonegaqwa created this recipe for his pregnant wife, thus this recipe is well suited for elderly, children or pregnant woman or for anyone who is looking for a quick fix for their ramen craving. The milky, creamy broth is rather unusual, but delicious and refreshing. I admit I was skeptical at first – milk and ramen? But all my doubts and skepticism soon disappeared. Bursting full of flavor and richness, this soy milk ramen makes a rather addicting meal. Best yet it can be served with thin noodles or pasta (for a gluten-free option) and leftover vegetables or toppings of your choice – a versatile, simple and easy meal made in 30 minutes. We came across this recipe from JustOneCookbook and have been dying to try this out for a long, long time. Since the weather has been so dreary and cold, we decided that it was time to pull out this recipe and enjoy this winter delicacy. After making it 4 times over the past 2 weeks, we declared this to be one of our favourite/fastest weeknight meals yet. This gorgeous vegan Soy Milk Ramen bowl made in only 30 minutes will blow you away!
Zoe and I usually like to make 2-3 batches of this recipe and keep in the fridge so we can enjoy it throughout the week. We also prep extra toppings to go with it for a fast meal on a busy weeknight!
- Soy Milk Broth:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1" piece of ginger, minced
- ⅛ White onion, finely minced
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 cup Dashi Stock (see below for recipe)
- 2 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
- 4 tsp Soy Sauce (GF or regular)
- 4 tsp White Miso Paste (dissolved in 2 tbsp of water)
- ½ tsp salt
- White Pepper
- Suggested Toppings:
- Ramen Noodles, Spaghetti (GF or regular)
- Shiitake mushrooms (Stir-fried with soy sauce, garlic and mushroom liquid)
- Ramen Egg
- Bok Choy
- Bean Sprouts
- Kimchi
- Corn
- Seaweed
- Soy Milk Broth:
- Using a Mortar and Pestle (or a plastic bag and rolling pin) grind/bash sesame seeds until crushed (doesn't have to be fine).
- Heat up a small saucepan, and over medium low heat fry your add your minced garlic, ginger and onion.
- Once fragrant, add your Miso paste mixture. Mix well.
- Add soy sauce and crushed sesame seeds. Mix.
- Pour in Soy Milk slowly and stir till the Miso paste has dissolved.
- Pour in Dashi stock. Season with salt, pepper.
- Once the broth is hot you can serve! Beware of heating too long because the milk might curdle.
- Assembly:
- Transfer Noodles/Ramen into a bowl.
- Pour over the HOT soup. (SERVING THE BROTH HOT IS A MUST)
- Arrange the toppings. Serve!
Low Carb Option: Use shiritaki noodles, bean pastas, spiralized vegetables of your choice.
- 4 cups Water
- 1 kombu/ dried kelp (4"x 6")
- 5 dried shittake mushrooms
- Add everything into a pot. Allow the kombu and shittake to soak for 30 minutes.
- Slowly bring the pot to boil.
- Right before it turns to full boil, remove the kombu and shittake from the broth (if no the dashi will become slimy). Turn off the heat.
- Slice the leftover mushrooms and use it for the topping (see above).
Zoe & Mia
(This post is featured on Healthy Vegan Fridays, fandayFriday, Food Friday, Weekend Potluck, Traffic Jam Weekend, Hearth and Soul, Tutorials and Tips, Turn it Up, Made By You Monday, Twinkly Tuesdays)
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April J Harris (@apriljharris) says
I enjoyed reading your memories of learning to use chopsticks with your Grandfather. I’m not too bad with chopsticks, but I have to practice! Your Soy Milk Ramen really does look lovely, so tasty and comforting. Thank you for sharing it with us at Hearth and Soul. Pinning and tweeted. Hope to see you again this week!
zoelaucy says
Thanks April! 🙂 So grateful you stopped by again! I definitely need all the practice I can get with chopsticks! 🙂