Okay, First Of All.
FIRST OF ALL. (!!) These ramen bowls are my favorite thing I’ve made in recent memory.
Things to know:
- The miso peanut ramen in and of itself is just divine. Savory, a tiny bit sweet, creamy, and deeply comforting. I’m often parked out just right over the skillet, spooning the sauce / broth / noodles directly into my mouth.
- But ALSO. The tofu crumbles on top of these beautiful ramen bowls might be my new favorite tofu?! I’ve been making the tofu crumbles on their own and eating them on rice bowls because it’s so darn easy – and so delicious.
The whole combination of slippery, silky noodles and the chewy tofu and crunchy bits of fresh veg – omg it’s a little bit of joyful everythingness.
Shockingly, my kids really enjoyed it – we kept theirs really simple with just bowls of the creamy noodles + tofu on top (served in paper bowls, in the basement, because kitchen remodel). They especially loved the tofu – girls after my own heart.
I could eat a bowl of this daily. I think you’re going to love it.
Miso Peanut Ramen Bowls
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A sweet and creamy savory broth ladled into bowls with noodles, crispy crumbled tofu, and fresh veg! These ramen bowls are SO GOOD.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crispy Tofu Bits:
- 1 block extra firm tofu (I like the high protein tofu from Trader Joe’s, but any firm tofu will work)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup teriyaki (I use Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
Miso Peanut Ramen:
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste or roasted red chili paste
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1–2 tablespoons peanut butter (just a little plop)
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cups water + 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken or vegetable base (sub 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth)
- 1 14–ounce can full fat coconut milk
- two 3–ounce ramen packages (see notes for subs)
Toppings:
- Finely sliced cucumbers
- Cilantro and/or green onion
- Chili crisp
Instructions
- Prep Tofu: Press tofu with paper towels to remove some of the water. Grate tofu on a box grater, on medium / large holes.
- Crisp Tofu: Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu shreds and salt; saute until golden and lightly crisped (it usually takes me 10-15 minutes to really get it to have some crispy / chewy texture).
- Sauce Tofu: Add the teriyaki sauce and grated garlic to the “thirsty” tofu. Sauté for another 5-10 minutes to caramelize further. Add 1-2 tablespoons more sauce as desired. Transfer to a separate bowl and wipe out the pan.
- Make Ramen Broth: In the same pan, heat the curry paste, miso, peanut butter, soy sauce, and brown sugar until it’s worked into a thick paste. Add the coconut milk and broth, and whisk until incorporated. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- All Together: Add ramen (just the noodles, not sauce packets) directly into the simmering broth. They will cook in 4-5 minutes; let it simmer for 1-2 minutes longer to thicken it all up to your desired level of sauciness.
- Serve: Serve ramen in bowls, with a scoop of broth over the top. Top with the tofu, herbs, and chili crisp on top. She’s sooo yummy!
Notes
Brown Rice Ramen: I’ve also done this with the Lotus Foods brown rice ramen from Costco – if you want to use these (or any rice noodle) reduce the amount of chicken or veg broth to 1 cup, and cook the noodles by boiling in a separate pot. After the noodles have been boiled and drained, just fold them into the pan with the sauce. This will prevent it from getting too sticky. (This method is what you’ll see in the video.) If you do use the Lotus foods brown rice ramen, I’d suggest cooking 3 noodle bricks (7.5 ounces total).
Better Than Bouillon: Using this broth base dissolved into water, instead of regular broth, has a HUGE impact on the flavor. It just tastes way better. Highly recommend using this for your broth if you have it / can find it! I keep a jar in my fridge at all times!
Other Proteins: This would also work with ground chicken instead of tofu.
Leftovers: The noodles will absorb some of the broth as it sits in the fridge, so you can add a little water to loosen it up after reheating if you want it saucier / brothier.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2-4 (we typically get 3, or 2 adult + 2 small kids)
Keywords: peanut ramen, ramen recipe, coconut curry ramen, coconut ramen, easy ramen recipe, tofu ramen, vegetarian ramen
