Vegan Ramen (dare I say Ayurveda-style? 😃)
All I can say is this recipe feeds a crowd! Easily a meal for four. While the prep is quick (under 20 minutes tops!), the key to a complex and flavorful broth is in the simmer. So be patient. It pays off!
Ingredients and prep for broth:
1 large red onion, few cloves garlic, and 1 thumb sized piece of ginger - peeled, thinly slicedSeveral stalks celery, 3 carrots, 1 red pepper, thinly sliced1 sheet Nori seaweed, torn into pieces - this adds a ton of Umami so don't skip2-3 tablespoons of a white miso (I used a chickpea miso)Put all the veggies on a sheet pan, and drizzle of a couple of tablespoons virgin sesame oil; add the miso and toss to coat all the veggies liberallyPut pan under the broiler at 500 F for about 7 minutes, keeping an eye; when the veggies start to sear mildly and the onions looks almost roasted, remove pan from oven.
Broth
Bring a stockpot with about 10 cups of water to a boil.When the roasted veggies are ready, add to the stock pot. Now start building up flavor complexity - I added several dashes rice vinegar, Tamari sauce, another couple of tablespoons of white miso. I also added diced, firm sprouted tofu.Let the stock SIMMER slowly for about an hour reducing to almost 2/3rds.
Noodle
Now add a dry noodle of choice. I used a very thin Asian rice noodle I can buy at the Indian store.Continue to simmer until the noodles are done - keep an eye so they don't overcook. The stock would now have reduced to about half. Taste test and adjust seasonings.Some optional taste notes - 1/2 - 1 cup plain soy milk to the finished broth, fermented bean paste, Japanese red chili in oil.Garnish with finely chopped fresh cilantro and scallions.