Name: Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: japanese
Ingredients: 1 tbsp soy sauce (, tamari for gluten-free); 1 tbsp hoisin; 2 tsp maple; 0.25 tsp pepper white; 1 tsp sesame oil; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; 7 oz firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes and then sliced into two slabs); 1 tsp oil; 3 oz mushrooms (thinly sliced, or 1 oz soy curls, soaked in hot water or broth for 15 minutes, then drained and chopped into small pieces); 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or use 3 cloves of garlic, minced and 0.5 inch of ginger, minced); 0.5 null jalapeno (thinly sliced); 1 tbsp yellow miso; 2 tsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp sambal oelek (or any Asian chili garlic sauce); 3 cups vegetable broth ((depends on noodles used and consistency preference)); 1 cup coconut milk (full-fat); 4 oz noodles (of choice, such as thin udon or ramen); 1 null baby bok choy (washed really well and then sliced in half); null null green onions (chopped); null null jalapeno (sliced); null null sesame seeds; null null chili oil (or crushed pepper flakes); null wedges lime

Instructions

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1

Mix all of the marinade ingredients (soy sauce (1 tbsp), hoisin (1 tbsp), maple (2 tsp), white pepper (0.25 tsp), sesame oil (1 tsp), garlic powder (0.5 tsp)) in a shallow bowl, then add the firm tofu (7 oz) slabs to the bowl and coat them on all sides. Set this aside for at least 5 minutes.
2

Heat a wok or a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil (1 tsp). Once the [oil] is hot, place the [tofu] slabs in the skillet and cook until they are golden brown on one side. Then flip the slabs over and brush the golden side with more of the marinade and continue to cook. Do this at least twice to get a really nice, thickened and caramelized sauce coating on all sides of the [tofu].
3

Remove the [tofu] slabs from the wok, and set aside. Once the [tofu] is cool to the touch, you can slice and then use.
4

Add a oil (1 tsp) to the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms (3 oz) and a good pinch of salt and continue to cook for 3 minutes or so, stirring and pressing occasionally, until the [mushrooms] are starting to turn golden.
5

Then add the ginger-garlic paste (2 tbsp) and jalapeno (0.5) and mix in. Cook until the garlic doesn't smell raw.
6

Then mix in the yellow miso (1 tbsp), sesame oil (2 tsp), and sambal oelek (2 tbsp). Add vegetable broth (0.5 cup), mixing well so that the [miso] dissolves into the mixture. Otherwise, once you pour all of that broth in, the miso will just be a floating blob.
7

Once the [miso] is mixed into the broth, add the remaining [vegetable broth] (2 to 3 cups) and the coconut milk (1 cup) and salt and mix in. You can use about 0.25 to 0.5 teaspoon salt depending on the salt content of your broth or stock.
8

Once the mixture is boiling rapidly, add the noodles (4 oz), then continue to cook until the [noodles] are cooked to your preference. [Ramen noodles] will take about 3 to 4 minutes, while thin [udon noodles] cook in about 7-8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
9

Just when the [noodles] are about al dente, add the bok choy (1 baby) to the pan, and submerge them in the broth. Continue to cook for a minute or so, then switch off the heat.
10

Taste and adjust [salt] and flavor in the stock. You can add about maple (1 tsp) or brown sugar, if you like, to balance out the flavor.
11

Ladle some of the stock into your bowls, scoop the [noodles] and the veggies into the serving bowls, and top with the sliced [tofu], [chopped green onion], [sliced jalapeno], [sesame seeds], [lime wedges], and [chili oil] or crushed pepper flakes, and serve!