Chili Vegan Ramen Bowl

A lazy meal usually happens when the weekend comes and one does not go out to eat nor have friends visit. For that, a simple meal is a soup, and this recipe is for a kind of spicy soup that Japanese or Korean people often serve on the street or in restaurants with more fancy ingredients added to this bowl of soup.  I like to cook this soup with an easier way because it's very simple and the ingredients are usually found in most families’ kitchen. The spiciness of this soup can be according to each person's preference by adding or reducing it. There are also a few ways to make this soup, but I will know introduce an easy way to create this spicy soup that will make your stomach very happy after consuming it.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 packages of Ramen noodles (your choice of noodles)

2 cups of vegetables broth

1 small piece of kombu (a kind of seaweed)

Photo above shows ingredients below:

2 baby mushrooms or any kind of mushroom (your choice), sliced

1 cup vegetables, baby bok choy or napa cabbage, or brocolini (your choice)

1/2 cup cubed tofu

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp minced ginger

1/4 cup diced white onions

1/4 cup sake (Japanese rice wine)

2 pieces of fermented tofu

1 tsp Korean chilli flakes

2 green onions, sliced (green part only for garnish)

Sauce ingredients;

1 tsp chilli oil

1 tsp red vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the Ramen noodles as per the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

In a deep sauté pan, add 1 tsp sesame oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant. Add vegetables and mushrooms and stir well.  Remove to set aside.

Add sake and chilli flakes. Bring to boil and add kombu, vegetables broth, fermented tofu and tofu.  Bring to boil, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove kombu and save the kombu for making a salad. Season the broth with salt, soy sauce, and sugar to your liking.

To serve:

In a bowl, add all the sauce ingredients into the bowl. Place cooked noodles on top with sautéed vegetables and mushrooms. Then pour the broth on top to cover. Sprinkle with sliced green onions.