The goal here was to achieve a tonkotsu-like broth without using any meat. Tomato paste, dried shiitake mushrooms, kombu, and a little bit of butter help to get you that rich umami-like effect.
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What you’ll need
Blender
$40 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
Sun Ramen Noodles
$5 At Instacart
Medium Saucepan
$50 $39 At Amazon
Ladle
$27 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
4
¼
1
1
4
1
2
8
1
3
1
4
4
Ingredient info
Preparation
Step 1
Cook garlic and ¼ cup oil in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is beginning to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in gochugaru; season with salt. Set garlic oil aside. Wipe out pot and set aside.
Step 2
Trim dark green parts from scallions and thinly slice; set aside for serving. Coarsely chop white and pale green parts. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in reserved pot over medium-high. Cook chopped scallions and ginger, stirring often, until scallions are charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to stick to the bottom of pot and darkens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and kombu, then stir in 5 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard kombu.
Step 3
Using a slotted spoon, transfer solids to a blender. Add a ladleful or 2 of broth to blender and purée until smooth. Stir purée back into broth in pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add butter a piece at a time, whisking to combine after each addition before adding more. Stir in soy sauce; season with salt. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
Step 4
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add bok choy and cook until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bok choy to a plate. Return water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and divide among bowls.
Step 5
To serve, ladle broth over noodles, then top with bok choy and reserved garlic oil. Top with eggs, nori, and cilantro if desired.
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Reviews (195)
Back to TopI thought this was great! As I had read the previous comments, I added about 1 tbs miso and 1 tsp better than bouillon veg stock base. Added quite a bit of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Was thinking about adding mirin but the sugar did the trick! First time with the jammy egg thing and wow- so good! Also confirmed that I really don’t like chili crisp- will use a little sriracha and a drizzle of sesame oil next time. There will definitely be a next time!
Tracycatalina
Southern
1/1/2023
Was yummy! It’s going to be a staple at home now. Made a few modifications- added veggie stock instead of water, sautéed fresh mushrooms after the ginger step, and added a generous amount of miso to the broth, and gochujang at the end.
Gochujang is yummy
Ann Arbor
10/12/2022
This recipe is lacking flavour, as others have noted. I was disappointed by the result.
Jan T
Sydney, Australia
9/3/2022
I use this as a base for my ramen, although I improvise to add more oomph. I really love this as the starting guide. But, I modify broth by using mushroom broth instead of water, a generous amount of kombu (two varieties), lightly-charred onion (1), lightly-charred garlic (6-10 cloves), and lightly-charred ginger (3 inches) [all done in the broiler]. To boost flavor, I add some hot cayenne for heat (spicy ramen = love!), a moderate splash of high-quality roasted sesame oil, tamari, and a decent amount of miso paste. The broth is bursting with flavor - and, holds up to any meat broth (all without ruining the planet :-D). When blending solids, I remove some (since you dont want it to end up with a soup-like thickness). In terms of toppings, I like to throw in: corn kernels, oven-roasted garlic, bamboo shoots, bok choi, bean sprouts, and top off with the green scallion tips, garlic oil.
AT
Chicago, IL
5/25/2022
Bland :(
Anonymous
Scotland
5/10/2022
I made this as a fun New Year’s dinner project and it was semi-successful after taking advice from the comments. I made it as written but with vegetable broth instead of water, and it still needed an extra boost of flavor in my opinion. I added a hefty amount of miso, probably like 2-3 tablespoons, and that helped give it the umami kick it lacked. I found that the broth got too thick and turned into a saucey consistency - I should have thinned it out and re-seasoned before serving. The garlic oil was delicious and gave everything a nice pop of flavor. Overall probably wouldn’t make this recipe again but it was fun to try.
Soapnana
Chicago
1/6/2022
Not sure this was a success for me. I found the chili crisp like topping strange. Loved the bok choy and egg. The broth was lacking something. Maybe just more salt or soy sauce. Also used 12 oz of noodles and found that more than enough for 3 large servings and the full amount of broth. It also used 3 pots, a strainer and immersion blender, multiple utensils and that was re-using the same pot more than once. My husband liked it more than me. I like the idea and probably will make it again with some changes. Will definitely use my own chili crisp.
Lynn
NYC
1/4/2022