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This easy tofu ramen recipe features crispy pan-fried tofu and a slurpable miso broth! It’s a delicious plant-based dinner recipe.
Looking for a tasty tofu ramen with a flavorful slurpable broth? Authentic ramen from a Japanese restaurant is the absolute best, but the next best thing is trying it homemade!
This tofu ramen is one of my favorites. The tofu is crispy and bursting with flavor from soy sauce and miso, and if you’re anything like me, it’ll be hard not to sneak bites while making it! It’s served in a broth that’s filled with savory umami, and it’s 100% plant-based.
Ingredients in tofu ramen
Ramen is a traditional Japanese dish of broth and wheat noodles. I love getting ramen at restaurants, especially when we’re traveling. But when I want it at home, I make a ramen recipe like this one!
The tofu is so good, you could also make it separately and just snack on it. You’ll need a few special ingredients to make ramen at home, but it’s not hard to put together:
- Extra-firm tofu (make sure it’s not soft, silken, or firm!)
- Miso paste of any type
- Onion, garlic, and green onion for aromatics
- Spinach, carrots, mushrooms, and Napa cabbage for the veggies
- Ramen noodles (more below!)
- Vegetable broth
- Sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin
- Coconut milk for creaminess
Cooking the tofu
Tofu types are important because not all tofu is created equally! Here are some pointers for this recipe:
- Do not buy silken or soft tofu! Check your container and make sure that it is not labeled silken or soft. This type of tofu is not intended for pan-frying; it’s used for smoothies and puddings.
- Firm can work, but extra-firm tofu is best. Some grocery stores only carry firm tofu, and that should work! But if you have the option, use extra firm. It yields the best results when you pan-fry it.
- Pan fry the tofu. Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Then pan-fry the tofu for about 10 minutes until lightly browned and crisp on all sides, turning occasionally.
Looking for more great ways to serve tofu? Try all of my tofu recipes, especially my tofu curry, tofu stir fry, and grilled tofu.
Notes on noodles
Here are a few tips on the types of noodles that work best for ramen and where to find them:
- Standard grocery vs. Japanese or Asian grocery: Most grocery stores give you 1 or 2 options for ramen noodles. Usually, you’ll find them dried. You can also go to your local Japanese or Asian grocery store. They will have a wider variety, including fresh and frozen.
- Fresh vs. dried: You can use either fresh or dried noodles in this tofu ramen! Fresh ones are my favorite, but dried ones are easier to find.
- Curly vs. straight: You’ll find noodles packaged with the word “ramen” that are curly or straight. Ramen is basically a wheat noodle served in broth, so there’s a lot of variation. You can use either!
Leftovers and make-ahead tips
You’ll notice that this tofu ramen recipe indicates to keep the broth and noodles separate, then place them into serving bowls together. This is important because as the noodles sit in the broth, they absorb it.
You’ll find that if you store leftover noodles in the broth, they’ll soak up all the “juice” and all your tasty broth will be gone! When you store leftovers, make sure to place the noodles and broth in separate containers. You’ll thank me later!
You can prepare the tofu in advance and then refrigerate until serving. It will become a little harder in the refrigerator, so you’ll want to reheat it in a skillet over medium heat before serving.
You can also serve this tofu ramen with my easy marinated tofu, which doesn’t require cooking. It just doesn’t have the nice crispy texture that pan-fried tofu does.
Using miso paste
Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that’s full of nutrients and savory flavor. It’s full of umami, the so-called fifth flavor that is the definition of savory. You’ll find umami in meats, mushrooms, cheese, and of course, miso!
You can find miso at most major grocery stores near the other Japanese ingredients. There are many different types of miso, all with different flavors: red, yellow, and brown. You can use any type for this tofu ramen recipe! If you have leftover over, try it in my vegan pesto!
Dietary notes
This tofu ramen recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Tofu Ramen (with Crispy Tofu!)
This easy tofu ramen recipe features crispy pan-fried tofu and a slurpable miso broth! It’s a delicious plant-based dinner recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Ramen
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 tablespoons white, light, or yellow miso paste, divided
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
- 1 cup sweet yellow onion, sliced
- 8 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
- 1 cup Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 large carrots
- 8 ounces dry ramen noodles
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 cups spinach leaves
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the tofu: Remove the tofu from the package and drain liquid. Cut tofu into half lengthwise and place it in a large bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, which helps to extract liquid. Drain off excess liquid released in the microwave. Place the two pieces on a towel; place another folded towel on top and add a cutting board and a heavy object. Allow to press for 15 minutes until the water is drained.
- Prep the veggies: Slice the onion and mushrooms. Thinly slice the cabbage, green onions, and garlic. Slice carrots into matchsticks.
- Cook the tofu: Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 10 minutes until lightly browned and crisp on all sides, turning occasionally.
- Meanwhile, stir together 2 tablespoons miso, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon water. When the tofu is browned, turn off heat and carefully pour sauce over tofu. (Be careful. It splatters!) Stir sauce onto tofu and cook an additional minute over medium heat until fragrant.
- Cook the noodles (while you make the broth): Heat large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles to al dente. Drain and set aside. If necessary, refresh the noodles under some hot tap water before serving.
- Make the broth: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until lightly browned on the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until just browned, stirring constantly. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the mushrooms, carrots, mirin, and 3 tablespoons miso paste and cook about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the coconut milk, green onions, cabbage, spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and add about 1 tablespoon more miso paste to taste.
- Serve: To serve, place the noodles into four bowls. Top with the broth, tofu, and vegetables. Store leftovers with the broth and noodles in separate containers to avoid the noodles soaking up all of the broth.
More ramen recipes
I’ve got several more ramen recipes in addition to this tofu ramen. Here are some of my favorites:
- This vegetarian ramen is a quick and easy vegetarian ramen recipe that’s packed with umami.
- This vegan mushroom ramen has a savory broth with both dried and fresh mushrooms.
- Miso ramen has big flavor, and it’s quick to make.
- You can even try Instant Pot ramen with a pressure cooker.
Another huge win! You have not steered me wrong on tofu (also tried your Easy Baked Tofu earlier in the year – yum) and this recipe demystified one of my favorite dishes, ramen! Agree that it is impossible not to prematurely eat the delicious tofu chunks. This broth was delicious and I will make this dish again and again. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed!
Thank you so much for this recipe and all the other notes on this recipe. It was so easy and took the fear if failure to a bad cook like me! My son was determined not to like it but finished the whole of it and has asked for me to do it again! I also like your other pages very much. Thank you so very much for your time and your dedication.
The ramen flavour is great but the miso sauce for the tofu doesn’t really work out if the pan is hotter than lukewarm, it immediately turns to a thick sludge and doesn’t coat the tofu (at least it does every time I make this recipe :/)
Thanks for letting us know! What kind of miso paste were you using? You could try turning down the heat a little when you cook this part — or if your miso is very chunky, you could add a little more water when you mix it with the soy sauce.
Delicious recipe! Loved the contrasting textures of of the tofu and ramen. The broth brought everything together so well, and was an excellent way to use up some coconut milk.