Fermented Bean Curd Ramen

We all love a warm delicious bowl of vegan ramen. Aside from being super tasty, this  Fermented Bean Curd Ramen recipe is incredibly easy to make for a quick midweek lunch or dinner option. You will be amazed by all the goodies we've packed into this one. 

I seriously love ramen, however, it took me a while to find vegan ramen recipes that actually tasted like, or even close to the original. And when we manage to get that creamy ramen texture, well that is something else. 

The key to good vegan ramen is, of course, having a good broth. Here is where all the magic happens and what will give your soup the right (or wrong) taste and consistency. So, I had to go to the back of the pantry to grab some ingredients I don't regularly use. But don't worry, these are super easy to find. 

First of all, have you ever used fermented bean curd before? I haven't ventured much with it, mainly because I didn't know what it was or how to use it. I've been curious for a while, and let me tell you, I'm so happy I found it. 

Bean curd is fermented tofu, doesn't sound all that appealing, right? Don't be deceived! Fermented bean curd is mainly used to add flavour or as a seasoning. It has a very unique, somewhat salty, somewhat umami and quite cheesy taste, like feta cheesy. 

I was incredibly surprised how much it resembles feta cheese. It has to be the closest thing to fake feta cheese I've had. To make it even better, it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like many of these fake cheeses do. And you will easily find it at any local Asian food market; many supermarkets are getting on this as well. 

By adding it to our recipe, we are getting closer to the creamy ramen we are after. I also used soy milk and wheat flour to get the rich consistency of ramen. With just a few extra ingredients we will nail the taste as well. 

Lastly, to keep adding onto the taste of this vegan ramen, I added kombu seaweed, which is a very common ingredient in Northeast Asia. Many Japanese recipes include kombu seaweed. 

I find it at my local Asian market as well, either fresh or dry. Since I don't use it much I buy the dried kind and let it soak in water for a few minutes before I need to use it. For this recipe, this would be the first thing I do so it has enough time to rehydrate and soften enough.

We have a flavourful broth and we are adding baby bok choy and broccoli florets to get some greens in the mix. Sometimes I add different veggies, but this is a simple version that does the trick just fine. 

We need a good batch of ramen noodles to finish it off. And now you are all set! You and your family will love this warm, creamy and super delicious vegan ramen!