Friday, May 12, 2017

Easy Vegetarian Ramen With Rich, Savory Broth


Easy Vegetarian Ramen with Rich Savory Broth | Umami Girl
umamigirl.com
Now's about time for a vegetarian option. Many people take a single look at a vegetarian recipe and immediately sell it off as something that's bound to be boring. They may argue that there is no complexity to a meal without a "healthy" serving of meat. This is the perfect recipe, to make those people SHUT UP. With a complex flavor base and a serving of mushrooms to give them that slightly meaty taste they expect in all their food, this recipes is sure to overreach their expectations. Be sure to check out more of the mouth watering recipes from Umamigirl. Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 cups good low-sodium vegetable broth (this is my favorite by far)
1 ounce dried shiitakes (15-20 mushrooms)
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or other good soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon good butter
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon mirin (rice wine)
10 ounces baby spinach
4 eggs
10 ounces sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
4 servings fresh or dry ramen noodles*
One 6-ounce package baked tofu, at room temperature
2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts sliced
Gomasio (sesame salt)
Toasted sesame oil with hot chili

Instructions

Combine the vegetable broth and dried shiitakes in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let mushrooms steep for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
Remove mushrooms from pot and roughly chop, removing and discarding stems. Add mushrooms to a blender with one cup of the broth and puree until perfectly smooth. Add this mixture back to the stock pot along with the tamari. The broth can sit at this stage until shortly before serving, up to a few days in the fridge if you like.
In a large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, two minutes more. Add this mixture to the stock pot.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for about a minute, until just wilted. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add eggs to pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice bath and carefully peel when cool enough to touch.
Return water to boil, then add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and divide noodles among four large bowls.
While noodles cook, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same frying pan used for the onion and heat over medium-high. Add the sliced shiitakes along with a couple of good pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced in volume and nicely browned in spots, about 10 minutes.
To assemble the ramen, bring the broth back up to a simmer and then remove from heat. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, miso paste and mirin. Ladle some broth over the noodles in each bowl, just shy of the level of the noodles. Arrange a little pile of spinach and of shiitakes in each bowl. Slice the tofu and arrange a few slices in each bowl. Cut each egg in half and place two halves in each bowl. Sprinkle with scallions, gomasio and a little toasted sesame chili oil, with extra garnishes to pass at the table. Serve with chopsticks and large spoons.

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