One Pot Vegetarian Ramen Recipe

Skip your typical pre-packaged noodles, and make this easy One Pot Vegetarian Ramen Recipe instead! A healthy meal everyone will love, it’s full of nutrients and loaded with flavor for comfort food you can feel good about serving. The best part is it’s ready in less than 30 minutes and perfect for feeding a crowd! 

What Is Ramen?

Although it has recently exploded in popularity in the United States, Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup. There are thousands of variations, but they all contain a combination of rich-flavored broth commonly seasoned with miso or soy sauce, noodles, and an assortment of meat and veggies. Many versions also contain a boiled egg placed on top. 

The dish is heavily regionalized and varies in ingredients and taste depending on where you are in Japan. However, it is so common, it is considered a type of fast food and is sold by many small restaurants and street vendors. 

Origins of Ramen

Although modern ramen dishes are considered to be part of Japanese cuisine, the origins of ramen actually trace back to China in the 1800s. It is believed that the noodle broth was brought to Japan by Chinese immigrants in the 19th or 20th Century. 

In 1947, Fukuoka, the now famous ramen dish, was made by mistake by restaurant chefs who accidentally overboiled pork broth only to find out it was delicious. It wasn’t long before regional variations of the creation began to appear, and the rest is history with ramen being a beloved food enjoyed all over the globe! 

What Types of Ramen are Vegetarian?

You might think that all ramen noodles are vegan and vegetarian, but be careful! While they’re typically made from wheat and oil, most ramen noodles come with seasoning packets that are not vegetarian, depending on your definition of the word. 

In this case, you can simply toss out the seasoning packets. Or, opt for vegetarian-specific ramen noodle brands. Some of our favorite options are Top Ramen Soy Sauce Flavor, Top Ramen Chili Flavor, and Soken Brand Ramen. 

Of course, always read the ingredient list on whatever noodles you choose to determine whether they’re right for you! 

Reasons Why You’ll Never Go Back to Storebought Ramen Again

If you grew up eating microwave ramen cups, this one pot ramen will knock your socks off! One bite and you’ll never go back to the store-bought versions again. 

This vegetarian ramen recipe is: 

• Made with minimal prep time, a cook time of less than 20 minutes, and a total time of under 30 minutes! 
• Full of veggies to keep you full. 
• Easy to customize. 
• Great to prep ahead of time and perfect for feeding a crowd. 

What’s In a Vegetarian Ramen Recipe? 

One thing we love about this ramen recipe is that it can be customized to fit your needs. The broth base is crucial to achieving a great taste, but the ingredients and toppings can be mixed and matched to suit your needs. 

Here’s what we use: 

• Organic Ramen Noodles – We love the Hakubaku brand for a more authentic taste and texture, but any ramen noodles you can find will work!
• Veggies – We include red peppers, carrots, snap peas, white onion, and bok choy for lots of color, vitamins, nutrients, taste, and texture. However, feel free to include whatever veggies you like best. It’s a great way to use up leftovers, too! 
• Minced Garlic – Use whole, fresh garlic cloves for the best taste. Garlic is a great source of anti-inflammatory properties and infuses the broth with extra depth and a sweet, savory taste. 
• Sesame Oil – When it comes to sesame oil, a little goes a long way, but it adds a wonderful nutty taste to the flavor of your broth. It also provides a good source of fats to make this bowl more satiating! 
• Grated Ginger – Not only is ginger extremely good for you, but it also helps create a bit of a tangy or slightly spicy flavor that will leave you coming back for seconds. 
• Light Brown Sugar – Adding a touch of sweetness helps cut through the heavy oils and spice to even out this dish. 
• Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is crucial to creating the base of your vegetarian ramen recipe and adds a salty, umami taste that enhances the other ingredients. If you prefer, miso can be used instead.
• Chili Paste – We love to add just a dash of chili paste to help add heat and peppery flavor. Find it in the Asian section at your local grocery store! 
• Fish Sauce – Containing a slightly sweet and salty flavor, fish sauce helps contribute to the umami taste of vegetarian ramen, making it even more satisfying. 
• Sriracha – Use more or less sriracha sauce to suit your spice preferences. 
• Vegetable Broth – Unlike traditional ramen recipes that use meat-based broths, we included vegetable broth to make our dish vegetarian-friendly. However, feel free to use whatever you have on hand! 

Topping Ideas

One of the best parts of any ramen bowl is getting to add the toppings! We love to include crushed peanuts and toppings, but the options are endless. 

For instance, some great additions also include: 

• Green onions (scallions)
• Corn 
• Bean sprouts
• Seaweed
• Poached eggs
• Tempeh
• Garlic Chili Sauce

Do I Need Any Special Equipment to Make Homemade Ramen? 

Not for our easy one pot ramen recipe! As long as you have a large Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a lid, you’ll be good to do. 

The Three Magic Steps to Make One Pot Ramen

You might’ve heard that ramen is difficult to make, and traditional recipes can be! However, for our version, we made things as simple as could be. 

1. Combine. Add all the ingredients to a large Dutch oven, and stir to combine. 
2. Cook. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Then, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until the noodles are tender. 
3. Serve. Give the mixture a stir, adjust the seasonings to taste, and enjoy warm with all your favorite toppings! 

How Do You Cook Eggs for Ramen? 

For this one pot ramen, we don’t include an egg, but you definitely can! You’ll want to soft boil it in a separate pan for about seven minutes or so. Then, add it on top of your ramen bowl just before serving.

Make Ahead and Storage Options

The longer ramen is leftover, the more it loses the intensity of its flavor. Therefore, it’s best to enjoy it right away while it’s still warm. However, if you want to make it ahead of time, there are some tips and tricks to make it last longer and taste better! 

• To Store: For the best results, we recommend separating all of the ingredients and storing them in individual containers. This helps preserve the flavor! Keep the ingredients in the fridge for two to three days. 
• To Freeze: If you want to keep your ramen longer, we recommend storing it in the freezer. To do so, you’ll want to separate the broth, noodles, and veggies into separate sealable bags. Then, freeze them for up to one month. 
• To Reheat: When you’re ready to eat, let your ingredients thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, warm them in a pot over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave until your desired temperature is reached. 

Common Questions About This One-Pot Vegetarian Ramen Recipe

More One-Pot Dishes

Looking for more one pot recipes to make meal times easy? Try out more of our favorite options below! 

• One Pot Hummus Pasta
• One-Pot Pasta with Zucchini 
• One Pot Greek Spaghetti
• One Pot Mbakbaka (Spicy Libyan Pasta)