Is anyone else feeling the urge to try new recipes during this COVID-19 lock-down? I tend to crave Asian and Mexican flavors, so I’ve basically been alternating between the two (with a few pizza dinners in there, of course!). Earlier this week I pulled out my last remaining fresh veggies, a block of tofu, and two packs of ramen noodles and set to work on a Tofu Veggie Ramen. I started with a mild coconut ginger broth and whisked together a flavorful Pad Thai sauce to drizzle over the noodles, veggies, and tofu. The final result was so good, I decided this recipe needs to be on the blog!
This tofu veggie ramen recipe contains three parts: Pad Thai sauce, veggie-ramen broth, and crispy tofu. While that seems like a lot of fuss for one dish, it’s really not! I recommend whisking the sauce ingredients together while the veggies are sauteing and the tofu is baking. Add the noodles to the broth when there are 4 minutes left on the tofu, then everything will be ready at the same time.
What makes ramen bowls fun is all of the potential toppings. For this dish I added fresh cilantro, black sesame seeds, peanut powder, and a squeeze of lime juice. Depending on what you have, you could also add green onions, avocado, chopped peanuts, and/or sriracha sauce.
Feel free to change up the veggies too! I used broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, and carrots because that’s what I had on hand, but cubed sweet potatoes, zucchini, bamboo shoots, baby corn, cabbage, and edamame would also be great!
- 1 package extra firm tofu (12-15 oz), drained and cubed
- 2-3 Tbs. coconut aminos, soy sauce, or tamari
- Pad Thai Sauce:
- ¼ cup runny tahini or nut butter of choice
- ¼ cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 3 Tbs. pure maple syrup or agave
- 3 Tbs. rice vinegar
- 1½ Tbs. fresh minced ginger or ginger paste
- 1-2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
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- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed
- 1 cup broccoli florets, cut small
- 2-3 crimini, white, or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tsp. fresh minced ginger or ginger paste
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1½ cups lite coconut milk
- 1 lime, divided
- 2-3 packages of 2 oz. Ramen noodles (discard flavor packets or save them for something else)
- Topping suggestions: black sesame seeds, chopped peanuts or peanut powder, fresh cilantro, green onions, sliced avocado, sriracha
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tofu cubes in a small bowl and toss in the 2-3 Tbs. coconut aminos/soy sauce/tamari. Set aside.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, sauté the garlic, shallots, carrot shreds, green beans, and broccoli in ¼ inch of water until soft, 10-15 mins.
- While the veggies are cooking, spread the tofu out onto the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 mins, flipping halfway through, until edges are golden.
- In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the pad Thai sauce ingredients until smooth. Taste and add more of any of the ingredients as needed. Add a splash of water to thin if too thick. Set aside.
- Return to the pot and stir in the mushrooms and ginger, cooking them for about 2 mins. Add the veg broth, coconut milk, juice of ½ lime, and 2-3 Tbs. of the pad Thai sauce. Taste broth and add more pad Thai sauce or salt if needed.
- Simmer veggies and broth on low until 4 mins remain on your tofu timer. Then bring to a boil and add the ramen noodles to the broth to boil for 4 mins.
- To serve: Ladle broth into the bottom of a pasta bowl, then use tongs to transfer noodles and veggies to the bowl. Top with cubes of tofu, then drizzle with pad Thai sauce. Finally, go nuts with the toppings and add a squeeze of lime juice to each bowl. Enjoy!
I used 2 packages of ramen and the 3 of us ate the whole thing because it's a fairly light dish. Next time I will add another package of noodles and maybe some edamame beans to make it more substantial. Another option is to serve it with a salad or fruit.
Just for fun, here’s a family update!
I’ve been doing the homeschool thing with Abby, which is fun/frustrating/exhausting. We’ve also been playing ALL of the sports, and Luke has already decided he loves golf!
We’ve also been doing lots of crafting, baking, and TV watching 🙂
I hope you’re all staying healthy and enjoying this pause from normal life to spend time with family, play outside, and try new recipes!
♥ ♥ ♥
Also try my Red Curry Coconut Soup!
Hello there 😊
This Tofu dish looks delicious to me …will try soon once I reach back home 🤞✌
Thank you! This dish is comfort food to me. I love it so much!