As the temperatures drop and the days get shorter, all I crave is tea and soup. Tea and soup.
No literally, just tea and soup. Oh, and hot showers and hot cocoa. I basically hibernate like a bear all winter.
While John and I don’t agree on all food choices (he hates sweet potatoes, but they’re my only love), we do agree that ramen is where it’s at and frequently seek it out for dinner – especially in the fall and winter.
I love how savory and comforting it is, and how amazingly full I get on broth, rice noodles and vegetables. It’s magic.
Origins of Ramen
Ramen is a popular noodle soup in Japan. And while the exact origin is uncertain, it’s thought to have originated in China and been introduced in Japan between the 17th and 20th centuries. You can learn more about the history of ramen here or take a deeper dive with this entire book about it!
Coconut Curry Ramen
I loved making vegan ramen last year and wanted to try it again. But this time, the broth was inspired by our go-to Portland ramen shop, Boxer Ramen.
Their vegetarian broth is insanely delicious and has a unique flavor profile. Although I was skeptical at first, the Thai-inspired coconut curry infusion just makes sense. It adds a whole other dimension to the broth – warmth, spice, slight sweetness. I’m in love.
Consider this my inspired version that requires just 10 ingredients and roughly 1 hour to make.
I hope you guys LOVE this ramen! It’s:
Healthy
Savory
Comforting
Curry-infused
Perfectly spiced
Vegetable-forward
& Perfect for colder weather
This would make a delicious and comforting meal when you’re craving something light yet satisfying. The toppings and noodles are extremely versatile, so everyone can pick and choose how to style their bowls. This would be delicious on its own or paired with my 20-minute Asian Kale Salad or even these Spring Rolls with Cashew Butter Dipping Sauce. Dream big and eat ramen (new life motto).
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see. Cheers, friends!
Coconut Curry Ramen
Ingredients
BROTH
- 2 Tbsp toasted or untoasted sesame oil*
- 2 small knobs ginger (sliced lengthwise into long strips)
- 10 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 large onion (chopped lengthwise)
- 5 Tbsp yellow or green curry paste
- 8 cups vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
- 4 cups light coconut milk
- 2-4 Tbsp coconut sugar (optional // more to taste)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric (optional // for color and more curry flavor)
- 2 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste
FOR SERVING
- 4-6 cups noodles of choice (i.e. spiralized zucchini squash, cooked ramen noodles*, or cooked brown rice noodles)
- 4 whole portobello mushrooms (optional // stems removed, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces // sautéed in 1 Tbsp sesame oil + 1 Tbsp tamari + 1 tsp maple syrup)
- Fresh green onion (optional // chopped)
- Sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil, garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes or until the onion has developed a slight sear (browned edges).
- Add curry paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Then add vegetable broth and coconut milk and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer on low for at least 1 hour, up to 2-3, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the more the flavor will deepen and develop.
- Taste broth and adjust seasonings as needed, adding coconut sugar for a little sweetness, turmeric for more intense curry flavor, or more sesame oil for nuttiness.
- About 10 minutes before serving, prepare any desired toppings/sides, such as noodles, sautéed portobello mushrooms, or green onion (optional).
- Just before serving, scoop out 1/2 cup of the broth and whisk in the miso paste. Once fully dissolved, add back to the pot and turn off the heat. Stir to combine.
- Either strain broth through a fine mesh strainer (discarding onions, garlic, and ginger or adding back to the soup) or ladle out the broth and leave the onions, garlic, and ginger behind.
- To serve, divide noodles of choice between serving bowls. Top with broth and desired toppings. Serve with chili garlic sauce or sriracha for added heat.
- Best when fresh, though the broth can be stored (separate from sides/toppings) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
*Ramen is a popular Japanese dish the originates from China and the addition of coconut milk and curry paste is Thai-inspired.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated using brown rice noodles and mushrooms with no additional toppings.
*If using ramen noodles, this recipe would not be gluten free.
Maria says
So rich and delicious. I had two friends comment this might be the best ramen recipe theyve ever tasted. I have to agree. I used green chile, accidently forgot the miso but used 2 cans full coconut milk which kept it creamy. Also the whole portabella mushrooms chopped up add a delicious meaty texture. Would so so recommend. Especially for a cozy soup in the winter. Love you guys minimalist baker !!! Keep up the amazing work to help people transition to a more plant based yet delicious diet!!! FYI, meat eater will love this just as much
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words, lovely review, and support, Maria! We’re honored you are your friends loved this ramen so much. xoxo
Julie Stauffer says
I think the ingredient that I disliked was the Thai Kitchen green curry paste I purchased, it didn’t add a great flavor. I also prefer more of a clear broth ramen, rather than a coconut milk ramen. I love so many of the minimalist baker recipes, but I think I’ll skip this one in the future.
Sorry you didn’t love this one, Julie!
Caitlin says
Would this store in the fridge for a few days? Thanks!
Yes! We’d recommend storing the broth, noodles, and toppings separately for best texture.
Lizzie says
I love this recipe! We make it all the time, and I like to make extra mushrooms because we kept eating them all before dinner. I’ve also started pureeing the onions, garlic, and ginger with some broth in a blender and then mixing it all back into the pot – it makes for a slightly thicker and super silky broth and is SO yummy.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Lizzie! Thank you for sharing! xo
Megan says
One of my absolute favorite recipes of all time. Absolutely delicious and soooo satisfying!!!
Yay! Thanks so much, Megan. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
Kaylani says
I’ve made this 6-7 times now and it is so so delicious. Occasionally I add chicken because my husband prefers it and its almost no additional effort. Mushrooms and a ramen egg on top are *chef’s kiss*
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Kaylani. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Olivia says
This broth changed my life. I’ve made some version of this recipe dozens of times now. I can’t stay away from the combination of green curry paste, coconut milk, and veggie broth. I change around the ratios to get the perfect thickness of the broth for what I’m making. I just made this broth and used it to steam vegetable gyoza in and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.
Thanks so much!!
wow! High compliment. Thanks for sharing, Olivia! So glad you enjoyed.
Nicole says
This was SO good! Very unique and super yummy. We didn’t have green onion for garnish but topped the bowls with fried cubed tofu and the miso-glazed baby bok choy from the other ramen recipe on the blog along with the mushrooms. We’ll be spinning the leftover broth into a saucy curry with red lentils and veggies to have with rice.
Love the modifications, Nicole. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Kirsty says
Hey! Could I sub coconut milk for coconut yogurt? Thanks!
We wouldn’t recommend it. We think it would be too tangy.
Isabel says
Made this tonight with red curry paste + red miso because we had it already on hand, and WOW it turned out delicious! I also added some plant-based crumbles for the hubby and it was a hit! Will definitely make again as-is or with yellow curry +white miso for a less punchy version.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Isabel! xo
Holly says
I am so excited to try this! I had Boxer Ramen take out yesterday and was wondering how I could just get the broth and went online looking for a recipe. It is absolutely the best broth around! I follow you on Insta so I’m sure it’s going to be amazing :)
Yay! Let us know how it goes! xo
Clodagh Dressler says
I made this for my family, they all loved it. I definitely had to add a lot of noodles and I doubled the oils when I sautéed the mushroom. All in all, 10/10.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Clodagh!
Trina says
Made this for dinner, very flavorful. Grated ginger and garlic to leave in the curry. I added green beans and carrots and red bell peppers. For the noodles used zucchini noodles.
Thank you,
Trina
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Trina! Thanks so much for sharing!
Nicole says
I couldn’t find miso paste at the store this week. :( Will this recipe be okay without it or is there something else I can sub in for the miso? Thanks!
Hmm, miso is pretty essential for adding flavor. Can you order online?
Christine V. RN says
Wow! So Delicious! I used zucchini ribbons as noodles. I also had other veggies on hand and added them as well, not because it needed it but because I wanted to use them up. It was delicious, the soup base was a power house of flavor! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Christine! Thanks so much for sharing!
Christine V. RN says
Wow! So Delicious! I used zucchini ribbons as noodles, I also had other veggies on hand and added them as well. It was delicious, the soup base was a power house of flavor! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Christine. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Katillo says
A true feast.
Beau says
This recipe is amazing! I made it using your green curry paste and vegetable stock recipes on your site. Delicious….. just wish I had double or tripled the mushrooms on the first batch.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Beau! Thanks so much for sharing!
grace says
I am not fond of heat, do you think I can use fresh curry chopped up, and how about turmeric can I use fresh?
thanks in advance
Hi Grace, we think you might prefer this recipe instead. We don’t think curry leaves would have the same flavor profile as curry paste.
Alison Godlewski says
One of my favorite recipes of the year!! Skipped the straining step and added marinated eggs (https://www.theflavorbender.com/ramen-eggs-ajitsuke-tamago/)
Thanks for sharing, Alison!
Felicity says
I subbed half red curry paste – as I had an open jar I wanted to use up. I had no miso paste, I used Gotchujang sauce instead, which has miso paste as an ingredient.. this ended up adding a really yummy taste!
I think the most important part of this recipe is getting the base broth right – the onions, garlic, ginger, veggie broth and coconut milk.
I served it with rice noodles, small mushrooms, tofu and spinach. This is a great meal to make using things already in your pantry. Hearty, filling and delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Felicity! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy Trautner says
Do you think it would work to simmer the broth in a slow cooker all day?
We haven’t tried it, but we think so! But we’d suggest sautéing first (as in steps 1 & 2) for best flavor. Let us know how it goes!
Chloe says
Whilst this tasted nice, this is the first recipe on your site that has completely thrown me. Step 7 is confusing (as queried in one of the reviews) and on top of this, it seems to be more of a Laksa than a Ramen given the coconut milk and red curry paste, in which case I would have bought bean shoots etc to adapt it.
Maybe the Australian versions of Ramen are Laksa are different to the American versions? I think that in the future if I want a vegan Laksa I’ll look up a Laksa if I want a Ramen I’ll look up a vegan ramen.
Not quite sure how to rate this because it’s good….but it’s not a Ramen.
Hi Chloe, thanks for the feedback! We’ll see if we can make that instruction more clear. As for Laska- we’ve never tried that- thanks for letting us know about it!
Chloe says
Thanks. I’ve actually upped it to 5 stars. Really loved. Was just thrown by the ramen description. Am craving it now.
Thanks, Chloe! xo
Amanda says
Wow. Just WOW. Unbelievably good. I didn’t find the need to add sugar, but I did add tumeric. I left the onions in the pot and thoroughly enjoyed them. I will note that they did get very soft after an hour. I used ramen noodles, white miso, and also added dehydrated mushrooms and well as fresh sauted. 10/10, will be making again soon.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Ashleigh says
Loved this soup!! Taste so legit and my hubby loved every bite!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Ashleigh!
Lucy says
Hi! Question about step #7. So you’re not supposed to actually eat the onion and ginger?
Your choice! It depends whether you want more of a brothy or stew-y ramen.
Ana says
I didn’t have curry paste so I used curry powder. I only had half amount of vegetable broth so I put water so I doubled amount of miso. It turned out really delicious and we’ll definitely make it again
Thanks for sharing, Ana! So glad you enjoyed it! xo
Barbara says
I have the great fortune to live near Portland and know, firsthand, how awesome Boxer Ramen Coconut Curry Ramen is! I was very excited to find this recipe, I wanted to surprise my vegetarian & vegan daughters with a care package of their own!
It turned out pretty good for a first try. My main suggestions for improvement are:
1.) Be careful sauteing the onions, ginger, and garlic. Medium-high on my stove was hot enough to scorch the garlic despite constant stirring… and it haunts my broth.
2.) I used yellow curry paste. It was redder than the photo above, and too hot! I would have liked to know what brand Minimalist Baker used/recommends. Same with the miso.
3.) I would have liked suggestions on how much coconut sugar/turmeric/sesame oil to add when adjusting the seasonings. I couldn’t quite figure out how to get the deep, round, umami flavor out of my broth that I love at Boxer Ramen.
4.) The mushroom part of the recipe was outrageously good! Wow… don’t skip those!
5.) I added other toppings that I enjoy on ramen… a jammy egg, some shredded chicken, and a chinese pickled radish condiment I like. It turned out gorgeous… I wish I could post a photo! it just wasn’t quite Boxer-tasting enough this try. But I’ll try again.