Love cooking with rice ramen? If so, I’ve got you covered in this plant-based vegetarian lunch or dinner recipe. This dish will fill you up and satisfy your craving for an Asian-inspired meal. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Who says you can only enjoy ramen noodles in soup? Thanks to the invention of gluten-free rice ramen, you can enjoy ramen however and whenever you like.
This recipe is filled with delicious noodles, crispy tofu (I’ll show you my secret on how to get that tofu nice and crispy) and a savory Asian sauce.
Prepare the Ramen
First, you’ll want to make your gluten-free ramen noodles by boiling a pot of water. When the water is at a boil, add three ramen nests and cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked al dente (noodles should be softened but not mushy), mixing with a fork to help break apart the noodles.
Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking further. Set aside.
You can purchase nests of brown rice ramen from Lotus Foods at Costco, at your local grocery store, or on Amazon.
How to Make Crispy Tofu
To make the crispy tofu, you’ll need:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or vegetable oil of choice
- 1 package of firm tofu, drained and patted dry and cut into bite-sized pieces (yes, most brands of tofu are gluten free)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Be sure to use firm or extra firm tofu. Drain it well and pat it dry. Too much moisture will prevent the tofu from getting crispy.
I find cornstarch works really well at crisping up the edges of the tofu, but you could use another starch, like tapioca or arrowroot starch. I have not tested it with another starch.
To make your crispy tofu, combine cornstarch, salt and pepper in a bowl, mix together, then add your tofu cubes and coat them in the cornstarch mixture.
Heat the vegetable oil in the pan over medium-high so it’s hot but not smoking, then add the cubes of tofu to your hot oil and cook for a few minutes on each side until the tofu is lightly browned and cooked through. Add more oil to the pan, if needed. Remove from pan when done.
Making the Asian Sauce
For the Asian sauce, you’ll need:
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, fresh and sliced
- 2 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup broth
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 1 Tbsp sambal oelek (or a chili garlic sauce)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh garlic, grated
If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, use cremini or baby bellas instead. You can also purchase dehydrated shiitakes and rehydrate them for this recipe.
Using the same pan as used to cook the tofu, add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add shallots and garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add broth, tamari, sambal oelek, honey and ginger to the pan and mix together and bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to the lowest setting.
Add the ramen and crispy tofu to the Asian sauce and mix everything together. Serve immediately.
I recommend topping each individual bowl with scallions and sesame seeds for added taste and texture.
Now you’re ready to dig in! Those delicious noodles will be spongy and fun to eat, the tofu crispy, and the Asian sauce giving you that salty and savory taste you crave.
Love Ramen Noodles?
Try my gluten-free ramen noodle soup recipe filled with delicious rice ramen and other Asian flavors you love.
Crispy Tofu and Rice Ramen
Ingredients
- 3 nests Lotus Foods Brown Rice Ramen
- 1 package of firm tofu drained, patted dry and cut into bite-sized cubes
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or other vegetable oil of choice
- 1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 2 Tbsp shallots finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 cup broth vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 1 Tbsp sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh garlic grated
- 2 scallions chopped, optional
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Prepare your gluten-free ramen noodles by boiling a pot of water. When the water is at a boil, add three ramen nests and cook for 3-4 minutes until cooked al dente (noodles should be softened but not mushy), mixing with a fork to help break apart the noodles. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking further. Set aside.
- To make your crispy tofu, combine cornstarch, salt and pepper in a bowl, mix together, then add your tofu cubes and coat them in the cornstarch mixture.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high so it's hot but not smoking, then add the cubes of tofu to your hot oil and cook for a few minutes on each side until the tofu is lightly browned and cooked through. Add more oil to the pan, if needed. Remove from pan when done.
- Using the same pan used to cook the tofu, add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add shallots and garlic and cook for another 4-5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add broth, tamari, sambal oelek, honey and ginger to the pan and mix together. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting.
- Add the cooked ramen and crispy tofu to the Asian sauce and mix everything together. Serve immediately topped with scallions and sesame seeds for added taste and texture.
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