If I had been in the mood to cook my own, I definitely would have made Chloe Coscarelli's Vegan Ramen Bowl with Crispy Hoisin Tofu, posted on April 1, 2018 from her book, Chloe Flavor. It is not at all hard to make and non-traditional but so delicious with the hoisin sauce, curry and coconut milk.
Vegan Ramen Bowl
From Chloe Flavor by Chloe Coscarelli
(Serves 4)
About 8 oz fresh or dried ramen noodles
3 Tbsp vegetable oil + more as needed (I used coconut oil)
1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu, pressed (see note below) and cubed
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 1/2 cups (8 oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp curry powder (I used 2 tsp)
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
Toppings: thinly sliced scallions, sesame seeds, sriracha or chili-garlic sauce, optional (I added pea shoots)
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and return to the pot--off the heat.
Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the tofu and sear for about 3 minutes per side, until it turns golden and crispy. (Chloe says the key to crispy tofu it not to flip them over too soon--to let them get nicely brown before turning them over.) Add more oil as needed if the pan looks dry. Add the hoisin sauce, reduce the heat to low and turn the tofu to coat it evenly.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat and when it shimmers, add the mushrooms and bok choy. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the bok choy wilts. Add the garlic, curry powder, and salt and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk. Add the cooked ramen noodles and stir until heated through.
Ladle the broth and noodles into bowls and top each serving with scallions, sesame seeds, and tofu. If you like heat, add a drizzle of sriracha or chili-garlic sauce.
From Chloe Flavor by Chloe Coscarelli
(Serves 4)
About 8 oz fresh or dried ramen noodles
3 Tbsp vegetable oil + more as needed (I used coconut oil)
1 (16 oz) package extra-firm tofu, pressed (see note below) and cubed
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 1/2 cups (8 oz) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp curry powder (I used 2 tsp)
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
Toppings: thinly sliced scallions, sesame seeds, sriracha or chili-garlic sauce, optional (I added pea shoots)
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water and return to the pot--off the heat.
Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the tofu and sear for about 3 minutes per side, until it turns golden and crispy. (Chloe says the key to crispy tofu it not to flip them over too soon--to let them get nicely brown before turning them over.) Add more oil as needed if the pan looks dry. Add the hoisin sauce, reduce the heat to low and turn the tofu to coat it evenly.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium high heat and when it shimmers, add the mushrooms and bok choy. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the bok choy wilts. Add the garlic, curry powder, and salt and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk. Add the cooked ramen noodles and stir until heated through.
Ladle the broth and noodles into bowls and top each serving with scallions, sesame seeds, and tofu. If you like heat, add a drizzle of sriracha or chili-garlic sauce.
My Notes: It's not traditional, but this ramen bowl totally hit the spot with the curry-coconut broth and the crisp-chewy hoisin-sweet tofu. If you are not a fan of tofu, you haven't tried it pressed, fried up and tossed in a yummy sauce--it adds great flavor and with the mushrooms, a meat-like vibe to the soup that is really satisfying. It's nice on its own and with a touch of heat from the sriracha. Although there are a few steps and pans used in this recipe, it goes together pretty quickly and easily. Chloe notes that you can make it gluten free with rice or other gluten free noodles and making sure your hoisin sauce and broth are GF.
We have a few stalwart friends in the Souper Sunday kitchen from earlier in the month. I'm going to highlight their dishes below and open the link up for a couple of weeks so feel free to add a soup, salad or sandwich creation and I'll highlight those in two weeks.
Melynda from Scratch Made Food shared Creamy Potato and Celery Soup, saying "Now about this soup, it is a lighter potato soup with all the nutrition you could ever want! Celery provides a good source of fiber and potassium, along with vitamins A and K. Plus it is a low carbohydrate food. This is why I love using it in my potato soup recipe. I get a creamy, delicious potato soup that is still light enough for lunch, with all the flavor I could hope for. On those rare days I am starving, I can easily add a sandwich and still not feel stuffed!"
Tina of Squirrel Head Manor brought Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup and said, "The news of the world..... I'm hating what is going on in Ukraine and wish I could make vat after vat of this nourishing soup to help feed those in need. This soup is an adaption of an Ina Garten recipe which only distantly resembles the original recipe. This is more of a third cousin to Ina's roast lemon chicken with orzo."
Radha of The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of My Home stopped by with Carrot Slaw/Carrot Salad, saying, "This is a simple and delicious slaw with season's best carrots and flavored with Meyer lemons. This healthy, vegan salad is a crowd pleaser and can be made in minutes! This is a very tasty side for Spring or a anytime healthy snack!"
And Debra of Eliot's Eats shared a salad of Rabbit Food with Chicken Nuggets she made for a book review. She said, 'So, to celebrate Ann I decided to morph together two meals that revolve around her. One is a meal from her early life, a salad of “kale, some cucumbers, carrots, sunflower seeds for protein” ... This salad sounded immediately delicious to me even if she was only eating it to lose weight for her abusive husband. She also prepares a separate meal for him because he won’t eat this “rabbit food.” ... From her second life, that of a loving wife and mother who runs a multi-million dollar foundation, I topped the salad with my version of chicken nuggets. Right before she is called on stage by her powerful and rich boss, she gets a phone call from home. In a twist from her previous life, her current husband is home cooking and caring for their children. He has just over nuked the chicken nuggets to the horror of their young daughter"
Thank you friends for joining me, even when it has been so sporadic!
If you'd like to join in Souper Sundays, I am opening up the below link for two weeks while I try to finish deciding what my go-forward looks like.
Anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches any time during the two weeks and I will post a recap of the entries on Sunday in two weeks.)
(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
To join in this week's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:
On your entry post (on your blog):
(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
To join in this week's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:
- Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you.
On your entry post (on your blog):
- please mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchenand link back to this post.
- you are welcome to add the wonderful Souper Sundays logo (created by Ivy at Kopiaste) to your post and/or blog (optional).
Have a happy, healthy week!
