Who wants a bowl of these easy vegan saucy ramen noodles?
THESE SAUCY RAMEN NOODLES ARE:
- Coated in a thick & tasty sauce. You easily adjust the seasoning and flavours to your liking!
- Easy to make. You’ll only need a few basic ingredients and 20 minutes or less!
- Versatile. You can easily add whatever vegetables and protein of your choice to these noodles.
These noodles have also become a staple for those really busy days because of how easy it is to put it together. You’ll only need 20 minutes or even less to prepare these noodles!
PREPARING AND COOKING THE NOODLES
Tips for chewy noodles:
- Since we’ll be cooking down the noodles in the sauce later on, I like to slightly undercook my noodles.
- You can cook your noodles around 2 minutes less than the package instructions or until they still have a good bite.
- You can opt to run them through water after cooking to help stop the cooking but I like to add them directly to the sauce from cooking since this way the noodles can better absorb the flavours.
- If you’d like to add the noodles directly to the sauce, I suggest preparing everything beforehand and make sure the sauce is ready in the pan before you cook the noodles.
TYPE OF NOODLES
My go to: instant ramen
I used my go-to instant ramen noodles, that I purchase without any sauce packets.
There are from the brand Koka and I purchase them in packs of 5. They’re made of wheat so if you’d like a gluten-free alternative, I highly recommend these brown rice ramen noodles.
You can also find a similar wheat ramen noodle alternative here. (affiliate link)
But you can of course opt to use other noodles of your choice! Though of course they’ll no longer be ramen noodles.
I cook the noodles in a pot with water until they’re half-cooked and still very chewy.
This way I still get chewy noodles even after cooking them down in the sauce!
I drain out the water to keep the noodles chewy and so they don’t overcook. You can also run them through cold water, if you’d like. But I prefer to just transfer them directly into the sauce later on.
THE SAUCE AND OTHER INGREDIENTS
The sauce is really simple and so easy to adjust according to your preference in terms of taste!
Some really simple ingredients you’ll need for the sauce:
- Room temperature water or vegetable broth
- Soy sauce adjust according to desired taste
- Dark soy sauce , optional for colour
- Corn starch
- Maple syrup , sugar, or other liquid sweetener, adjust according to desired sweetness
- Rice vinegar or lemon juice, adjust according to desired sourness
- Ground pepper
- Chili garlic sauce or other hot sauce, optional for spice (see homemade chili garlic sauce recipe here)
- Sesame oil
- Minced garlic (optional)
You’ll find the full recipe below!
Note: if you plan to use way more veggies and other components, you can double the sauce recipe!
I also added some of my homemade chili garlic sauce but you can opt to add in other hot sauce of your choice, if you’d like a little added spice to your noodles.
Tofu and Mushrooms (or really, any other veggies you’d like!)
For this noodle dish, I sautéed some fresh oyster mushrooms and diced extra firm tofu to pair with the noodles.
You can totally use other veggies of your choice and use up whatever you have in your fridge. That’s what I love about this recipe!
COOKING THE SAUCE AND NOODLES TOGETHER
I simply heated a large non-stick pan and sautéed the tofu and mushrooms in some oil.
I then poured in the sauce and left it to simmer over medium heat. It’ll slowly thicken from the starch.
Afterwards, I added the half-cooked ramen noodles into the sauce.
Mixed it all together to evenly coat in the sauce.
Cook for a few minutes or until the sauce thickens and beautifully coats the noodles.
Here’s a really sauce close-up of those noodles ?
TO FINISH
I topped my noodles with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
I also enjoyed my noodles plain (see photo below) but I actually prefer it with some tofu, mushrooms, or veggies for that extra bite and protein. Plus, it’s great way to use leftover veggies.
Enjoy and slurp away! These noodles are really so easy and so satisfying!
I’ll share the full recipe below!
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
You can get a copy of my upcoming cookbook, Vegan Asian!
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!
You can also check out my other noodle recipes:
- Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)
- Shoyu Udon
- Wonton Noodle Soup
- Saucy Ramen Noodles
- Kimchi Noodle Stir-Fry
- Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
- Chili Garlic and Black Bean Eggplant Noodles
- Easy Sweet, Spicy, and Saucy Noodles
- Stir-Fried Tofu and Basil Noodles
- Tantanmen (Vegan Ramen)
- Yaki Udon
- Chinese-Style Bolognese
- Ginger and Scallion Noodles
- Chili Garlic Oil Noodles
Easy Saucy Ramen Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles
- 2 servings dry instant ramen noodle cakes or other noodles of choice (around 140 g total)
For Sautéing
- 10 oz extra firm tofu, veggies, or mushrooms of choice sliced
Sauce (see notes)
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth (see notes)
- 5-7 tbsp soy sauce adjust according to desired taste
- 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce , optional for colour
- 2-3 tbsp corn starch , see notes
- 1-3 tbsp sugar , maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener, adjust according to desired sweetness
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar , white vinegar, or lemon juice, adjust according to desired sourness
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce or other hot sauce, optional for spice (see homemade chili garlic sauce recipe here)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced (optional)
For Serving
- Chopped scallions for topping
- Sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients until well incorporated. Feel free to adjust the sauce ingredient measurements depending on your desired sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and spice. Afterwards, set aside. (Note: you may have a sauce that's more on the red side in terms of colour if using hot sauce.)Also, if you plan to use way more veggies and more noodles, you can double the sauce recipe to make sure your noodles still turn out saucy!
- Boil some water in a small pot over high heat. Once it boils, add in the ramen or other noodles of choice.
- Half cook the noodles until still very chewy or have that good bite in the middle. You can cook it 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions, This way it won't overcook in the sauce later on.
- Drain out the water or strain the noodles then set aside. You can also opt to run them through cold water to stop the noodles from cooking down further and also remove excess starch.
- While the noodles are cooking, heat a pan over medium high. Add a little oil.
- Sauté the veggies, mushrooms, or tofu for a few minutes until cooked to your liking.
- Afterwards, give the sauce a good mix again. Make sure none of the starch is stuck at the bottom. Pour in the sauce into the pan. Leave the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes over medium heat or until the sauce starts to thicken from the starch. Continously mix the sauce to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- When the sauce has slightly thickened, add in the noodles to the pan.
- Mix the noodles well to coat in the sauce.
- Cook the noodles over medium high heat until the noodles absorb some of the sauce and the sauce is thick, around 3 minutes.
- Taste the noodles and feel free to season with some more soy sauce, sweetener, soy sauce, and pepper if needed.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onions, if desired. Enjoy immediately while hot!
WATCH Video
Notes
NUTRITIONAL INFO
You can pin these images:
This Post Has 79 Comments
This is super delicious!! I’m a very active ramen eater and maker and I try out different recipes every week. This recipe is one of the best ones! It’s a fast and simple recipe with a flavor punch. I used arrowroot powder as a substitute for corn starch as I can’t have corn starch and it worked perfectly!
Hi Hannah! Wow thank you so much and really happy to hear you enjoyed these (esp coming from a fellow ramen eater haha). Appreciate you leaving a review too 🙂
This recipe was so good! I made it for me and my sister and it was the best it so so simple to make and it turned out so good and flavor full thank you for this recipe!
Yaaay thank you Kaja!! ◡̈
No, problem. And guess what I’m making this recipe again right at this moment, there soooooooooo good!
Yaaay!
Ooooooo my god you guys HAVE to make this recipe. I added some leftover roasted cauliflower from last night’s dinner and I’m absolutely in love with the results.
Thanks so much Sasha!! Really happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂
This is amazing. Thank you for this recipe. It comes in really handy as a busy uni student.
You’re most welcome, Olga!!! Hope you enjoyed it!
OMG. I made this today for my family for dinner and holy!!!! Its the first time I’ve made something that actually taste like its from a restaurant! I made a lot of the chili garlic sauce as my family loves spicy food. Its so good, you guys have to try it! I think the sauce is a little too overwhelming for me but my family loves it so do I! 🙂 I’ll add more water next time!
Hi Annabelle, thanks so much for giving it a try!! ◡̈
Needed something quick for dinner and this was perfect! I added some veggies I had on hand to round out the meal.
For some odd reason, when I hit the print recipe button and changed the portion number, the ingredients and amounts changed. We noticed something was off in the flavor and my printout stated lemon juice before rice wine vinegar so I used that. It also said room temp broth before water. The number of teaspoons and tablespoons for various ingredients changed. I thought I would let you know that something happens during that process that changed the recipe enough that we very much didn’t enjoy it. I doubt the changes could have redeemed this for us, since it was an odd mix of sour and maple, but it’s not fully fair to judge with how differently the recipe printed.
Hi Jackie! Thanks so much for pointing this out. I just checked and print version of the recipe is still the old recipe (i’ve updated the recipe a few months ago) so I’m not sure why it hasn’t synced. Appreciate the feedback too.
This was sooooo good and super easy to make and a good use of leftover veggies in the fridge!
Thanks so much Felicia, glad you liked it!! ◡̈
This is delicious and so quick and easy! Thanks ?
Thanks karen!! 🙂
W O W !! This recipe blew my mind, it was my first ever time making an asian dish myself and i will now never stop eating these noodles. They were so simple to make, so incredibly saucy and the spices were perfectly balanced :’)) I had them with mushrooms and tofu and without the hot sauce bc my taste buds are sadly white af but it tasted amazing and it was so filling too!! Thank you for this amazing recipe <3
Thank you so much Sinah! Appreciate you leaving a review too hehe. ❤️
These are soo tasty!! I made these noodles for my boyfriend and I and it was super easy and so delicious. It was my first time making an Asian dish so I was a bit intimidated, but it was a really easy recipe to follow. Definitely will be making again 🙂
Thank you Riley! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Really delicious! It got my non-veg boyfriend to appreciate tofu. I did end up being a little overwhelmed by the sauciness (even though they ARE called “saucy noodles”) so I ended up adding 2x the tofu it called for as well as a bag of frozen green beans. I’ll probably add even more veggies next time and omit the sweetener altogether (I used 2 Tb agave nectar this time). It’s such an adaptable recipe, you can throw in whatever protein and veggies you have on-hand to make a full meal. It’s really fool-proof.
Hi Cookie! Thanks so much fro trying this recipe out. Really appreciate your feedback, too! More tofu and veggies are always a good idea too 🙂
How long is it supposed to simmer for?
Around 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. I’ve edited the recipe to clarify this. Thanks for pointing that out!
谢谢你的分享~你做的很棒~加油~
谢谢 ❤️
This is absolutely delicious and so quick and easy! Thanks so much! I was thinking of adding some canned salmon and broccoli, what do you think?
Thank you too! And yes, salmon and broccoli should go really well too. You can pretty much add whatever protein & veg you have 🙂
I have a question, as it is my first time cooking mushrooms, do I need to boil the mushrooms before cooking them in the pan or something?
Hi Krishnna! You can simply sauté the mushrooms in the pan before mixing it in the sauce ◡̈
Can sesame oil be substituted with a different oil? If yes, which one would be okay?
Hi Siri, any oil is okay! I sometimes just use olive oil or vegetable oil. But sesame oil is still the best if you want that sesame aroma!
Loved this recipe, thanks for sharing! I will try cook this next weekend!
Yay happy you did! Thanks Pamela 🙂
i have a question… what is the corn starch needed for? havent made yet will definitely try!
Hi Sarah! Corn starch helps thicken the sauce so it better coats the noodles 🙂
Hi Jeeca,
I was wondering if the sauce would freeze well if I cook a batch and want to store it? thanks
; )
Hi Naomi! I haven’t tried for this recipe but the sauce can freeze. Though just the sauce, without noodles! You can cook the noodles to mix in the sauce but I wouldn’t recommend freezing noodles. The sauce will thicken from freezing and become almost jelly-like from the corn starch so I recommend to heat the sauce in a pan and let it simmer until it completely heats up again before it’s nice and runny again. From there, you can add the noodles. Hope this helps! 🙂
So good! I made it just for 1, without the veggies and it was brilliant. Only thing I’ll say is it was a little salty but that may just be me mis-measuring.
Thanks for your feedback Tillie! You can definitely lessen the soy sauce and adjust to your taste once you get to mix it with the noodles. Hope this helps! ◡̈
Yum! Very easy recipe and it came together so quickly! Great for when I have very little time and energy. The only thing I did differently was add fresh grated ginger (after I tried the first bowl) and that made the difference for my taste buds! Also the amount of sauce is enough for 3 or 4 cakes of noodles. 🙂 Perfect for leftovers!
Hi Candice, so happy you enjoyed it@ Ginger is def a great addition too! ◡̈
This may or may not be a personal preference but I’m not sure this sauce was for me. There wasn’t much flavor, so maybe cook error?? Maybe I’ll have to try it again
Hi Morgan! The sauce can be adjusted depending on your taste so feel free to follow the measurements loosely. But of course it is a personal preference too!
This dish is amazing and so easy I will definitely make it again ?
Thanks so much Lisa!! ◡̈
Love it so so much. Thank you for this delicious recipe
Happy to hear, thank you Sree!! ◡̈
Good flavor, but 3tbsp of cornstarch is a bit too much, I would start w two and then work your way up…
Thanks Maya, appreciate the feedback!! Will take note of this ◡̈
Pretty good! Made this because I accidentally bought some ramen with meat in it and had to make a different sauce. It’s not quite as good as store brand IMO, but still tasty and I’ll probably make it again sometime.
Thanks Tristan, appreciate the feedback!! ◡̈
Absolutely delicious!!! I was a little nervous about how the sauce would taste but I couldn’t get enough!!! Making it again tonight!
Thanks Thalia, so happy you liked it!! ◡̈
hi! I’m planning to make a big batch of this to serve to a large group. Would it be ok to make this a day in advance? Does it store well?
Hi Camille! I wouldn’t recommend mixing the noodles in the sauce and storing it since the noodles can get soggy. You can prepare the sauce in advance and just reheat it the next day on the large pan/pot. Then from there you can add in your cooked noodles. Hope this helps! ◡̈
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but I wanted to say that this was so good! It was so easy to adjust based on taste and/or amount of sauce. I did use garlic powder (I’m lazy lol) and powdered ginger to the sauce. I also bought a package of frozen Asian-inspired veggies and added that as well and it was so good!! (I recommend cooking the frozen veggies in the microwave for half the time that is on the package then drain them if there is any water before adding it to the noodles & sauce). Will definitely be making this again!
Thanks Sydney, so happy you liked it! ◡̈
This was delicious, and I didn’t even have all the ingredients. I used coconut oil instead of sesame seed oil and flour instead of corn starch. It’s going to be even better tomorrow after all the flavor has soaked up.
I love his recipe! Although we have made a user error (we put too much corn starch and the sauce became like jell-o…), it tasted great!
Oh no! If you didn’t add the noodles yet you can always add some water to run down the sauce so it’s not too thick. Glad you liked it tho! ◡̈
Wonderful recipe, I’m going to make it
This as an awesome recipe, followed as directed for garnish I added pickled daikon radish carrots, some cilantro, diced jalapenos and for protein 6 minute eggs and left over tempura shrimp. I can see all the assorted variations to tis meal! Thank you for sharing..
Hi Alan, glad you liked it! Those toppings are a great idea too ◡̈
thank you for sharing great and looks delicious recipe. the way you explained in a detail manner is really awesome sharing nutritional facts is great and helpful,really you explained good about the vegan noodles. i am excited to cook at home to get great taste and experience.
Thank you Jayant! ◡̈
Yummy but was waaaaaaay to salty, I think it is because of the cubed broth and soy sauce
Hi Jodie! You can adjust the sauce to your taste and add less soy sauce if you make it next time. ◡̈
Absolutely delicious, but it actually made too much sauce. I’m still giving 5 stars because the flavor is incredible and I probably just had the wrong noodle to sauce ratio. Thank you for an easy and delicious lunch.
Thanks Jake! I sometimes have leftover sauce (cause I like to just eyeball the noodles at times) and usually store this in a small container to keep in the fridge and just reheat the sauce in a pan. From there I just add another batch of cooked noodles for another meal ◡̈
Can’t wait to try it! Not a vegetarian, but I loove noodles and veggies!
This ramen recipe is extremely good but a little on the salty side i recommend adding more water to it!!
I love this recipe. It had all the flavors of ramen I love and it was easy to make!
Thanks Ruth, happy you liked it!! ◡̈
I made the sauce using the written minimum 5 tablespoons of soy sauce and the 1.5 tsp of dark soy sauce and it was still extremely salty for my taste. I also used water instead of vegetable broth. I will definitely have to lessen the soy sauce to maybe 3 tablespoons the next time. The flavor was good but sadly, the salt overpowered the dish.
Hi Donna, thanks for the honest feedback! Much appreciated. ◡̈