Vegetable Ramen is a simple and easy-to-make meatless Monday meal all instant ramen lovers must try.
The recipe is vegetarian and vegan, but you could also add your favorite protein—chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, or tofu! (Just click on those links to find out how to prepare them for stir-frying.)
Note: This post was originally published in May 2015. We have since updated it with higher quality photos, nutrition information, and clearer instructions. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
The Many Uses of Instant Ramen
While instant ramen may not be gourmet, it is unquestionably three things: 1) tasty 2) cheap and 3) convenient.
Everyone has their own ramen brand that they like, and they are readily available at the local grocery store. I remember in my younger days, they would go on sale for 6 cents a pack.
I’ve come up with many innovative uses for instant ramen over the years. It has long been one of our favorite ingredients to take camping (see our Camping Curry Ramen and Pho Ramen) and it’s a great shortcut to a quick meal (like Sarah’s kimchi ramen).
Adding fresh vegetables and tossing the flavor packet makes this version of instant noodles more forgivable, right?
It’s definitely a step up from my younger years when I would feel hungry coming home after school and eat the instant ramen straight out of the package. (For all the people that have eaten ramen this way—you know what I’m talking about; and for all the people who haven’t—you don’t know what you’re missing!)
Stir-frying Instant Noodles
While most of those recipes are for noodle soups, this recipe actually involves stir-frying the noodles. They hold up great to stir-frying if you don’t boil them all the way through, and the distinctive curly texture and flavor of instant noodles really makes this dish.
Plus, you can’t argue with the simplicity of the ingredients.
In fact, I bet you have everything you need in your kitchen right now! Feel free to sub veggies in and out per your taste and what you have on hand.
On to the recipe!
Vegetable Ramen: Recipe Instructions
Open the instant noodles and discard the flavor packet. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 45 seconds to a minute, using chopsticks or a fork to stir occasionally. You want to just rehydrate the ramen until it breaks up from its rectangular form.
It’s important NOT to cook the ramen fully in this step! Once the ramen is rehydrated, immediately drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and get rid of the excess starch.
Combine soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce), sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl and set aside.
Heat your wok over high heat, and add oil and garlic. Immediately add the peppers, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage, and stir fry for 1 minute. Next, add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 15 seconds.
Next, add in the cooked noodles, pulling them apart if they are stuck together. Pour the soy sauce mixture evenly over the ramen noodles.
Stir-fry for about 20 seconds using a scooping motion with your wok spatula until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions.
Mix well for another minute and serve your Vegetable Ramen!
Hope you enjoyed this vegetable ramen recipe. Other notable recipes where vegetables are the star include vegetable lo mein, vegetable fried rice and garlic baby bok choy. Check them out!
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Recipe
Vegetable Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 packages instant noodles
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetarian oyster sauce (or regular oyster sauce)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Fresh ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic (sliced)
- ¼ cup sweet red bell peppers or Holland chilies (julienned)
- 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 medium carrot (julienned)
- 1 ½ cups cabbage (shredded)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup snow peas (cut in half at an angle)
- 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
- 2 scallions (split and cut into 2-inch pieces)
Instructions
- Open the instant ramen and discard the flavor packet. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 45 seconds to a minute, using chopsticks or a fork to stir occasionally. You want to just rehydrate the ramen until it breaks up from its rectangular form. It’s important not to cook the ramen fully in this step! Once the ramen is rehydrated, immediately drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and get rid of the excess starch.
- Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl and set aside. Heat your wok over high heat, and add oil and garlic. Immediately add the peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage, and stir fry for 1 minute. Next, add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 15 seconds.
- Next, add in the cooked noodles, pulling them apart if they are stuck together. Pour the soy sauce mixture evenly over the noodles. Stir-fry for about 20 seconds using a scooping motion until the sauce is well distributed. Add in the snow peas, bean sprouts, and scallions. Mix well for another minute and serve!
