Vegan Tantanmen is a comforting ramen dish with a luscious & creamy sesame-based broth. It is perfectly complemented with the addition of tofu crumbles, vegetables, and chewy noodles. So comforting and packed with flavors!
What is Vegan Tantanmen?
Tantanmen is a Japanese version of the Chinese Dan Dan Noodles. It is traditionally made with minced pork and a nutty sauce made from sesame paste or peanut butter.
This vegan version of Tantanmen is made with tofu crumbles that mimic the texture of minced pork.
The sauce brings all the ingredients to life, as it has a rich, creamy taste with a hint of spice. I have tried various versions of the sauce and decided to make it with sesame paste (or tahini), gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, and soy milk. It has a unique taste that goes well with the noodles and toppings. and so addictive that will keep you coming back for more.
Why you’ll love this Vegan Tantanmen recipe
This is the go-to recipe when I want to create a restaurant-quality dish to treat myself or impress others. It is:
- Creamy & rich
- Packed with flavors
- Yet pretty easy and quick to make
- Versatile & can be made with customizable toppings
Ingredients and substitutions
For this recipe, you’ll need:
To make the tofu crumbles:
- Garlic & ginger
- Firm tofu
- Soy sauce
To make the soup:
- Green onions & garlic
- Sesame paste (or tahini)
- Peanut butter
- Gochujang
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Water
- Soy milk
Toppings:
- Bokchoy: alternatively, you can choose other cooked green toppings like broccoli,
- Chopped scallions
- Corn
Step-by-step instructions
Make the tofu crumbles:
First, finely mince the garlic and ginger.
Crumble the firm tofu and squeeze out excess water. To do this, I use a fork to mash the tofu on a colander on top a bowl and press out as much water as possible.
Fry the tofu crumbles in oil until slightly golden. Keep mixing to make sure it is thoroughly cooked.
Add the minced garlic, ginger and soy sauce and mix well to combine.
Make the broth:
Thinly slice the scallion, divide between the white and green parts.
Then, add the minced garlic, white part of the scallion to a pot with oil. Stir fry until fragrant. Then reduce heat, add in the sauces: tahini, peanut butter, sesame oil, gochujang and soy sauce.
Mix together until it forms a thick paste, like this:
Add in the water, mix with the paste and bring to a soft boil and mix thoroughly. Add in the soy milk and simmer on low for a few minutes. After adding in the soy milk, make sure to not boil the soup as the soy milk tends to curdle at a high temperature.
Add salt to taste and set aside while you prepare the toppings.
Make the toppings:
Ramen noodles: Cook the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse.
Bokchoy and corn: Blanch for 1 minute in boiling water, then drain and rinse.
Assemble the Vegan Tantanmen:
Add the noodles to a bowl, and top with the tofu crumbles, bokchoy, corn, the green part of the scallion. Pour over the luscious and dreamy broth. Sprinkle with sesame sauce and sesame oil.
Enjoy!
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Vegan Tantanmen (Sesame Ramen)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Vegan Tantanmen is a comforting ramen dish with a luscious creamy sesame-based soup. It , chewy noodles, tofu crumbles and vegetables.
Ingredients
Minced tofu:
- 1 thumb-sized ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 400g firm tofu
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- Oil
Soup:
- 2 green onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 500 ml water
- 250 ml soy milk
- Salt to taste
Toppings:
- Bokchoy (or other greens)
- Ramen noodles
- Corn
- Chopped scallions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Make the Tofu Minced ‘Meat’
- Finely mince the ginger and garlic.
- Crumble the tofu and squeeze out excess water. I used a colander to press out the water.
- On a pan, add the oil followed by the tofu crumbles. Stir occasionally, until slightly golden. Add in the soy sauce and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside
Make the broth
- Thinly slice the green onion, and separate between the white and green parts.
- In a big pot, add the oil and the white part of the chopped green onion. Stir fry until fragrant. Reduce heat, then add in the tahini, peanut butter, sesame oil, gochujang and soy sauce. Mix until it forms a paste.
- Add in the water, bring to a boil, and make sure there is no crumb left. Add in the soy milk and bring to a low simmer (not boiling).
- Add salt to taste.
Make the toppings
- Cut off the ends of the bokchoy and cut in half.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot and add each topping one by one: ramen noodles, bokchoy and corn.
- Cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Then cook the bokchoy and corn in boiling water for about 1 minute. Drain and set aside
Assemble the Ramen Noodles
- In a bowl, add the noodles and toppings. Add the chopped green onions on top. Pour over the broth.
- Garnish with sesame seeds.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: vegan tantanmen, ramen noodles, sesame ramen
