Vegetable Ramen is a simple and easy-to-make meatless Monday meal all instant ramen lovers must try. (For you devout carnivores, just add your favorite meat, and you’re also ready to go!) Despite the bad press instant ramen gets about being unhealthy and generally bad for you, it is unquestionably two things: 1) tasty and 2) cheap!
I’ve come up with many innovative uses for instant ramen over the years, and this is one of them. Adding fresh vegetables and tossing the sodium and MSG-laden 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!
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 but even with inflation, I’d say they are still considered cheap at the price of a buck for 4 ramen packets. If budget is not the driving factor and you just like ramen noodles then go for some fresh ramen noodles at your local Asian grocery store.
I digress.
Let’s get back to how delicious this Vegetable Ramen dish is and how easy it is to make. The distinctive curly texture and flavor of instant noodles really makes this dish, and 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.
Other notable recipes where vegetables are the star include Vegetable lo mein, Vegetable fried rice and garlic baby bok choy!
Vegetable Ramen: Recipe Instructions
Open the instant ramen 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!
Vegetable Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 packages instant noodles
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce (optional for vegetarians)
- 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!
nutrition facts
This looks amazing!! Do you have any substitution recommendations for the Shaoxing wine?
Hi Sarah, shaoxing wine is a rice wine, you can substitute with an Asian rice wine or just rice wine.
oh my this just looks divine. I just had dinner but this made my mouth water. Great Job
Thanks and hope you give it a try!
I just stumbled upon your blog and I am LOVING it! These photos are simply mouthwatering. Love the concept of this recipe— pinned!
Thanks Liz!
I love the sound and the LOOK of this! My mouth is watering as I write:)
Thanks Ania! Hope you give it a try!
We always have ramen in the house and my kids eat every way possible (dry, wet, fried). My dd’s favorite way to eat it is the way you’ve prepared it…kind of like fried noodles. Of course, yours is a lot more sophisticated than our normal everyday fried ramen. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome Erlene!
Meatless Monday has never been so gooood! This might actually convert me !!!
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Thanks for breaking this down into steps that make it look easy! I can hardly wait to try this – I’ve made my own version a few times, but it never tasted “great”. The sauce ingredients look like they’ll make a noodle bowl I’ll want to make often.
You’re welcome Maureen. We do our best to make our recipes approachable with more detailed steps and advice – and of course our support via comment responses. Good luck and hope you’re successful with this one!
I love all the veggies in here- hopefully it will kind of even out all the noodles. How similar would this be to yakisoba?
Hi Heather, My father who was a chef told me that the vegetables are what make the noodles taste good and he is right. Personally. I like an even ratio or even more veggies than noodles! As for yakisoba, the main difference is in the noodles. Soba noodles are quite different and also yakisoba uses Japanese soy sauces which is a bit different from the Chinese style ramen we have in this recipe
Eating uncooked ramen is a thing here in hawaii, little kids will get it as a snack (cut into 4 pieces a pkg) at daycare. This recipe looks great, I too, throw away the flavor packet just looking at it makes my ankles swell. It would be so nice if ramen companies sold just the noodles plain I think they are missing an untapped customer base.
Hi Ann,
I totally agree with you on that! The ramen noodles are what we’re after