TEMPEH RAMEN

Difficulty rating: For home cooks Serves: 2 people

Tempeh gives a delicious, meaty bite to this Japanese favourite. And who knew it was pretty easy to make?! Once you’ve tried this once, it’s sure to become a go-to dish for any occasion. 

Recipe by Messy Veggies

Ingredients

TEMPEH:

• 1 packet of Ramen noodles cooked to packet instructions

Broth

• 1/2 brown onion finely sliced

• 2 cloves garlic finely sliced

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1/4 cup miso paste (a fermented soybean pasta found in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose)

• 1 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet wine rice, can be found in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose)

• 2 heaped tbsp tahini

• 1-1.5 tbsp sriracha hot sauce

• 4 cups of water

Crispy tempeh

• 100g soy tempeh or lupin tempeh cut into triangles

• 1 tbsp corn flour

• Salt & pepper

• Oil for frying

Topping:

• Handful enoki mushrooms

• 1/2 bunch pak choy, shredded

• 3 spring onions, finely sliced

• 1/2 carrot, shredded

• Sliced avocado

• Fresh chilli

Instructions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the garlic, onions and sesame oil. Cool for 5 mins or so until the onion is translucent.

2. Add the miso paste and tahini to the onions and stir until well combined.

3. Turn the heat to low and add the mirin and use this liquid to scrape down any bits that have become stuck to the pot (this adds flavour)

4. Add water, sriracha and soy sauce

5. Warm the broth so that it is warm but never boiling. Bringing this broth to a simmer or boil will most definitely cause it to split. So once the broth is warm. Remove from heat and pop a lid on to keep it warm.

6. To make the crispy tempeh, coat each piece in corn flour and salt and pepper. An easy way to do this is to add the ingredients into a lunch bag and give it a gentle shake to coat each piece. Then, add a little oil to a pan and cook each piece until golden brown each side. Set aside.

7. Bring a large pot of water to the boil then reserve 3 ladles of the boiling water in a bowl aside. Add the ramen and cook according to packet instructions

8. Add the shredded Pak Choy to the bowl of reserved boiling water and only remove once your ramen noodles are ready.

9. Drain the noodles and add to bowls. Add your toppings then ladle enough broth until your noodles are just covered. Serve with extra sriracha if you like it HOT.