Vegan Miso Ramen (Tantanmen) | Culinary Cartel (2024)

Tantanmen is the Japanese ramen version of the traditional Szechuan dish dandanmian. Traditionally a creamy, spicy pork dish in both cuisines, this is my unctuous vegan spin on the classic dish!

Tantanmen is a warming and hearty dish, and this version is no exception. Filled with the umami flavours of mushrooms and miso, this ramen noodle bowl is simply packed with flavour and couldn’t be easier to make.

Traditionally, the broth base is made by boiling pork and chicken bones together for hours until a creamy, gelatinous, collagen-rich broth forms. We’re skipping the meat and the fuss today, and using miso, chilli crisp and tahini to create an umami-rich and creamy soup base that tastes like it took hours to make. Win!

This warming and hearty miso noodle bowl comes together in under 20 minutes, requires fewer than 15 ingredients, and is completely vegan! If that isn’t an easy weeknight dinner, I don’t know what is!

If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your photo #theculinarycartel on Instagram so we can see what you come up with.To view our recipevideo on Instagram clickhere.Happy cooking!

Can I add other vegetables to this if I don’t have pak choi?

If you can’t get your hands on pak choi, fresh mustard greens, tatsoi, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), tenderstem broccoli or even spinach will do in a pinch!

I can’t find miso! What else can I use?

Miso is now widely available in larger supermarkets, Asian stores and online.
If you can’t find miso, you can try substituting other Asian bean pastes such as doubanjiang or doenjang. However, doubanjiang contains chilli, so you might need to reduce the amount of chilli crisp in the recipe accordingly, and doenjang has a stronger flavour than miso, so taste and adjust the flavours while you cook.

What is Chinese chilli crisp?

Chinese chilli crisp is a crunchy, spicy, oil-based condiment commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Chilli crisp is similar to chilli oil; the difference lies in the ratio of chilli pieces to oil – chilli crisp contains more crunchy chilli than oil. Chilli crisp is generally used as a serving sauce instead of an ingredient added while cooking. The most well-known brand of chilli crisp is Lao Gan Ma, which I have used here.

Where can I find chilli crisp, and what can I substitute for it?

Find chilli crisp in Asian markets or online. If you can’t get your hands on it, chilli oil with extra red chilli flakes will do in a pinch, but won’t have the same umami-bomb quality of true chilli crisp.

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