Vegetable Ramen Noodle Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 in (10 cm) pieces wakame seaweed
• 2 heaped tbsp dried shiitake mushrooms
• 9 oz (250 g) dried ramen noodles (or brown rice noodles)
• 3½ cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp mirin (or dry sherry)
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely sliced
• 2 heads of bok choy, cut into thick shreds
• 1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
• 4 radishes, sliced
• 7 oz (225 g) can bamboo shoots, drained
• 1 tsp dried chile flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp red miso paste
• 9 oz (250 g) block firm tofu, cut into 8 slices
• sweet chili sauce, to drizzle

• use gluten-free noodles

1. Soak the wakame and mushrooms in 1¼ cups warm water for 30 minutes. Lift out the wakame and cut out any thick stalk, if necessary. If the wakame is large, cut into pieces before returning to the soaking water with the mushrooms.
2. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain. Put the stock in a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients, except the miso paste and tofu. Add the wakame, mushrooms, and soaking water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Blend a ladleful of the stock with the miso paste until smooth. Pour back into the pan and stir gently. Taste and add more tamari, if necessary. Make sure the soup is very hot but not boiling.
4. Divide the noodles between 4 large open soup bowls. Add 2 slices of tofu to each bowl and ladle the very hot soup over. Serve at once with sweet chili sauce to drizzle over, if using.