I really love food. Healthy food. Tasty food. In fact, food is pretty much my work, my hobby AND my passion. So much for being well-rounded 🙂  It’s always fun to find something new and get a little inspired/obsessed over it. That’s where I am at with these new rice ramen noodles I found at Whole Foods a few weeks back. As a kid, I used to LOVE Mr Noodles…before I realized how terrible they were for me as a teenager. But these ramen noodles are making me feel like a kid again. Except that they are made from rice, they aren’t fried and they don’t contain any garbage like MSG.

So in my typical throw-together-whatever-is-in-the-kitchen style, I made a dinner last week that I loved so much that I thought I would share it with you for Meatless Monday. It’s gluten free, vegan and crazy tasty.

Miso Mushroom Ramen

Serves 4-6 people

2 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced into very thin rings (a mandolin works great!)
170g package of mixed Asian mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed or grated finely
1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
1 litre tetra pac of vegan mushroom stock (I used Pacific brand)
Family sized package of Lotus Foods Jade Pearl Rice Ramen (4 bricks)
4 large carrots, cut into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
2 bell peppers, finely sliced
1/4 cup shiro (white) miso

1 pkg extra firm organic tofu
1 tbsp gluten free tamari (soy sauce)
1 tbsp sesame oil

4-6 cups of baby greens such as kale

In a large pasta pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions until soft and glossy, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes more. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for one minute.

Add the mushroom stock and one litre (4 cups) of water. Bring to a boil and add the ramen. Cook for 2 minutes, lower heat to a simmer, add the carrots and peppers and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the miso until it dissolves.

Meanwhile, prepare tofu: cut a block of tofu in half horizontally and then in half down the middle so you have 4 square pieces. Rub them with the sesame oil and tamari and then fry them in a frying pan for about 3-4 minutes a side until you have a nice crust. Let the tofu cool slightly so you can cut it into chunks or thin strips. Set aside.

To assemble the bowls, add a handful of baby greens to each bowl. Ladle in veggie soup and noodles, garnish with tofu. Serve with hot sauce.

Important Note about Leftovers:  I learned the hard way that these noodles start to break down pretty quickly (like 30 minutes!) so don’t cook all the noodles in the soup expecting tasty leftovers.

A smarter workaround? If cooking for one, make the full soup recipe with all the fixings on their own. Then boil a single serving of noodles and add it to a bowl of soup for dinner tonight. The leftover soup will be delicious on it’s own through the week – just chop up the veggie and tofu fixings into it – or ready for more impromptu noodle feasts throughout the week!

PS…this post was NOT sponsored…I share it because I want to share my new discovery!

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