I hope I’ve convinced you to experiment with leftovers in your fridge by now. Most of my favorite recipe creations have come from me just piling whatever I have leftover in my fridge into a bowl or pot, and seeing how it turns out, including this Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen. I’m not kidding when I say this is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, and it only takes about 15 minutes and a handful of ingredients. #totalwin
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I had some coconut milk leftover from making my Easy Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala on Facebook live the other day, plus Aldi had baby bella mushrooms on sale for $1.69 per container 😱 so I had purchased some of those with the intent of roasting them, which didn’t happen. I came home ravenous for carbs after Orange Theory, saw that coconut milk and the mushrooms in my fridge, and immediately knew what I needed to make!
The super simple broth for this ramen (vegetable broth + coconut milk) is so freaking good that I’m 100% going to be making a regular “cream” of mushroom soup with this method in the near future. So if you don’t like ramen but love creamy mushroom, just hang tight. ;)
What Kind of Mushrooms Should I Use?
Definitely try to get baby bellas or full sized portabella mushrooms for this recipe. The deep color and robust flavor of these mushrooms makes a big impact, and I think regular button mushrooms would fall flat.
What Kind of Coconut Milk Should I Use?
I used full-fat coconut milk in a can for this recipe and it made the broth extremely rich and delicious (and surprisingly it didn’t taste like coconut). I think you might be able to get away with using light coconut milk, but just be aware that the broth won’t be nearly as creamy or thick. I do not suggest using the dairy milk substitute type of coconut milk that comes in a carton. It is FAR too thin. Only canned coconut milk for this recipe.
What Kind of Ramen Should I Use?
I used the super basic, super cheap, 25₵ per pack ramen. Nothing fancy needed here. I did toss the seasoning packet and use my own vegetable broth, though (Better Than Bouillon).
What Else Can I Put in My Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen?
Whatever you want! Ramen is one of those great “catch all” dishes that is good for tossing all your leftover vegetables and proteins into. Check out my post about 6 Ways to Update Instant Ramen to see what other fun things I like to put in my ramen. Some quick ideas are tofu, sliced bell pepper, sesame seeds, or shredded cabbage or carrot.
Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen
Servings 1 (or two)Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02)
- 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms ($0.85)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth ($0.20)
- 1 handful fresh spinach ($0.53)
- 1 package ramen noodles (discard seasoning) ($0.25)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (canned) ($0.66)
Optional Garnishes
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.11)
- 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce or sriracha ($0.13)
Instructions
- Slice the mushrooms. Add them to a small sauce pot with the cooking oil and sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms are soft, dark, and all the moisture in the bottom of the pot has evaporated.
- Add the vegetable broth, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil. Once boiling, add the ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet) to the broth. Cook the noodles in the boiling broth for about 3 minutes, or until tender.
- Turn the heat off, add a heaping handful of fresh spinach, and stir until the spinach is wilted (about 30 seconds). Pour the coconut milk into the pot and stir to combine.
- Serve the Vegan Creamy Coconut Ramen as-is, or with garnishes like green onion or chili garlic sauce.
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Nutrition
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Love Mushroom Soup? Try our Creamy Mushroom Soup recipe.
How to Make Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen – Step by Step Photos
Slice 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms (about 4-5 mushrooms or half of an 8 oz. package). If you want to do full sized portobella mushrooms, just slice the caps in half, then slice crosswise into thin strips.
Add the sliced mushrooms to a small saucepot with about 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil (your favorite type of oil to cook with, any type is fine). Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they are soft and dark, and all the liquid they release has evaporated out of the pot.
Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth to the pot with the mushrooms. I use broth made with Better Than Bouillon broth concentrate. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the broth to come up to a boil (this goes faster with a lid).
Add one “brick” of ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet) to the broth and continue to boil for about 3 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
Turn off the heat and add a heaping handful of fresh spinach to the soup. Stir until the spinach is wilted (about 3o seconds).
Finally, pour in 1/2 cup coconut milk (the canned kind, not the dairy milk substitute kind in a carton). Stir to combine.
And that’s literally all it takes! Done in about 15 minutes. You can serve it as is, or add some fun toppings.
I added sliced green onion and some chili garlic sauce to mine. The sharp chili garlic sauce added a nice contrast to the super creamy broth!
So good! I added some soy sauce and rice wine vinegar to the broth. I could see this being a base for so many variations! We added tofu as well. Husband and toddler loved it!
I made this using beef broth instead of vegetable broth (what I had on hand) and it came out great! I also made a big batch doubling most of the ingredients aside from the mushroom and coconut milk and adding a can of creamed corn and firm tofu, which made a huge batch of soup. Look forward to playing around with this recipe some more!
We loved it!
This recipe is a staple in our household. We make it probably once a week and it’s so much better than any other quick meal we have on deck, not to mention affordable and easy. Sometimes we get fancy and add an egg on top, and almost always include some sriracha, sesame seeds, and green onion. Another genius creation from BudgetBytes!
I made this with rice noodles, and it was so delicious!!!
Hello. What ramen brand do you use for this? The noodles I mean. I just like having specifics. Thank you!
I believe it was Maruchan. Nothing fancy. :)
Nongshim Shin Ramyun is, IMO, the best instant noodle brand on the US market. The soup base is spicy, but you’re throwing it out anyway so it’s not a big deal. It’s made with beef, though, so avoid it if you want the recipe to be truly vegan. I understand the same company makes Soon Noodles, which are vegan, but I can’t vouch for them personally.
Soo tasty and easy! I added garlic salt and chili powder.
I don’t think I will ever again be able to eat instant ramen as it is. This is just so much better!
SO good. Added about a teaspoon grated ginger, a couple cloves of garlic, and a splash of soy sauce. Also added a few eggs for some protein. My carnivore husband didn’t even miss meat! A little chili garlic paste gave just the right amount of heat. Will definitely make again 😋
How is this soup reheated? Can I make the night before and bring to work the next day ??
Ramen does tend to continue to absorb liquid as it refrigerates, so you’ll probably find it a bit on the mushy side if you try to reheat. You can, if you want, but I think this recipe is probably best when served fresh.
I haven’t made the recipe, but I wonder if you could make the soul and broth separately and then just boil up a ramen brick when you get hungry.
*soup ingredients
Probably! But I wouldn’t keep that broth more than about four days in the fridge, and it only takes a few minutes to make, so why not make it fresh? :)
This was incredibly easy and delicious! I added baby corn to mine. Will def make it again and add a different variety of vegetables
This was delish! I tweaked a little bit and did 4 cups of veggie broth (instead of 3) for two people, and added a tablespoon of white miso paste for an extra punch of umami. Will definitely make again – so yummy and so so easy!
Hey if someone doesn’t like mushrooms can i cook them separately or cook two whole batches???
Can i substitute mushrooms with peppers?
What do you suggest?
This person does thoroughly enjoy spicy foods.
For me the mushroom-coconut flavor combo is what really hits it out of the park, so I think that leaving the mushrooms out or substituting them with something else is just going to be a matter of personal preference whether or not it’s “good.” :)
Eggplant has a similar texture to mushrooms, so maybe try that?
I made this yesterday after a friend of mine made it and shared the recipe with me, and it was SO GOOD! I added some baby corn to the recipe bc I love baby corn, and DEFINITELY do not skip the chili sauce, it adds a heat depth that I’m obsessed with. Mine also did taste a little bit coconut-y without the chili sauce, but not in a horrible way. I think next time I might add some sliced bell peppers or carrots, and there will DEFINITELY be a next time!
I was hesitant because normally ramen broth takes hours. I was right to be worried I guess. While this isn’t a terrible recipe it seems only decent at best.
This is a brilliant recipe!! I always have tons of those cheap ramen packs in my pantry. I cooked my mushrooms (only had the regular white ones) with some ginger, garlic and sriracha, and used chicken broth. I also added a little of the ichiban seasoning cause I like it haha. Then had some more sriracha on top and it was awesome!
Mine ended up being very coconuty though, but I think I needed more mushrooms and veggies, and also maybe more broth cause it cooked off quite quickly. I’m going to make this again soon, thank you!!