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Home ► Recipes ► Dairy-Free

Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen

Updated: 05.05.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 52 Comments

4.67 from 9 votes
This rich, creamy plant-based Tonkotsu Ramen is redolent of caramelized garlic and ginger and packs a wallop of lip-smacking umami.
Recipe

Growing up, a steaming bowl of ramen was my panacea to mend a cold, the balm demanded to sooth my angst, and the pick-me-up needed after a rough day at school. Those perfect bowls of creamy porcine soup brimming with curly noodles were, for me, the quintessential comfort food. This is probably why I took it with such great offense when hipster New York ramen joints started offering meatless abominations on their menus.

To me, a ramen broth made without bones, cartilage and fat was not ramen at all, but some impotent hack undeserving of the title "ramen". My thinking at the time was that since chicken noodle soup without chicken would just be a vegetable noodle soup, who gave these plant-wielding cretans permission to call their soulless creations ramen?

Well, I'm here today to apologize for being an elitist douchebag and for being wrong. Perhaps it's my Kyushu roots, where "ramen" is synonymous with tonkotsu (pork bone) broth, or the fact that I've seen far too many misrepresentations paraded around as Japanese food, but what I failed to realize is that the essence of ramen isn't about meat, bones and fat, it's about the intense umami, richness and aroma that comes from them.

In my defense, most attempts at vegan ramen I've seen to date have been vapid bowls of vaguely Asian noodle soup, but after realizing my error, I figured the only way to make up for my sins was to make a better plant-based ramen.

So how do you create a rich broth laden with umami without using meat? Well... it's not as hard as you might think and it's actually a good deal faster than simmering a pot of bones for hours.

The first challenge is to create a rich milky soup to mimic the sort of broth you'd get from the breakdown of collagen and fat. The keyword here is "milky" because while you can spend hours boiling cartilage and fat to create an emulsion, there's a more direct route by adding milk... in this case, soy milk. I know, it sounds crazy, but trust me it works

While soy milk will give us the rich creamy texture, it's woefully devoid of the kinds of flavors we want in a really great ramen. Building a concentrated vegetable and mushroom stock will get us the umami and may even give us the hint of porky funk that we need, but the problem is that the soy milk will attenuate the flavor and umami in the stock, while the stock will water down the richness of the soy milk.... a lose-lose proposition.

My solution is to use a 100% soy milk for the stock, and then make a concentrated taré (sauce) that can be used to add all the other flavors and tastes. Rather than spend the time to make a vegetable stock and then reduce it, I decided to start with concentrates. Namely amino acid rich liquids such as soy sauce and sake, along with amino acid rich dried foods like vegetables, kelp and mushrooms.

By powderizing the dried ingredients and reducing them with the liquids, you end up with an ultra-concentrated sauce that packs a stunning amount of umami into just a fraction of a drop. Combined with the soy milk, you'll have a broth that will have even the most jaded ramen critics scratching their heads in disbelief that there's no meat, dairy, fish or MSG in it.

Lastly to capture the savory sweet aromas of the caramelized aromatics in a great tonkotsu broth, I opted for an oil infused with burnt garlic, ginger, and scallions. I know I probably lost a few of you at soymilk, and a few more of you have your mouse pointers hovering over the "x" on your browser, but hear me out. Thanks to the Maillard reaction, the more you caramelize aromatics, the more complex the flavors become. At some point though, as the sugars turn to carbon, the mixture will become bitter. This is a bad thing if all you're eating are the aromatics, but with ramen, that's not the case. The burnt oil is just a small fraction of the liquid and the creamy broth paves over any bitterness in the oil, allowing the fully realized potential of the aromatics to shine through. If you're still not convinced, consider this: Mayu (burnt garlic oil) is a legitimate topping in Kagoshima-style ramen, and it's the charred aromatics that give a great pho its characteristic flavor.

So how does this vegan tonkotsu ramen taste? Unctuous, with a lip coating stickiness that helps the blast of umami linger on your tongue as you contemplate its deliciousness. Put simply, it's nothing short of miraculous, and it's proof positive that even the meatiest of dishes can be made from plants. Mind you, it's not going to taste exactly like a pork-based tonkotsu ramen since it doesn't actually have pork in it. But does it capture the spirit and essence of ramen? Absolutely!

Check out my ramen guide for other topping ideas for this plant-based bowl.

📖 Recipe

Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen

4.67 from 9 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Yield 4 bowl

Units

Ingredients 

for mayu

  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 40 grams scallions white part only (finely minced ~3-4 )
  • 30 grams garlic (grated)
  • 20 grams ginger (grated)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

for tare

  • 4 grams dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 grams dried porcini mushrooms
  • 3 grams freeze dried corn
  • 2 grams dashi konbu
  • 5 grams nutritional yeast
  • ⅓ cup white soy sauce
  • ¼ cup sake
  • 1 teaspoon salt

for ramen

  • unsweetened soy milk
  • nerigoma (see the note at the bottom of the recipe)
  • ramen noodles

Instructions

  • To make the mayu, add the oil, scallions, garlic and ginger to a small saucepan and fry over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Once the sizzling starts to subside, stir constantly to brown evenly. Keep frying until the mixture is chocolate brown. Turn off the heat and then carefully add 1 tablespoon soy sauce (it will bubble up and spatter).
  • Turn the heat back on and continue to fry until the sizzlingly mostly subsides and the mixture is coffee brown in color. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.
  • Use a stick blender (or a regular blender) to puree the burnt aromatics and oil.
  • Crumble the shiitake, porcini, corn and dashi konbu into a spice grinder and grind until it's a fine powder. Add the nutritional yeast and continue grinding until you have a mixture that's the consistency of powdered sugar.
  • Add the powder to a small sauce pan along with the white soy sauce, sake, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Your tare should be about the consistency of gravy.
  • Boil a pot of water for your noodles.
  • For every 1 cup of soy milk add 1 tablespoon of tare and 1 teaspoon of nerigoma to a blender. For each bowl of ramen you need about 1 ½ cups of soup, so if you want to make 2 bowls of ramen, use 3 cups of soy milk, 3 tablespoons of tare and 3 teaspoons(1 tablespoon) of nerigoma. If your soy milk is very rich, you may need to cut it with a bit of water. Blend until smooth and then strain the mixture into a pot through a fine mesh sieve to remove the bubbles and sediment. Heat the soy milk mixture over low heat and make sure it does not boil.
  • Prepare any toppings you plan to use as the noodles will stretch in the broth if you take too long to get the toppings on. I used menma, woodear, scallions, benishoga, and sesame seeds.
  • Boil the noodles according to the package directions. I like to boil them for 1 minute less than what the directions say as they will continue to cook once you add them to the broth.
  • Drizzle some Mayu on top and finish with the rest of the toppings. Serve immediately.
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Notes

Nerigoma is made by grinding whole toasted sesame seed into a butter. Tahini is made by removing the hulls from unroasted sesame seeds and then grinding into a butter. They are similar but not the same. I recommend looking for nerigoma at a Japanese grocery store, but if you can't find it, use Al Wadi brand Tahini (do not use Joyva brand, it will make you ramen taste off).

Comments

    4.67 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Nadine says

    August 07, 2023 at 4:43 pm

    5 stars
    Incredible! I won't need to introduce this as a good 'vegan' ramen to guests – I can just say it is my favourite ramen recipe, period. Surprisingly easy to make, too!

    Reply
    • Marc says

      August 10, 2023 at 11:50 am

      I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this Nadine! I know what you mean vegan Pho (https://norecipes.com/vegan-pho-recipe/) has become the default pho in our household.

      Reply
  2. Gaby says

    March 23, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    Can you substitute the corn for something else?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 24, 2020 at 7:22 pm

      Hi Gaby, the freeze-dried corn adds a mild sweetness and a ton of umami producing amino acids to the soup without having a strong flavor of it's own. I can't really think of a single good substitute, but you could probably get a similar benefit by adding some sugar, and other umami-rich freeze-dried vegetables such as cabbage.

      Reply
  3. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 23, 2017 at 11:54 am

    Hi Giftz, the sake is there to add sweetness and umami, so you could use some kind of soup stock (such as vegetable stock) along with a bit of sugar. It's obviously not going to taste the same, but will have a similar effect (like the difference between adding chicken or beef to a soup).

    Reply
  4. Giftz says

    January 21, 2017 at 8:28 pm

    Replacement for Sake? I cannot use it in recipies for religious restrictions.

    Reply
  5. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 14, 2017 at 11:21 pm

    Hi Sakiko, white soy sauce in Japanese is shiroshoyu (白醤油). It is different from usukuchi and shirodashi. It's a very mild flavor that has a light amber color.

    Reply
  6. Sakiko says

    January 14, 2017 at 3:37 am

    Thanks for the recipe. As a native Japanese living in a rural town without Ippudo, I really appreciate your postings! I have a quick question, do you happen to know what the Japanese name for white soy sauce is? I am wondering if it is usukuchi-shouyu or shira-dashi. Couldn't quite figure out on my own, and those are two different things...

    Reply
  7. Sakiko says

    January 14, 2017 at 3:35 am

    Hi Marc

    Reply
  8. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 10, 2017 at 1:48 am

    Hi JM, if you live near a Japanese market, I'd recommend this one: https://photo.kenko.com/E378258H_L.jpg If you don't have a Japanese market near you but you're in the US, you can order it on Amazon by searching for: "Kikkoman delicious adjustment-free soy". Kikkoman also sells a US version of it's soy milk but it is not the same.

    Reply
  9. jm says

    January 10, 2017 at 1:22 am

    What brand soy milk do you recommend?

    Reply
  10. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 03, 2016 at 12:53 am

    Hi Dante, you can replace the corn with creamed corn that's been pureed and strained. I would not omit it as it is responsible for a lot of the umami and sweetness in the soup.

    Reply
  11. Dante Consonero says

    June 02, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    can i omit, and or, replace the freeze dried corn?

    Reply
    • Nadine says

      July 19, 2023 at 12:12 am

      Same question here! It is hard to come by in my location.

      Reply
      • Marc says

        July 19, 2023 at 9:24 am

        Hi Nadine, you can substitute vegan creamed corn that's been pureed and passed through a strainer to remove any skins from the kernels.

        Reply
  12. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 06, 2016 at 4:33 am

    Hi Korra, there's a unit conversion feature being built that should be ready in about a month that will let you convert the metric to imperial measures. That said, it will not convert mass based measurements(grams, ounces pounds) to volumetric measurements (cups, tablespoons, etc). That's because volumetric measurements are an extremely inaccurate way of measuring things that are not liquids (like flour, vegetables, etc) since the amount that fits in a cup depends on how small things are diced, how much you pack the ingredient in, etc.

    Reply
  13. Korra says

    February 06, 2016 at 3:25 am

    Can you please post the recipe using conventional measurements such as teaspoons and cups? A lot of people

    Reply
  14. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 19, 2015 at 7:46 am

    Whatever is available to you is fine. Something like a Junmai Daiginjo will give you the most flavor but they tend to be very expensive, and you probably won't notice a huge difference in the end product.

    Reply
  15. Joy Liu-Trujillo says

    October 19, 2015 at 2:25 am

    Hi Marc, what type of sake do you recommend for this recipe?

    Reply
  16. Herr Yamamoto says

    October 05, 2015 at 12:09 am

    okay i made it ....it worked out perfectly, srsly just like miso ramen with tonkotsu base. Awesome!!!

    Reply
  17. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 16, 2015 at 1:16 am

    You might even want to go less than that. It depends on how rich you want your miso ramen to be.

    Reply
  18. Herr Yamamoto says

    September 15, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    Thanks so far, maybe half of the soymilk?

    Reply
  19. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 15, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Hi Herr, it should work, but you'll need to reduce the amount of salt in this recipe. Also you'll want to substitute the smaller amount of soy milk with something else such as water or vegetable stock.

    Reply
  20. Herr Yamamoto says

    September 15, 2015 at 11:09 am

    Hey Marc, do you think vegan Miso ramen could work out if i used this recipe, but 1/2 cup less soymilk and additional the Miso mixture from your other recipe (2 Tbs white miso, 1 Tbs tahini, 2 tsp sesame seed oil, 2 cloves garlic grated or pressed,1/2 C water)????

    Reply
  21. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 15, 2015 at 1:52 am

    Hi Amatz, thanks for the note! I'm so glad to hear you've been enjoying the site. I hope you enjoy this ramen.

    Reply
  22. Amatz says

    July 14, 2015 at 11:51 am

    I can't tell you how excited I was to find this recipe. My Kyushujin (and now pescatarian) husband is really looking forward to trying this. He thought his ramen days were just a childhood memory. Thanks so much for this blog. It's the only food blog where I actually enjoy reading the text (and don't just scroll to the recipe like I do with other food blogs). This post did not disappoint! I would also have been annoyed by feeble attempts at noodle soups! Haha

    Reply
  23. Herr Yamamoto says

    June 25, 2015 at 8:31 pm

    interesting...so, correct me if im wrong but implies this fact that also your ramyun (ramyeon) recipe could be cooked in a vegan version?

    Reply
  24. Madeline Huang says

    June 25, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    Excellent recipe! Thanks for sharing. Just wondering if we could simply add in soy milk powder into a broth?

    Reply
  25. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 21, 2015 at 2:20 am

    Glad to hear you enjoyed it. A miso ramen shouldn't be too difficult, but you may want to get rid of or reduce the soy milk if you use miso, otherwise it's likely going to end up too thick.

    Reply
  26. Herr Yamamoto says

    June 20, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Okay i made it and it turned out great!!! Thank you once again for an awesome recipe. Ask myself if i could try to make a vegan miso ramen based on this recipe.

    Reply
  27. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 20, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    The texture will be quite different. Menma has a more springy crunchy texture than regular bamboo.

    Reply
  28. Herr Yamamoto says

    May 20, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    I see, something which comes close to real menma?

    Reply
  29. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 20, 2015 at 11:36 am

    Menma is actually a different product. It's made from salted and fermented bamboo. This gives the bamboo a different texture and the distinctive taste of menma. That said, you could certainly cook some bamboo and put it in ramen and I'm sure it would taste delicious.

    Reply
  30. Herr Yamamoto says

    May 20, 2015 at 11:30 am

    can i make it from canned bamboo sprouts?

    Reply
  31. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 20, 2015 at 10:34 am

    Menma usually comes salted, so you have to soak it in a few changes of water to get rid of the salt. Then you just saute with oil (I like using toasted sesame oil) and then cook with soy sauce, sake, sugar, water and salt.

    Reply
  32. Herr Yamamoto says

    May 20, 2015 at 10:27 am

    Hi Marc, do you know an easy recipe for menma?

    Reply
  33. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 05, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Hi Jody, sorry for the slow response. Yes absolutely, both will keep for weeks in the fridge so you can definitely make them ahead of time.

    Reply
  34. Jody Rutherford says

    April 29, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Sorry Marc to bother you again with questions. Can I make the Tare and Mayu the night before?

    Reply
  35. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 28, 2015 at 1:08 am

    Hi Jody, yep, the mayu gets drizzled on top.

    Reply
  36. Jody Rutherford says

    April 27, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    Question; Is the mayu a topping? Like an oil to drip over the finished ramen? Plan to make this weekend!

    Reply
  37. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 20, 2015 at 1:23 am

    Both ingredients contain amino acids that give the taste of umami. The yeast in particular is what gives the soup a meaty taste. It's made by culturing yeast in a medium and then pasteurizing it (there's no live yeast bacteria in it), and looks like yellow flakes with a taste that's a bit like cheese.

    If you're in the US, you should be able to find freeze dried corn in the dried fruit aisle of an upscale supermarket. Nutritional yeast tends to be in the health food section or with seasonings. Both items are available online.

    Reply
  38. Oline Chen says

    April 20, 2015 at 1:00 am

    Hi Mark, any substitute for the freeze dried corn? Also what is this nutritional yeast?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  39. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 18, 2015 at 8:11 am

    Hi S, yep, and the tare makes a great base for other things as well. I added a bit to a batch of rice before cooking it and it made the rice taste amazing. Likewise you can drizzle the mayo on other things.

    Reply
  40. S says

    April 17, 2015 at 7:04 am

    Can you store the tare and mayu once they've been made for future quick ramen meals?

    Reply
  41. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 16, 2015 at 6:15 am

    Taste-wise, regular soy sauce might actually taste better than white, but I was going for the white color.

    Reply
  42. Herr Yamamoto says

    April 16, 2015 at 6:02 am

    the taste wont change to much?

    Reply
  43. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 16, 2015 at 2:00 am

    You could use regular soy sauce, but it will make the soup a little more brown.

    Reply
  44. Herr Yamamoto says

    April 15, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    Any possibility to replace white soy sauce? It's allmost impossible to get it in Germany

    Reply
  45. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 15, 2015 at 12:49 am

    Hi Pearl, You could try substituting in coconut milk, but the problem is that coconut milk has a very strong coconut taste. If you have an allergy to soybeans, how about cashew milk?

    Reply
  46. Pearl says

    April 14, 2015 at 11:57 pm

    I dont suppose that there may also be a coconut milk version someday?

    Reply
  47. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 13, 2015 at 5:47 am

    Hi Lchen, it's been a while since I've bought soy milk in the US, so I honestly couldn't recommend one brand over the other. Just make sure the one you get doesn't have stuff like vanilla or sugar added to it. If you have a Japanese market near you, go with a Japanese carton of soy milk. I use one with a drawing of a bird flying towards the sun.

    Reply
  48. Lchen says

    April 13, 2015 at 5:25 am

    Can you recommend a brand of soy milk for this?

    Reply
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