This Vegan Sesame Tantanmen features the perfect ramen noodles swimming in a creamy sesame broth, served with spicy tofu crumbles and fresh vegetables. The perfect easy to make comfort meal!
Coming at you HOT with this delicious, ultra rich and creamy Vegan Sesame Tantanmen! Super excited about this one because well.. I think the title says it all. Vegan Ramen, who doesn’t get excited about ramen?! Soft chewy noodles drenched in a nutty, spicy broth with little chewy bits of meat-y mince and crunch from the vegetables. You really don’t need butter or meat to make a dang hearty and delicious ramen.
Tantanmen is a Japanese take on Sichuan Dan Dan noodles. It’s typically served spicy with traditional asian vegetables, minced pork and garnished with green onions. The creamy nutty sauce is usually made from sesame paste or peanut butter. One of the best Tantanmen’s I’ve ever had was actually from a vegan ramen restaurant in Japan, in Tokyo Station. The noodles were perfectly cooked, the ratio of noodles to broth was perfect, and the broth was creamy, flavourful but not too salty. The vegetables and soy crumbles just made it extra special with the additional textures. On my flight back to Canada, I was totally inspired to make this slurp worthy bowl of tantanmen at home.
I think the soup base is the most important component when it comes to a good bowl of Tantanmen. When making the soup base, I tried a couple different ingredients, variations and ratios but ultimately settled on this combination of flavours (very similar to the one I tried if I remember correctly).
- Asian sesame paste – for it’s subtle nuttiness and makes it super creamy
- Soy sauce – for it’s saltiness
- Rice Vinegar – for a slight tang to balance out the richness
- Sesame oil – for its aromatic flavours (this stuff never needs an explanation why you should add it… it’s just essential)
- Rayu (Japanese chili oil) – for the spice
- Soy milk – to make it extra creamy
This Vegan Sesame Tantanmen has been my go-to comfort meal during this winter. I love how simple and easy it is to make!
Ramen come in all sorts of flavours, shapes of noodles, vegetable combinations… I’d love to know your favourite or if you’d like to see more veganized ramen recipes!
Why you’ll LOVE this Vegan Sesame Tantanmen, it’s:
- creamy
- rich
- chewy
- crunchy
- warming
- so full of flavour
- homemade and easy to make
- and makes the most satisfying comforting meal!
Tips and Tricks to making Vegan Sesame Tantanmen (Homemade Ramen)
- I highly recommend using the fresh ramen noodles sold in the fridge section vs. dried or frozen ones. They all are very different in texture.
- I chose bean sprouts, cabbage, corn as my vegetable toppings but you can use any you like! I also like to add in bamboo shoots and all sorts of mushrooms like shiitake, enoki, shimeji or oyster.
- Serve the ramen as soon as the noodles are cooked. Leaving ramen noodles in hot broth for too long over cooks them and you end up with soggy too-soft noodles.
- The ramen paste can be made in patches ahead of time, I would use around 3-4 tbsp per bowl if you triple the recipe. It can be stored in a air tight glass jar for a week.
If you recreate this Vegan Sesame Tantanmen please share it and let me know what you think by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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Vegan Sesame Tantanmen (Homemade Ramen)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 miutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
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This Vegan Sesame Tantanmen features the perfect ramen noodles swimming in a creamy sesame broth, served with spicy tofu crumbles and fresh vegetables. The perfect easy to make comfort meal!
Ingredients
Soup Base:
- 3 tbsp asian sesame paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rayu (Japanese red chili oil)
- 1 cup soy milk (250ml)
- 1.5 cup kombu dashi broth or vegetable (300ml)
Spicy Fried Soy/Tofu Crumbles:
- 100 g soy meat or tofu
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sake (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tsp red chili oil
Other Ingredients:
- 2 portions of ramen noodles
- 1/2 head of small cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup bean sprout
- 1/2 cup corn
- Additional garnishes: crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, sliced garlic tops, soy sauce and rayu/red chili oil.
Instructions
For the Spicy Fried Soy/Tofu Crumbles:
- If using soy meat, soak in hot water for 5 minutes. If using tofu, crumble tofu until they resemble minced meat.
- Heat a small skillet over medium high heat with some sesame oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic and ginger. Add in the soy/tofu crumbles and then add in the sake, soy sauce, miso paste and red chili oil. Fry until the crumbles get slightly crispy (around 3-5 minutes)
For the toppings:
- Prep the vegetables by slicing them and steaming them for around 3 minutes.
- Bring a medium pot to a boil and then cook the ramen according to instructions (around 5 minutes)
For the Soup Base:
- Combine all the ingredients except the soy milk and broth into a bowl until a paste forms.
- Heat the soy milk and vegetable stock over medium low heat, then reduce to low as soon as you start to see bubbles. Whisk in the paste made earlier until dissolved.
To assemble:
- Place cooked noodles into a bowl. Pour over half the broth. Add on the fried minced soy meat, vegetables, additional garnishes and chili oil.
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Japanese
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I ve made several iterations of this soup with various noodles and mixes of whatever in the fridge veg and its become at least once a week dinner for us. I found video on you tube and followed to your blog. Keep up the goid work i look foward to trying other recipes.
Hi Mekomeko,
Thank you so much for your kind words!
What type of veg broth do you use? So many variations!
Hi Chelsea,
I use a Japanese brand but any vegetable broth should do!
Lisa
A wonderful soup – real soulfood! Thought it was a bit complex first but great instructions & tips made it easy & fun to cook. Highly recommended!
★★★★★
I tried this recipe a few months ago and it immediately became a favourite! I make it most weeks (often multiple nights in a row) with various toppings depending on what’s in the fridge and how ambitious I’m feeling. It’s not the simplest meal but I feel like the effort put in is minimal compared to the taste you get out of it!
I’ve even recently been to Tokyo and tried the tantanmen from T’s, which was amazing but honestly I think this could be even better than T’s (is this vegan blasphemy?) Thank you for sharing Lisa!!
★★★★★
Hi Emily!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed. Happy holidays <3
Such a great recipe! I tweaked it to what I like, but I’ve been craving this forever and finally got to eat it again! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Vee! 🙂
I can’t get rayu at any of my local stores. Any recommendations for a substitution?
Hi Ashley!
Rayu gives it its authentic flavour but you could really use any chili oil 🙂
I just made this for dinner tonight (using a different chili oil) and it turned out SO delicious! The broth was absolutely incredible, so rich and creamy, I could eat a bowl of it by itself!! The tofu crumble was also a great touch. I will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
Hi there – is soy milk a vital ingredient or can I swap it with oat milk? I realize soy milk is generally used in Japanese cooking so I understand if it can’t be swapped 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Shelby!
You could use another milk but the flavour will be much different. What I would try it blending silken tofu with water to make a quick soy milk that way but not heating it too the point where it curdles. Oat milk will definitely affect the taste!
Fantastic recipe and a new favourite. Made a few substitutes that worked fine:
– I used good quality oat milk instead of soy milk. Still tasted great and not noticeably different to versions I’ve had with soy in the past.
– Used Chinese tahini and chilli oil since we have a good chinese grocer in the area. Still tasted great!
★★★★★
This recipe is amazing! So flavorful and delicious. I’ve made it three times this week!
★★★★★
LOVE this! I have been craving tantanmen!! We even tried ordering from one of our favorite ramen places on the island (I live on Oʻahu), but no one answered. I’m so glad I found you! My husband went back for seconds!! I used almond milk instead of soy, and the broth didn’t seem as creamy or as thick as I had hoped. Do you think it was because of the almond milk? I wish we had cornstarch…maybe that would thicken the soup?
★★★★★
Yes, soy milk (the one I use) is a lot more thicker than almond milk! I wouldn’t add cornstarch to this or it might become goop-y as oppose to creamy! Happy to hear you still enjoyed it <3
Hi Lisa
I have been looking for a vegan tantanmen recipe since I return from my trip to Japan. This recipe looks exactly like what I was looking for. My question is whether I can use an Asian sesame sauce instead of the tahini
Regards
Lea
which asian sesame sauce is it? 🙂
Hi Lisa
I could only find a Chinese Sesame “Sauce” (100% sesame no other ingredients written in English on a label) at the Asian supermarket in my town (Newcastle, NSW, Australia. I checked the label with a Chinese colleague at work who described it as a paste and it is darker in colour which I read is due to the sesame seeds being heavily toasted to create a robust roasty flavor, that is different from Tahini.
Yes! That will work 🙂
Hi Lisa,
I am another orphan of T’s, so this is a great find, especially the tofu crumbles. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks!
Hi Lisa
I made your recipe for 4 people and used half sesame sauce and half tahini for the soup base as I was concerned about the thickness of the sesame sauce. Next time I make the soup base I’ll just use the sesame sauce to see which I like better. My guests, who I’d traveled to Japan, raved about the dish and thought it was better than the ones we had at T’s in the Tokyo railway station.
Many thanks for a great and easy recipe!
Hi Lisa
Can we use coconut milk instead of soy milk?
Hi Andrea! I don’t suggest using coconut milk because the flavour is completely different!
I’ve been following you for years now and trying this recipe was one of my favorite decisions!! I used ground Hot Italian Beyond Sausage on top! It was so so good. Also added edamame, sautéed spinach, grilled onions, corn, and tomatoes on top! Absolutely delish. Great job!!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and the creamy broth is just gorgeous. It’s the ultimate comforting meal and one of my new go-to’s!
★★★★★
Love this recipe! I have been making it twice already, I swap the tahini to peanut butter but they works perfectly! My daughter said they taste like instant noodle 😋
★★★★★
So glad you hear you enjoyed! Love the idea of peanut butter for a different flavour, I’ll have to try it out 🙂
Yours looks way more delicious than mine! Such a great post and I hope you can check out my tantanmen recipe on my website and comment what you think I can see from your recipe that there are quite a number of ingredients that I’m missing so I’m planning to refine my recipe and follow yours. I’ll get back to you with the results!
★★★★★
I’ve made this recipe several times with various toppings and I love it. I made it most recently swapping the tofu for my own homemade seitan and it was incredible. Definitely an autumn/winter favourite.
Thank you Lisa for this wonderful recipe! My husband and family says its like restaurant quality ramen. I use pork but the seasoning makes it so fragrant and the broth is surprisingly creamy and rich. We’ve made it many times since you’ve put out the recipe. My husband is now very adept with making the soup base =D
★★★★★
Fantastico, io dono italiano ma lo trovò divino.
★★★★★
Hey Lisa,
thanks for sharing your recipe and emphasising the importance of preparation before one starts cooking 😉
I’ve never added fried tofu/soy to my ramen but the extra crunch and ginger made it sooo good!
Since ramen are really expensive in Germany (compared to Japan), I almost never have some.
So I am extra thankful for your recipe!
Thanks again for sharing and creating,
Charlotte
★★★★★
Hi Charlotte,
Thanks so much for making this recipe I am SO glad you enjoyed!! ❤️
I made this ramen for the first time yesterday and it was AMAZING! It was surprisingly easy to make and it was so so tasty. This was definitely one of the most “authentic” tasting ramen dishes I’ve had since I was in Japan!
★★★★★
LOVED THIS RECIPE! Easy + straightforward to make and deliciously creamy. Broth was not too salty and it was a perfect amount of spice. Tofu crumble was nice and chewy, bursting woth flavour, just how it should be! Will be making it again for sure!!
★★★★★
This was so easy to make! I love how this recipe is formatted. Super tasty and appreciate the fact that it’s also vegan 🙂
★★★★★
After much trial and error to replicate T’s TanTAn noodles in Tokyo, I finally tried this recipe and it is almost spot on. I was very please with the broth! I often dream of T’s TanTan and this is the closest thing to it!
I’d love to see @okonomikitchen try their black sesame version of it!
★★★★★
Happy to hear it was a hit Matthew!! 🙂
Perfect recipe to satiate the itch for a good tantamen while lockdown is going on and it’s vegan which is a win win as I want to try and eat more healthy and sustainable.
★★★★★