Completely in BLF style, this lush mushroom ramen is something you can fix in about 15 minutes, even though it looks like you’ve been in the kitchen for quite a while. It’s warm, full of veggies and mushrooms, has a little spice to it and makes a perfect lunch as far as I’m concerned. Mushroom ramen works especially well on those days when you want something that feels like proper food without spending half your day making it.

Good to mention, mushrooms come with quite a health benefits. They’re low in calories, contain fiber, and different varieties bring slightly different things to the table. Shiitake, for example, contains beta-glucans, a type of fiber that has been studied for its potential role in gut and immune health. So mixing up your mushrooms isn’t just good for flavor and texture, it gives you a little more nutritional variety too.

I’ve had ramen in various places around the world, Hong Kong among them, where, back in the day, I could get a big bowl for about €2, and a good one! Hong Kong, it’s been a while… I miss the foot massages too. Next to ramen, those were definitely one of my favorite things there, an hour and a half of pure relaxation, and apparently memorable enough for me to still be thinking about them all these years later.

Mushroom ramen is just one kind, there are so many varieties of ramen, and I’m not even going to pretend this is the definitive way to make one. It’s simply my go-to at the moment. I use whatever mushrooms I can find, preferably a mix with at least chestnut mushrooms and shiitake, because the different textures really give it that bite and make the broth richer and more savory. Add some greens and chili, and you have a pretty damn good bowl of ramen.

Nourishment

Fiber: medium
Veggie level: high
Keeps you full: reasonably
Energy: calm
Mood: warm, spicy & cosy

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Ingredients

• 200–250 g ramen noodles (or brown rice noodles)

• 150 g chestnut mushrooms

• 100 g shiitake mushrooms

• 100 g oyster mushrooms

• 2 small pakchoi

• 2 spring onions

• 1.5 cm fresh ginger

• 1 red chili

• 2 garlic cloves

• 800ml vegetable stock

• 1 to 1.5 tbsp miso paste

• 1 to 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (reduced salt)

• 1 tsp sesame oil

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Directions

• Chop the mushrooms into large pieces, roughly chop the pakchoi, slice the spring onions.
• Finely chop the garlic, ginger and chili.
• Heat a little neutral oil in a large saucepan. Add the ginger, garlic and chili and fry gently for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned.
• Pour in 800 ml vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the miso paste, soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a frying pan over high heat and fry the mushrooms briefly for 2–3 minutes, until golden in places but still nice and chunky.
• Cook the noodles to pack instructions.
• Add the pakchoi, mushrooms & spring onion to the soup and simmer for a few minutes
• Divide the noodles between two large bowls and pour the soup over them. Finish with extra spring onion, sesame seeds and some extra chili or soy sauce if you like.