Easy Gluten-Free Loaded Ramen with Tofu

This delicious and easy gluten-free loaded ramen with tofu is NOT what we used to eat in high school! We literally microwaved some water, threw in a 50 cent pack of ramen noodles, added the oil & spice packets…done! Obviously, I can’t do that anymore. Now I know I’m celiac and, well, I like to know what’s in my food…and I like a lot more color in my food. If you are familiar with my site you know I find a recipe and Make It Gluten-Free…in the process I tend to “measure heavy” on the veggies & seasonings 🙂

prep time: 15 minutes / cook time: 35 minutes / total time: 50 minutes

servings: 4 people

Ingredients:

Mushrooms & Tofu

• 2 Tbsp avocado oil, divided
• 2Tbsp butter, divided
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (the Baby Bella from Costco are delicious!)
• 16oz firm tofu, cut into to 8 flat slices (I get the 4 pack at Costco),
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce, divided (I use Tamari)
• salt & pepper

Soup

• 1/2 cup dry white wine (substitute with chicken stock if desired)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth or stock (I use the Costco Chicken stock)
• 2 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce (I use San-J gluten-free Tamari)
• 2 tsp hot sauce (I use Sriracha)
• 2 tsp honey
• 3/4 tsp sesame oil (Sun Luck Pure Sesame Oil is gluten-free)
• 3 large carrots, thin diagonal slices
• 1/4 head green cabbage -or- 6 leaves Bok Choy, roughly chopped
• 2-4 gluten-free ramen noodle cakes (I use the Lotus Foods Rice Ramen from Costco)

Seasonings

• 3/4 tsp onion powder (I substitute with garlic powder as my husband can’t do onion)
• 3/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Toppings

• Green onions, chopped
• 2 soft boiled eggs (1/2 egg per serving)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free Krab, chunked (the Crab Classic Imitation Crab two pack at Costco is gluten-free)
• honey roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (if desired)

Directions:

1. Prepare the soft boiled eggs by submerging them in a small pot with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil for a few minutes. Remove pot from heat and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel, slice in half, and set aside until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp avocado oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. I like to use the ceramic coated cast iron Dutch oven pot. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté about 4 minutes until golden. As the mushrooms start to stick to the Dutch oven, drizzle with up to 1 Tbsp of gluten-free soy sauce. If they need more liquid, just continue to drizzle with water until they are cooked. Remove and set aside so that they retain the color, flavor, and texture.
3. Next, add the sliced tofu to the hot Dutch oven. Cook until browned, roughly 2 minutes each side. Similar to the mushrooms, drizzle with up to 1 Tbsp of gluten-free soy sauce to loosen the slices before flipping, if additional liquid is needed use water. Once browned, remove and set aside. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then slice into smaller strips.
4. Add the wine or chicken stock substitute and set the heat to medium. Using a spatula, clean up all the little brown bits from the sautéed mushrooms and tofu, these will contribute to the flavor of your soup. Let it bubble gently and reduce by half, about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the butter and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the chicken stock, gluten-free soy sauce, hot sauce, honey, sesame oil, and soup seasonings. Bring to a gentle boil and and let the broth reduce and concentrate for 10 minutes. About 5 minutes in, add the sliced carrots and chopped cabbage.
7. Bring the soup to a more rapid boil, add the ramen noodles and cook for 1 minute. Reduce to a gentle simmer and add the mushrooms back in. Simmer till noodles are done, roughly 2 more minutes, then remove from heat.
8. Serve into individual bowls then top with 3-4 strips of tofu, 1/2 of a soft boiled egg, green onions, and Krab. I omit the nuts but if you want them, this is the time to add them 🙂

Tips & Tricks:

Leftovers:

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. However, when re-warming the noodles, they are not going to retain their texture, they will be broken and overcooked….but we have a solution for this!! We try to serve up all or most of the noodles on the initial servings. Or you could just not add them to the rest of the soup in the first place 😉 When enjoying the left overs we just boil another ramen cake in some chicken stock and add it to the re-heated leftovers.

Substitutes & Options:

Green Cabbage: I like to use the green cabbage, I get in a two pack at Costco. It can be used in lots of other stir fry dishes throughout the week…or try our blue cheese slaw for our Buffalo Fish Tacos, YUM! If you prefer a substitute for green cabbage in this loaded ramen dish you could use Bok Choy, Kale, or Spinach.

Tofu: – The original recipe called for Chicken rather than tofu, however, after making this several times we all agreed that we prefer the tofu to the chicken, but you should try it for yourself and decide 🙂

White Wine: We don’t always have a bottle of white wine around, usually only a few times in the summer. For me it was just easier to use chicken stock in place of the wine. If you don’t mind opening a bottle of wine, I’m sure the wine would really enhance the flavors of the soup. Sauvignon Blac is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio.