Vegetarian Green Curry Ramen
Published Dec 05, 2022•Updated Mar 07, 2023
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You’ll fall for these flavorful green curry ramen noodle bowls, complete with rich coconut broth, green vegetables, tender noodles, and jammy eggs on top. It’s a vegetable-forward meal that’s quick enough to pull off on a weeknight.
Perhaps you’ve heard that some incredible food can be found in the mall food courts in Bangkok. If you’ve been there, you surely encountered them. Huge rooms tucked deep in the heart of Bangkok’s malls that feature row after row of identical windows serving decidedly non-identical food. The food that you get in these food courts is cheap, fast, and prepared by cooks who know their stuff. Perfect stir-fries, fragrant soups, colorful rice dishes, and vegetable dishes, and spectacularly crispy fried chicken.
And ramen. When Frank and I lived in Bangkok (before kids) we spent many weekend afternoons over steaming hot bowls of ramen, followed usually by a movie at the mall at the top of our street. And while the ramen was often a traditional Japanese style, sometimes they branched out, merging Thai flavors with Japanese inspiration.
This meal is one that we’ve been enjoying throughout the cold months of winter that takes me back to the cozy bowls of Bangkok ramen. A vegetarian-ish (I do use fish sauce and eggs) noodle soup that is cozy, fragrant, and comes together fast. If you’re worried about it being too spicy, see below for my tips on selecting a less spicy green curry paste.
Make Delicious Mushrooms
The mushrooms are the star of these bowls, so take your time with that step. Cook them longer than you might typically, letting them get deep golden brown and very tender. Then add soy sauce and garlic and cook those together until the mushrooms soak up all of that flavorful sauce. The resulting mushrooms are almost meat-like in flavor and texture. It’s almost impossible not to eat them all while the rest of the dish comes together.
Homemade Green Curry Paste
It is easier than you might think to make your own green curry paste. Although it’s not something I’d do on a weeknight, the flavor that comes from homemade curry paste is truly unique and makes Thai Green Curry taste similar to what we ate when we lived in Bangkok. I wrote extensively about green curry paste in this post. (Scroll to the bottom for my go-to recipe.)
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Thai Green Curry Paste – Feel free to adjust the amount of curry paste, increasing for more spice and decreasing for less spice. American-made curry paste like Thai Kitchen (which is widely available in the international aisle of regular grocery stores), tends to be much less spicy than Thai brands which can be found at international or Asian grocery stores. Using Thai Kitchen, I can make this dish for my young kids with the full 3 Tablespoons of green curry paste listed, and they don’t find it spicy at all. If I use a green curry paste that I purchase from the Asian grocery store, I need to use much less in my kids’ bowls.
- Coconut Milk – I love the rich flavor of regular, not light coconut milk here, so I’d highly recommend using that over the light version. The broth just has much more flavor that way. Be sure you get coconut milk that is sold in cans (often in the international aisle), not the refrigerated variety used as a dairy milk substitute.
VARIATIONS
- Make it Vegetarian / Vegan – Use soy sauce in place of fish sauce and just skip the eggs for a vegetarian or vegan option. Be sure to check the ingredients in the green curry paste you purchase as some include shrimp paste or other fish-based products.
- Use Another Curry – Any color or flavor curry paste will work here. Instead of green, try red, yellow, or panang curry paste.
- Add Meat – Ground pork works well in these bowls. Use it in place of or in addition to the mushrooms. Saute them in the same step as you do the mushrooms in the recipe below.
More Thai Curry Recipes
- Thai Yellow Curry
- Instant Pot Thai Curry
- Thai Coconut Chicken Curry
- Thai Massaman Curry with Beef
- Thai Red Curry with Chicken
- Thai Green Curry with Chicken
- Instant Pot Thai Panang Curry
FAVORITE TOOLS
- All Clad Saucepan
- Large Heavy-Bottomed Pot or Wok
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Vegetarian Green Curry Ramen Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Heavy Bottomed Pot or Wok
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
- 8 ounces Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced (look for pre-sliced to save time)
- 1 Tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 cup Coconut Milk, divided (use regular, not light for the most flavor)
- 3 Tablespoons Thai Green Curry Paste (see note)
- 3 cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (see note)
- 1 packet Instant Ramen Noodles (discard the seasoning packets)
- 5 ounces Baby Spinach
- 1 cup Shelled Edamame (look for edamame removed from its shells in the freezer section)
- 2 Eggs
- Green Onions, thinly sliced
- Sesame Seeds, white or black, for serving (optional)
- Sriracha, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water for the eggs to a boil.
- While water is coming to a boil, place a large heavy-bottomed pot or wok, heat cooking oil over medium heat.
- When oil is hot, add shiitake mushrooms and cook until deep golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add soy sauce and garlic continue cooking until mushrooms absorb all of the soy sauce. Set aside.
- To heated pot, add 2 Tablespoons of coconut milk (use the extra creamy, top part from the can) and green curry paste. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add in vegetable stock, remaining coconut milk, brown sugar, and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer.
- When broth is simmering, stir in ramen noodles. Simmer until ramen is just tender (check the package for recommended time; don’t overcook).
- Meanwhile, return to the pot for the eggs and reduce to a low simmer. Gently lower eggs into simmering water. Simmer for 7 minutes if eggs are at room temperature and 8 minutes if eggs have been refrigerated. (Be sure to set a timer right after you add the eggs to the water so they don’t overcook.)
- Remove ramen from heat and stir in spinach and edamame until spinach wilts.
- Divide ramen and broth between large serving bowls. Top each bowl with mushrooms.
- Peel eggs and slice in half. Arrange eggs on top of ramen. Serve with green onions, sesame seeds, and Sriracha.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
