Creamy Peanut Miso Ramen

Creamy Peanut Miso Ramen

This is one of those bowls we genuinely get excited about making on a cold evening. The broth is rich, creamy and deeply savoury, with peanut butter and miso doing this incredible thing together where they make everything taste like it's been cooking for hours. Chilli crisp, ginger and garlic build serious warmth and depth, and the tofu soaks up every bit of it. Honestly, once you've had homemade ramen this good, it's hard to go back to a packet.

Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Microplane or fine grater (for ginger & garlic)
  • Large saucepan
  • Frying pan
  • Tongs
  • Ladle
  • Tofu pressed & drained

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp chilli crisp
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 inches of fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 lime
  • 6 spring onions
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • 1 ½ litre vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 - packs ramen noodles
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 block of smoked tofu
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 tsp chilli oil
  • chilli crisp
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • fresh coriander leaves

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Peel and grate the garlic and ginger
  • Zest the lime and cut into 4 wedges
  • Trim and finely slice the spring onions - separate the green and white parts
  • Open and drain the block of tofu
2

Prepare the broth

  • Warm the vegetable oil and chilli crisp in the pan over medium heat
  • Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, lime zest and white parts of the spring onions to the pan and fry for 5 Minutes
  • Add the miso, peanut butter, tahini to the pan and stir to combine
  • Add the coconut milk, stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer
  • Pour the vegetable stock into the pan, reduce the heat and leave to simmer while you prepare the rest
3

Prepare the tofu crumbles

  • Warm the vegetable oil in the frying pan over medium high heat
  • Break the tofu into rough ½ cm pieces, add them to the pan and fry for 5-6 minutes until golden and crispy
  • Splash the soy sauce, liquid smoke and chilli oil into the pan and stir to coat the tofu pieces
  • Turn the heat right down and leave to stay warm
4

Cook the noodles

  • Open the packs of noodles and keep any flavour pouches that might have been included for another dish
  • Turn the heat of the broth up to get the liquid bubbling
  • Add the noodles to the pan, making sure they’re submerged and cook according to packet instructions (approx 3-4 minutes)
5

Time to dress and serve

  • Use tongs to transfer equal quantities of the noodles to serving bowls and use a ladle to spoon the broth over the noodles
  • Drizzle over a little chilli oil, sprinkle over the reserved green spring onion, some coriander leaves and a few toasted sesame seeds
  • Top each bowl with a nice sprinkle of tofu crumble and the lime wedges and serve immediately with broth spoons and chopsticks

Tips & Variations

  • Press your tofu well: The drier the tofu before it goes in, the better it'll absorb the broth and hold its texture. Even 15 minutes under a heavy pan makes a real difference.
  • Adjust the heat: Chilli crisp varies a lot by brand. Start with less than you think you need, taste the broth, and add more from there. We always end up adding more.
  • Make the broth ahead: The broth actually gets better as it sits. You can make it the day before, keep it in the fridge, and just cook the noodles fresh when you're ready to eat.

Why This Works

The trick here is blooming the garlic, ginger, turmeric and lime zest in the chilli crisp oil before anything else goes in. That step builds a flavour base that carries the whole broth. Then the combination of peanut butter and miso is the real magic, creamy, salty, umami and nutty all at once, which is exactly what a great ramen broth needs.