Ramen with Air Fried Tofu

I do not believe there was ever a time in my life that I have craved a bowl of ramen. However, one day at work I was talking with a co-worker and she mentioned ramen and that same day I noticed that one of my favorite YouTube creators, "Sauce Stache", had just posted a video about ramen. It was a sign that I needed to make some on my next day off, so I did. Per usual for me, I didn't follow any specific recipe, I just made it to what I thought I would like and enjoy, and I certainly did enjoy!

Ramen with Air Fried Tofu Servings: Several

What you will need: For the Broth:

• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

• 1-2 tbsp mushroom powder

• 1 tbsp onion powder

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• Fresh Ginger, thinly sliced, as much as you like

For the Air Fried Tofu

• 1 pack of extra firm tofu, pressed

• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

For the Rest:

• 1 carrot, shredded

• 8oz of brown mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tbsp vegan butter

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• 1 package of ramen style noodles, I like to use rice noodles

• Water

• 1 tsp of sesame seeds, optional

How to Make It:

1. In a medium pot, over medium heat, put in the vegetable broth, mushroom powder, onion powder, garlic powder and stir well to combine.

2. In a second medium pot, fill it with enough water to cover the noodle and place it on the stove on high heat. Once that comes to a boil, cook the noodles to the direction on the package.

3. While those are doing their thing, take the block of tofu and cut it into small 1" cubes. I like to take the tofu, lay it on its side and cut it in half down the length of the block. I then lay it flat and make 4 even parts. I then rotate the block a quarter turn and make 3 more even cuts. Once you have that done, put the tofu into a bowl and coat it with the low sodium soy sauce.

4. Take the tofu pieces and lay them out evenly on your air fryer basket and cook them for about 15 minutes at 400*. You will want to toss them around about half way to make sure all sides are cooking evenly. You will know they are done when the outside of the tofu stiffens up and the piece is a little chewy. Don't be afraid to eat one to see, but remember, it will be HOT! This can also be done in a standard oven, so if you don't have an air fryer, don't worry, it will just take a bit longer to get the tofu to where you need it to be.

5. While the tofu is cooking, add the sliced mushrooms and vegan butter to a small skillet on medium-high heat and cook until the mushrooms are reduced, tender, and looking really tasty.

6. At this point your noodles should be ready, your broth should be nice and hot and your tofu is standing by ready to be used. Now is a good time to toss the sliced ginger into the broth.

7. After the ginger has been in the broth about 10 minutes, it's time to put the cooked noodles in. Give that a gentle stir. You don't want to do anything that can break the noodles. Then add the spinach on top and place a lid on it to wilt the spinach.

8. When the spinach is wilted, it is time to serve. Put a cup or so of the broth into your bowl, and then add some noodles. From here you can add what you want to make it your own. As you can see from the picture above, I like to put some tofu on one side and work my way around the bowl with the mushrooms, the carrots and the spinach and then I top it all with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds.
   

Storing leftovers in the refrigerator:

1. To store in the fridge I suggest placing the leftover broth and noodles in an airtight container. The rest can be placed in zip lock baggies. These will stay good for up to 5 days.