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5.0 from 381 votes

Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen

Spicy peanut butter ramen is an absolute comfort food recipe with a delicious, creamy broth, gochujang flavors, lots of ginger and garlic, topped with Gochujang tofu. It's a 30-minute, One-pan meal. The noodles are cooked directly in the broth, so you only need one pot.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 342 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup , Dinner
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

For the crispy gochujang garlic tofu:
  • 10 oz firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes and sliced into rectangles or cubes or whatever shape you like
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 teaspoons Gochujang
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
For the peanut butter ramen:
  • 1 teaspoon oil optional
  • 6 oz sliced mushrooms such as white or cremini or portabella
  • 2 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste or you can mince or blend 1 inch of ginger and 3 cloves of garlic with a few teaspoons water, to make a paste and use
  • 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon Gochujang or other Asian chile sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 4-6 cups water or stock **
  • 6 oz ramen or thin udon noodles
For garnish:
  • lime wedges, green onions, sesame seeds

Instructions

Make the gochujang garlic tofu.
    Cup of Yum
  1. Press and cube the tofu if you haven’t already and add it to a bowl.
  2. In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, gochujang, garlic powder, and sesame oil and pour it over the tofu. Toss well to coat. Add 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch and toss well. If the mixture is still somewhat wet then add the rest of the cornstarch and toss well.
  3. Then either bake the tofu: transfer the tofu cubes to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake it at 400ºF (205c) for 20-25 minutes , or transfer them to a hot wok with a teaspoon of oil and cook them until they are crisp on most of the edges, about 5-6 minutes.
Make the ramen:
  1. I use the same wok for making the tofu as well as the ramen. Remove the tofu once crisp from the pot and then make the ramen. Add oil, mushrooms, and a good pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes to brown the mushrooms on some of the edges. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, peanut butter, gochujang, maple syrup and soy sauce and mix really well. Add 1/4 cup of the water or broth and mix in. Mix well to incorporate the peanut butter.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil then gradually add the rest of the broth. Mix and Bring to a good rolling boil, then add your noodles. Press to submerge in the boiling broth, then cook them according to the time on the packaging. Ramen noodles will cook pretty quickly, within 3-4 minutes, while udon noodles will take around 7-8 minutes.
  3. Once the noodles are cooked to your preference, switch off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. If you want it sweeter then you can add more maple syrup. You can more salt if needed or some black pepper for extra heat.
  4. To serve, ladle the broth into your serving bowls. Then transfer some of the noodles with mushrooms to your serving bowls. Top it with the crispy tofu, a squeeze of lime or lemon, lime wedge, green onions, and sesame seeds, and serve.
  5. To make ahead: cook the noodles separately and store. Crisp up the tofu and store. Add only 3 cups broth and boil and refrigerate after cooling. To serve, bring the broth to a boil, add noodles and serve. Refrigerate for up 3 days.

Notes

  • ** Use 3.5-4 cups for noodle stir fry kind of result , 6-7 cups for more brothy noodles . Liquid content also depends on the type of noodles and the brand. Ramen that cook faster will absorb less. Udon will absorb more. I mostly use udon and the recipe reflects corresponding liquid amount. 
  • Add veggies such as broccoli or bok choy or other half way through the noodle cook time. 
  • Make ahead/cook noodles separately: Most noodles can absorb lot of the liquid when stored. So make noodles separately for making ahead. Cook noodles according to instructions on package. For the ramen,  use 2-3 cups water depending on how brothy you want the ramen. Bring to a boil, simmer for 3-4 mins and store or serve with the noodles 
  • Nutfree: use sunflower butter or almond butter instead of peanut butter for Peanut-free
  • Glutenfree: Use Glutenfree or rice noodles, use tamari instead of soy sauce. ensure that Gochujang is gluten-free 
  • Soy-free: Use chickpea tofu instead of tofu, coconut aminos for the soy sauce.  Gochujang often has soy, so use 2 teaspoons each of gochugaru pepper flakes, chickpea miso, coconut aminos and. 1 teaspoon maple syrup to make your own Gochujang. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 342kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 45g (15%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 625mg (26%) Potassium 306mg (9%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 13IU (0%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 114mg (11%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 342

% Daily Value*

Calories 342kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 45g 15%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 625mg 26%
Potassium 306mg 7%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 13IU 0%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 114mg 11%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.