This comforting vegetarian Spaghetti Squash “Ramen” is the perfect meal for a cold night! It’s a healthy ramen alternative that’s nourishing and flavorful, thanks to a dried mushroom broth, miso paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and fresh bok choy. Please note that this recipe is not intended to mimic or be claimed as traditional Japanese ramen and is instead a twist that is inspired by the delicious flavors of that dish.
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About a year ago, I received a text from a friend asking for a Veg World creation using healthy ramen noodles. I loved this idea so much that I immediately put spaghetti squash “ramen” on my content calendar for the winter. This friend also happens to live in the Midwest, so she knows how important it is to have some warm, healthy comfort food recipes in your back pocket for January and February!
If you aren’t familiar with ramen, it’s a Japanese dish made of noodles and broth. It has some floating vegetables, plenty of seasonings and may be served with a jammy egg on top. For more information on the history of ramen, please refer to this Japanese Ramen Guide for Beginners.
In true Veg World fashion, I used spaghetti squash for this “ramen” recipe. It’s a low carb alternative to wheat ramen noodles that adds an extra boost of fiber, B vitamins, and potassium.
But the best part about this veggie-based recipe is the broth. Ramen broth is comforting, savory, a little salty, and downright nourishing, and I attempted to create a vegetarian broth with all of these features. Thanks to flavor from dried mushrooms, miso, onion, garlic, and ginger, it goes down REAL easy.
Please note that I was inspired by the flavors of traditional ramen to make this recipe, but my dish is not an attempt to mimic traditional ramen.
How to Make Spaghetti Squash “Ramen”
- Prep the spaghetti squash for roasting, and cook in the oven until the noodles are fairly tender. Decide how you will boil the eggs, and prepare as needed.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the broth. Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger in some toasted sesame oil. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the dried mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blend the broth with an immersion blender (optional), and pour through a sieve into a large mixing bowl. Add the broth back to the pot, and stir in the soy sauce, miso, and rice vinegar.
- Bring back to a gentle simmer, add the bok choy, and cook for a few minutes to steam.
- Prepare two serving bowls with about a cup of spaghetti squash noodles. Place bok choy in each bowl, and pour the ramen broth on top. Finish with chopped scallions, Sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, and a jammy egg.
Expert Tips
- I personally like to slightly undercook the spaghetti squash so that the noodles aren’t too soggy. They will cook a little in the ramen broth, so you want them to be slightly crunchy to start. For more tips, check out my tutorial on how to cut and cook spaghetti squash. Save yourself some time and prep it in advance!
- The best spaghetti squash “ramen” broth uses dried shiitake mushrooms. I used to think these were a hard-to-find ingredient, but they are available at most grocery stores! You can find them in the produce section or in the international aisle. If you can’t find them at the store, order them online.
- This recipe isn’t difficult, but there are some kitchen tools that make it a lot easier to prepare. I recommend blending the broth then straining it, using an immersion blender and mesh sieve. You can also strain the broth without blending it, but I find it to be more flavorful if the mushrooms are blended into the liquid. To make perfect soft-boiled eggs, I highly recommend an electric egg maker. Of course, you can boil the eggs in a pot on the stove, but an egg maker is a great tool for making jammy eggs like you get in restaurant ramen.
- If you have the time, simmer the broth as long as you want. Just 15 or 20 extra minutes of simmering will yield an even more flavorful ramen.
- Spaghetti squash “ramen” is best enjoyed right away once assembled, but you can prep most of the ingredients in advance and assemble this meal at a later time. When you’re ready to eat, just reheat the broth, steam the bok choy in it for a few minutes, and assemble the bowls.
- To make a vegan version of this recipe, omit the eggs. If you want it to be gluten free, use tamari in place of soy sauce and make sure the miso you use is gluten free. To decrease the sodium content, use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, omit the miso, and/or use a low sodium broth.
Serving Ideas
A great thing about homemade ramen is that it’s highly customizable! My preferred toppings are sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, an egg, bok choy, and Sriracha. However, feel free to switch it up based on your preferences.
You may enjoy other veggies, like steamed spinach or sautéed mushrooms, in your ramen. If you want more spice, add a heavier drizzle of hot sauce.
More Spaghetti Squash Recipes
If you like these healthy “ramen” noodles, be sure to check out the Spaghetti Squash “Pad Thai“, Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls, Italian Spaghetti Squash Boats, and Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry with Broccoli and Edamame.
And don’t forget to let me know how you like it in the comments below! Rate and review using the stars on the recipe card. I’d love to hear from you.
Spaghetti Squash "Ramen"
Equipment
- Mesh sieve
- Immersion blender (recommended)
- Electric egg maker (recommended)
Ingredients
- 3 cups spaghetti squash - cooked
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 3 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms - broken into pieces
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce - sub tamari if needed
- 1 tbsp sweet white miso paste
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 heads baby bok choy - sliced in half lengthwise with ends intact
- 2 eggs - hard or soft-boiled, depending on preference; can add more for additional protein
- 2 scallions - thinly sliced, for serving
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds - for serving
- Sriracha hot sauce - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut off the stem, slice the spaghetti squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the cut sides with a small amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until squash is tender but still crunchy and can be pulled with a fork. I personally like to slightly undercook the spaghetti squash and check it right at 25 minutes, so that the noodles don't get soggy in the broth later when you are serving the ramen. If you want to cook the squash for longer, feel free.
- Prepare the eggs by placing them in a pot with enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. A shorter cooking time will result in a softer boiled egg, if desired. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water after cooking. To make perfect soft-boiled eggs that have jammy yolks (like you would get with restaurant ramen), consider using an electric egg maker.
- While the squash is roasting, heat sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the vegetable broth into the pot, add the dried mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes (a longer simmer time will yield more flavor). Blend the broth in the pot using an immersion blender, or transfer it in batches to an upright blender. Strain the broth through a mesh sieve into a large bowl. Use a spoon to push down the mushroom puree in the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Alternatively, you can skip the blending step and strain the broth with the mushrooms and onions intact, but I think the broth is more flavorful if the mushrooms are blended into the liquid.
- Return the strained broth to the pot, and thin with a cup of water if needed. Stir in the soy sauce, miso paste, and rice vinegar. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then place the bok choy in the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the bok choy turns bright green and is steamed to your desired texture. Remove the bok choy and divide between two serving bowls. Taste the broth, and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Prepare 2 ramen bowls by placing 1-1.5 cups of spaghetti squash and 2 bok choy halves into each bowl. Divide the broth equally between each serving. Peel the boiled eggs and slice in half, then place in the bowls. Top with sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and hot sauce to taste.
Notes
- To make this gluten free, use tamari in place of soy sauce and use a gluten free miso paste. To decrease the sodium content, use coconut aminos, omit the miso, or use a low sodium vegetable broth. For a vegan option, omit the eggs.
- Feel free to add more or less of the seasonings (soy sauce, miso, rice vinegar) depending on your preferences. You can also use different veggies, like spinach or sautéed mushrooms, in place of the bok choy.
- This dish is best served right away once assembled. However, you can prep all of the ingredients in advance, store in separate containers in the fridge, and assemble at a later time. When you are ready to eat, reheat the broth, steam the bok choy in the broth, and prepare the bowls.
- Please note that this recipe is not intended to mimic traditional Japanese ramen and is instead a twist that is inspired by the delicious flavors of that dish.
Nutrition
This Spaghetti Squash “Ramen” was originally published in January 2019. It was updated with new photos, ingredients, and tips in February 2021.
Happy hump day! – Lizzie
