So I admit I am a huge ramen fan (no not the fake stuff in the package) the real stuff! I have waited on the steps of Totto Ramen in NYC to be squished into a little table in the most narrow restaurant you will ever eat in, no A/C, but totally worth it! 
As I have adjusted my diet to be grain free and have become obsessed with my spiralized vegetable noodles, I kept wanting to recreate a ramen bowl using some type of vegetable noodle. I’ve been looking at various recipes and as I did, I kept coming across pho recipes that looked similar….So of course I had to goggle the difference between pho and ramen! Here its what I found. Ramen seems to be a heavier dish with a darker, richer stock made from pork, usually served with wheat noodles and topped with just about anything from charred pork to poached eggs to picked vegetables. Pho is usually a beef based broth that is clear, usually simmered not boiled like ramen. It is made with rice noodles and has hints of cinnamon and ginger. It is always served with basil or cilantro, bean sprouts and lime. I realized that vegetable noodles might be better suited to the lighter pho broth and this is what I came up with. This broth was so good I have dreams about it! The evening I made this I was in a vegetarian mood and served with a side of roasted portobello mushrooms. You could easily add shrimp, pork, chicken or beef. Remember the longer you cook or sauté vegetable noodles the softer they get and the more like regular noodles they become. Personally I like them a little crunchier.
So I admit I am a huge ramen fan (no not the fake stuff in the package) the real stuff! I have waited on the steps of Totto Ramen in NYC to be squished into a little table in the most narrow restaurant you will ever eat in, no A/C, but totally worth it! As I have adjusted my diet to be grain free and have become obsessed with my spiralized vegetable noodles, I kept wanting to recreate a ramen bowl using some type of vegetable noodle. I’ve been looking at various recipes and as I did, I kept coming across pho recipes that looked similar….So of course I had to goggle the difference between pho and ramen! Here its what I found. Ramen seems to be a heavier dish with a darker, richer stock made from pork, usually served with wheat noodles and topped with just about anything from charred pork to poached eggs to picked vegetables. Pho is usually a beef based broth that is clear, usually simmered not boiled like ramen. It is made with rice noodles and has hints of cinnamon and ginger. It is always served with basil or cilantro, bean sprouts and lime. I realized that vegetable noodles might be better suited to the lighter pho broth and this is what I came up with. This broth was so good I have dreams about it! The evening I made this I was in a vegetarian mood and served with a side of roasted portobello mushrooms. You could easily add shrimp, pork, chicken or beef. Remember the longer you cook or sauté vegetable noodles the softer they get and the more like regular noodles they become. Personally I like them a little crunchier.
- 2 cups Beef or chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp lime juice (approx 1 lime)
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 daikon radish (spiralized) (carrot, beet, sweet potato could probably be used too)
- chopped cilantro
- jalapenos
- crushed cashews
- chopped red onion
- hot sauce
- Spiralize two daikon radish and set aside.
- Simmer over medium heat the stock, water, fish sauce, lime juice, coriander, ginger and salt and pepper for about 10 minutes. Add in the radish. Simmer until the radish is the consistency you want. I did for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare your condiment dish. I served with cilantro, jalapeños, diced red onion and crushed cashews. Also a bottle of Trader Joe's hot sauce!
- If serving with meat, add the meat and serve hot in fun bowls along with the condiments.
