This Vegan Sesame Tantanmen features the perfect ramen noodles swimming in a creamy sesame broth, served with spicy tofu crumbles and fresh vegetables. The perfect easy to make comfort meal!
Coming at you HOT with this delicious, ultra rich and creamy Vegan Sesame Tantanmen! Super excited about this one because well.. I think the title says it all. Vegan Ramen, who doesn’t get excited about ramen?! Soft chewy noodles drenched in a nutty, spicy broth with little chewy bits of meat-y mince and crunch from the vegetables. You really don’t need butter or meat to make a dang hearty and delicious ramen.
Tantanmen is a Japanese take on Sichuan Dan Dan noodles. It’s typically served spicy with traditional asian vegetables, minced pork and garnished with green onions. The creamy nutty sauce is usually made from sesame paste or peanut butter. One of the best Tantanmen’s I’ve ever had was actually from a vegan ramen restaurant in Japan, in Tokyo Station. The noodles were perfectly cooked, the ratio of noodles to broth was perfect, and the broth was creamy, flavourful but not too salty. The vegetables and soy crumbles just made it extra special with the additional textures. On my flight back to Canada, I was totally inspired to make this slurp worthy bowl of tantanmen at home.
I think the soup base is the most important component when it comes to a good bowl of Tantanmen. When making the soup base, I tried a couple different ingredients, variations and ratios but ultimately settled on this combination of flavours (very similar to the one I tried if I remember correctly).
- Asian sesame paste – for it’s subtle nuttiness and makes it super creamy
- Soy sauce – for it’s saltiness
- Rice Vinegar – for a slight tang to balance out the richness
- Sesame oil – for its aromatic flavours (this stuff never needs an explanation why you should add it… it’s just essential)
- Rayu (Japanese chili oil) – for the spice
- Soy milk – to make it extra creamy
This Vegan Sesame Tantanmen has been my go-to comfort meal during this winter. I love how simple and easy it is to make!
Ramen come in all sorts of flavours, shapes of noodles, vegetable combinations… I’d love to know your favourite or if you’d like to see more veganized ramen recipes!
Why you’ll LOVE this Vegan Sesame Tantanmen, it’s:
- creamy
- rich
- chewy
- crunchy
- warming
- so full of flavour
- homemade and easy to make
- and makes the most satisfying comforting meal!
Tips and Tricks to making Vegan Sesame Tantanmen (Homemade Ramen)
- I highly recommend using the fresh ramen noodles sold in the fridge section vs. dried or frozen ones. They all are very different in texture.
- I chose bean sprouts, cabbage, corn as my vegetable toppings but you can use any you like! I also like to add in bamboo shoots and all sorts of mushrooms like shiitake, enoki, shimeji or oyster.
- Serve the ramen as soon as the noodles are cooked. Leaving ramen noodles in hot broth for too long over cooks them and you end up with soggy too-soft noodles.
- The ramen paste can be made in patches ahead of time, I would use around 3-4 tbsp per bowl if you triple the recipe. It can be stored in a air tight glass jar for a week.
If you recreate this Vegan Sesame Tantanmen please share it and let me know what you think by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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Vegan Sesame Tantanmen (Homemade Ramen)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Description
This Vegan Sesame Tantanmen features the perfect ramen noodles swimming in a creamy sesame broth, served with spicy tofu crumbles and fresh vegetables. The perfect easy to make comfort meal!
Ingredients
Soup Base:
- 3 tbsp asian sesame paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rayu (Japanese red chili oil)
- 1 cup soy milk (250ml)
- 1.5 cup kombu dashi broth or vegetable (300ml)
Spicy Fried Soy/Tofu Crumbles:
- 100 g soy meat or tofu
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sake (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp miso paste
- 1 tsp red chili oil
Other Ingredients:
- 2 portions of ramen noodles
- 1/2 head of small cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup bean sprout
- 1/2 cup corn
- Additional garnishes: crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, sliced green onions, sliced garlic tops, soy sauce and rayu/red chili oil.
Instructions
For the Spicy Fried Soy/Tofu Crumbles:
- If using soy meat, soak in hot water for 5 minutes. If using tofu, crumble tofu until they resemble minced meat.
- Heat a small skillet over medium high heat with some sesame oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic and ginger. Add in the soy/tofu crumbles and then add in the sake, soy sauce, miso paste and red chili oil. Fry until the crumbles get slightly crispy (around 3-5 minutes)
For the toppings:
- Prep the vegetables by slicing them and steaming them for around 3 minutes.
- Bring a medium pot to a boil and then cook the ramen according to instructions (around 5 minutes)
For the Soup Base:
- Combine all the ingredients except the soy milk and broth into a bowl until a paste forms.
- Heat the soy milk and vegetable stock over medium low heat, then reduce to low as soon as you start to see bubbles. Whisk in the paste made earlier until dissolved.
To assemble:
- Place cooked noodles into a bowl. Pour over half the broth. Add on the fried minced soy meat, vegetables, additional garnishes and chili oil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 miutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Japanese
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What an amazing recipe. And so easy to prepare. The only change I made was use Tahini instead of Asian Sesame Paste since the latter wasnt available, but the recipe came out so well that I dont think I’m even going to bother looking for it next time. The broth is so, so similar to a place I go to regularly – thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I’m obsessed with this recipe, I make it at least once a week. I frequently make a big batch of the soy mince crumbs and freeze it, so that I can just thaw however much I need when I’m making it. It cuts the prep time by quite a bit, which is already quite reasonable to start with. Highest tastiness to effort ratio of all my frequent recipes by far!
You are a GENIUS!!!! I came back from Tokyo thinking about how I’ll never have ramen like T’s Tantan and then I come across this recipe and it is so freaking delicious! You have my eternal gratitude.
This is so good! So delicious and so simple to make, not time consuming with simple ingredients. Most of all, vegan! Thank you very much.
I have made this numerous times and it rivals my favorite local Ramen Spot. I use Gardein Be’f crumbles in lieu of tofu for a quicker assembly. I generally sub tahini for the sesame paste, and use gochujang instead of the chili paste, because i always have those on hand. Truly an amazing dish that I’ll make again and again.
Tried this recipe this week and LOVED it. Will definitely be adding to the rotation.
This was SO good. And so easy to make. Everyone loved it and there is so much flavour. I didn’t have Asian Sesame Paste, I only had Tahin, but that still worked wonders. Thanks for this brilliant recipe. Also in order to keep the amount of dishes low, I cooked the Ramen noodles in the broth and that worked really well.
T’s Tantan forever ❤️
will try this out.
did you by any chance have the black sesame vegan ramen bowl there? if so, can you please post the recipe
If you look up black sesame in the search bar, you’ll find it! 🙂
I prepared this dish yesterday following the recipe precisely, and it was absolutely phenomenal! The flavors were so exquisite that my partner remarked it tasted just like our favorite Japanese restaurant. It’s incredibly simple to make yet manages to be a true show-stopper. I’m definitely saving this and adding it to my go-to recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this perfect recipe!
Hi, this was yummy! If i want to make it with peanut butter, is it still 3 tablespoons then?
So thrilled with this recipe, thank you for allowing me to travel back to Tokyo station with my tastebuds <3
I found there were a lot of toppings compared to soup broth so will try adjusting the ratio next time. But the taste is perfect!!!
This is delicious and so easy to come together! Reminds me very much of T’s TanTan. Will definitely become a cold weather staple!
This is so far my favourite recipe for vegan tantanmen. So irresistibly creamy and delicious for the winter nights.
Thank you for sharing this with us!
Finally made Vegan Tantanmen! (2nd time na ito but I don’t count the first because it had so many ingredients missing).
🌿Thank you for the recipe OKonomi Kitchen🌿
Some ingredients were still not available but it was still flavorful! Yay!
☝️For the most crucial ingredient I used sesame (Tahini paste) instead of Asian sesame paste. I was a bit reluctant to use it but I did use it since it was the only paste available. — It turned out great for us!
☝️I used dried yuba instead of tofu or meat protein alternative. — I liked the crunchy and spicy taste!
☝️I used cane vinegar instead of rice vinegar. — For me it’s seemed unnoticeable.
☝️I used First Choice Fresh Japanese Ramen.
☝️I used Doen Jang fermented soybean paste as miso.
💜 I ate 1 and half bowlful! 😅
I loved the soup base. (I will buy the Asian Sesame paste for next time just for comparison).
I will try to to follow the ingredients as listed for next time. I bet it will even be tastier!
Is it possible to split the recipe in half for just one serving?
Sure!
This is my second time making this and it is absolutely delicious. Full of umami and creaminess. Ohhhh sooo good. I used almond milk since i didnt have soy. And added a few pinches of pink salt to my taste. With all the different veggies added on the top along with an egg makes for a fantastic presentation. Many many thanks.
Absolutely delightful recipe! It takes a bit of time and effort to prepare all the different components, but it has become a steady favorite. I use ‘regular’ chili oil instead of rayu and tahin instead of asian sesame paste. I vary between using tofu, and vegan mince when I’m feeling lazy. Have made it with a variety of veggies, from bell pepper, to shiitake, cabbage, bok-choy, spring onion and bean sprouts, and you can use whatever you have on hand (do highly recommend sweetcorn). Same goes for using kombu dashi or just good old veggie stock, both work but the kombu just gives it that umami kick. Definitely recommend making this recipe!
This was so good!!! Definitely adding to my meal rotation thanks so much
I really love this recipe, i went out of my way and actually mady both rayu, and kombu dashi broth as they weren’t available.
I have this one recuring issue where some nasty milk skins start appearing (maybe its from dash broth as i heard it can get slimy). Nevertheless after blending they disappear.
I thought you’d maybe have some helpfull lifehack, as i don’t want to scare my guests if i were to forget to check before i star pouring some. I would be thankfull <3
Best regards,
Fan
The best vegan tantanmen recipe i’ve tried. Must try and will be my ho to recipe
Soooo good! I topped it with sesame seeds and mung beans as I had nothing else and it just tasted amazing. As an official member of the T’s TanTan fanclub I must say that this is a much more budget friendly alternative. Although this did take me like an hour to make because I have only one hotplate lol.
Thanks for sharing an amazing recipe! I enjoyed cooking and eating it.
Hello! I purchased everything to make this recipe and have a question. I bought the kombu dashi broth packets pictured in your blog and the instructions are in Japanese. Can you please tell me how much water to mix with the packet? Also, I accidentally bought a sweetened soy milk for cooking. Is the sweetener going to ruin the recipe? Thank you so much!
Hi Lisa,
I’m not able to find Asian sesame paste near me. I can buy it on Amazon but it’s expensive. What would you recommend as a substitute? Will peanut butter be good to replace sesame paste?
I’ve used tahini when I made this, but the flavor was very off.
This was so delicious I’m still thinking about it the next day. I first had this at T’s tantan in Tokyo and had totally given up on being able to taste it again here in Australia but this recipe was so good it low key made me a little bit emotional hahaha
We had ours with some fried up shiitake mushroom, corn and bokchoy and served with fresh enoki mushroom in the broth, soy sauce eggs and some dried seaweed, then spring onion and sesame seeds on top.
I didn’t end up having quite enough Asian sesame paste so the rest I substituted a bit of tahini and a bit of peanut butter and it still worked great 👍
I couldn’t find rayu so I used Lao gan ma instead and it wasn’t very spicy, so I might add more Lao gan ma or even chilli flakes next time
Such a good recipe though! So keen to make it again 😋😋
This was delicious! I ended up using almond butter instead of the sesame paste as I couldn’t find any and figured that it’s a pretty neutral, nutty flavour.
My toppings were: pan fried button mushrooms, Chinese broccoli, caramelised leek, pickled ginger and chopped toasted cashews.
If you use almond butter, use less. Maybe 2 tbsp? I ended up having to add a lot of extra water to offset how thick the soup became.
Very good!
Tried this recipe yesterday, it was SO delicious !! The sesame paste really added something to the soup flavour. About the toppings, I used corn, the minced tofu recommanded but also roasted sweet potato, butter garlic mushrooms, and sesame cabbage. I want to do it again right now haha! Everyone liked it a lot.
Mindblowingly good ramen, another keeper recipe for sure!
My first time making a tantanmen and just oh wow 🤩 It was super easy to make and tasted amazing so it will definitely become a staple for me. I made mine with soy meat and silken tofu + black sesame seeds and spring onions but could definitely see this working with lots of different veg.
Lisa you are a goddess!
I tried to make vegan tantanmen ramen before followed the recipe and it thin and meh. I was SO disappointed.
Last night I tried your recipe and it was fantastic!!!So creamy, so delicious. I am soo grateful. Now I am going to check out your other ramen recipes and buy your cookbook, And go to your youtube channel:)
So yummy and easy to make! I found it to be rich and creamy—just like a typical pork ramen. So much flavor I definitely recommend. 🙂
Perfect recipe to satiate the itch for a good tantamen while lockdown is going on and it’s vegan which is a win win as I want to try and eat more healthy and sustainable.
After much trial and error to replicate T’s TanTAn noodles in Tokyo, I finally tried this recipe and it is almost spot on. I was very please with the broth! I often dream of T’s TanTan and this is the closest thing to it!
I’d love to see @okonomikitchen try their black sesame version of it!
Happy to hear it was a hit Matthew!! 🙂
This was so easy to make! I love how this recipe is formatted. Super tasty and appreciate the fact that it’s also vegan 🙂
LOVED THIS RECIPE! Easy + straightforward to make and deliciously creamy. Broth was not too salty and it was a perfect amount of spice. Tofu crumble was nice and chewy, bursting woth flavour, just how it should be! Will be making it again for sure!!
I made this ramen for the first time yesterday and it was AMAZING! It was surprisingly easy to make and it was so so tasty. This was definitely one of the most “authentic” tasting ramen dishes I’ve had since I was in Japan!
Hey Lisa,
thanks for sharing your recipe and emphasising the importance of preparation before one starts cooking 😉
I’ve never added fried tofu/soy to my ramen but the extra crunch and ginger made it sooo good!
Since ramen are really expensive in Germany (compared to Japan), I almost never have some.
So I am extra thankful for your recipe!
Thanks again for sharing and creating,
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte,
Thanks so much for making this recipe I am SO glad you enjoyed!! ❤️
Fantastico, io dono italiano ma lo trovò divino.
Thank you Lisa for this wonderful recipe! My husband and family says its like restaurant quality ramen. I use pork but the seasoning makes it so fragrant and the broth is surprisingly creamy and rich. We’ve made it many times since you’ve put out the recipe. My husband is now very adept with making the soup base =D
I’ve made this recipe several times with various toppings and I love it. I made it most recently swapping the tofu for my own homemade seitan and it was incredible. Definitely an autumn/winter favourite.
Yours looks way more delicious than mine! Such a great post and I hope you can check out my tantanmen recipe on my website and comment what you think I can see from your recipe that there are quite a number of ingredients that I’m missing so I’m planning to refine my recipe and follow yours. I’ll get back to you with the results!
Love this recipe! I have been making it twice already, I swap the tahini to peanut butter but they works perfectly! My daughter said they taste like instant noodle 😋
So glad you hear you enjoyed! Love the idea of peanut butter for a different flavour, I’ll have to try it out 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and the creamy broth is just gorgeous. It’s the ultimate comforting meal and one of my new go-to’s!
I’ve been following you for years now and trying this recipe was one of my favorite decisions!! I used ground Hot Italian Beyond Sausage on top! It was so so good. Also added edamame, sautéed spinach, grilled onions, corn, and tomatoes on top! Absolutely delish. Great job!!
Hi Lisa
Can we use coconut milk instead of soy milk?
Hi Andrea! I don’t suggest using coconut milk because the flavour is completely different!
Hi Lisa
I made your recipe for 4 people and used half sesame sauce and half tahini for the soup base as I was concerned about the thickness of the sesame sauce. Next time I make the soup base I’ll just use the sesame sauce to see which I like better. My guests, who I’d traveled to Japan, raved about the dish and thought it was better than the ones we had at T’s in the Tokyo railway station.
Many thanks for a great and easy recipe!
Hi Lisa,
I am another orphan of T’s, so this is a great find, especially the tofu crumbles. Looking forward to trying it. Thanks!
Hi Lisa
I have been looking for a vegan tantanmen recipe since I return from my trip to Japan. This recipe looks exactly like what I was looking for. My question is whether I can use an Asian sesame sauce instead of the tahini
Regards
Lea
which asian sesame sauce is it? 🙂
Hi Lisa
I could only find a Chinese Sesame “Sauce” (100% sesame no other ingredients written in English on a label) at the Asian supermarket in my town (Newcastle, NSW, Australia. I checked the label with a Chinese colleague at work who described it as a paste and it is darker in colour which I read is due to the sesame seeds being heavily toasted to create a robust roasty flavor, that is different from Tahini.
Yes! That will work 🙂
LOVE this! I have been craving tantanmen!! We even tried ordering from one of our favorite ramen places on the island (I live on Oʻahu), but no one answered. I’m so glad I found you! My husband went back for seconds!! I used almond milk instead of soy, and the broth didn’t seem as creamy or as thick as I had hoped. Do you think it was because of the almond milk? I wish we had cornstarch…maybe that would thicken the soup?
Yes, soy milk (the one I use) is a lot more thicker than almond milk! I wouldn’t add cornstarch to this or it might become goop-y as oppose to creamy! Happy to hear you still enjoyed it <3
This recipe is amazing! So flavorful and delicious. I’ve made it three times this week!
Hi there – is soy milk a vital ingredient or can I swap it with oat milk? I realize soy milk is generally used in Japanese cooking so I understand if it can’t be swapped 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Shelby!
You could use another milk but the flavour will be much different. What I would try it blending silken tofu with water to make a quick soy milk that way but not heating it too the point where it curdles. Oat milk will definitely affect the taste!
Fantastic recipe and a new favourite. Made a few substitutes that worked fine:
– I used good quality oat milk instead of soy milk. Still tasted great and not noticeably different to versions I’ve had with soy in the past.
– Used Chinese tahini and chilli oil since we have a good chinese grocer in the area. Still tasted great!
I can’t get rayu at any of my local stores. Any recommendations for a substitution?
Hi Ashley!
Rayu gives it its authentic flavour but you could really use any chili oil 🙂
I just made this for dinner tonight (using a different chili oil) and it turned out SO delicious! The broth was absolutely incredible, so rich and creamy, I could eat a bowl of it by itself!! The tofu crumble was also a great touch. I will definitely be making this again!
Such a great recipe! I tweaked it to what I like, but I’ve been craving this forever and finally got to eat it again! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Vee! 🙂
I tried this recipe a few months ago and it immediately became a favourite! I make it most weeks (often multiple nights in a row) with various toppings depending on what’s in the fridge and how ambitious I’m feeling. It’s not the simplest meal but I feel like the effort put in is minimal compared to the taste you get out of it!
I’ve even recently been to Tokyo and tried the tantanmen from T’s, which was amazing but honestly I think this could be even better than T’s (is this vegan blasphemy?) Thank you for sharing Lisa!!
Hi Emily!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed. Happy holidays <3
What type of veg broth do you use? So many variations!
Hi Chelsea,
I use a Japanese brand but any vegetable broth should do!
Lisa
A wonderful soup – real soulfood! Thought it was a bit complex first but great instructions & tips made it easy & fun to cook. Highly recommended!
I ve made several iterations of this soup with various noodles and mixes of whatever in the fridge veg and its become at least once a week dinner for us. I found video on you tube and followed to your blog. Keep up the goid work i look foward to trying other recipes.
Hi Mekomeko,
Thank you so much for your kind words!