For the broth:
- 8 cups of water
- 1 ounce dried shiitakes (15-20 mushrooms)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or other good soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon good butter
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon mirin (rice wine)
- 1 strip Kombu (seaweed)
For the Tempeh:
- 1/2 package tempeh (4 oz)
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dark/aged vinegar
- 2 teaspoons red wine
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Toppings:
- 10 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 4 eggs
- 2-3 oz Little Wild Things City Farm pea shoots
- 4 servings ramen noodles
- Little Wild Things City Farm scallion microgreens
- Toasted sesame oil
- Hot chili paste
Directions
Tempeh
Cut the tempeh into about 7 equal pieces and put it in a bowl. Add the soy sauce, olive oil, dark vinegar, red wine, garlic powder, onion powder, white sesame seeds, and maple syrup. Let it marinate for about 2 hours, making sure that you use a spoon to flip it back and forth every 30 minutes.
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to cook the tempeh, preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Lightly spray some non-stick cooking oil on an oven tray (or line with aluminum foil) and place the tempeh on the tray, spread out. Bake for a total of about 15 minutes, be sure to flip them over half way.
Broth
Combine the water, dried shiitakes and kombu piece in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let mushrooms steep for at least 30 minutes.
Remove mushrooms and kombu from the pot and roughly chop, removing and discarding stems. Add mushrooms to a blender with one cup of the broth and puree until perfectly smooth. Add this mixture back to the stockpot along with the tamari. The broth can sit at this stage until shortly before serving, up to a few days in the fridge if you like.
In a large frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, two minutes more. Add this mixture to the stockpot.
Heat one more tablespoon of oil to the same pan and add pea shoots. Cook for 1-2 minutes with the lid on the pan until dark green and wilted. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add eggs to pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice bath and carefully peel when cool enough to touch.
Return water to boil, then add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and divide noodles among four large bowls.
While noodles cook, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same frying pan used for the onion and heat over medium-high. Add the sliced shiitakes along with a couple of good pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced in volume and nicely browned in spots, about 10 minutes.
Assemble
To assemble the ramen, bring the broth back up to a simmer and then remove from heat. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, miso paste, and mirin. Ladle some broth over the noodles in each bowl, just shy of the level of the noodles. Arrange a little pile of pea shoots and of shiitakes in each bowl. Arrange a few slices of roasted tempeh in each bowl. Cut each egg in half and place two halves in each bowl. Top with scallion microgreens, and a little toasted sesame oil and chili paste, with extra garnishes to pass at the table. Serve with chopsticks and large spoons.
