Best Ramen Noodle Stir Fry (Vegetarian)
This vegetarian ramen noodle stir fry with homemade stir fry sauce is the perfect dish to whip up for an easy weeknight meal.
About this Stir Fry
These stir fried ramen noodles take just 15 minutes to make with a handful of simple ingredients. Tasty, inexpensive and convenient, you’ll love these noodles any night of the week.
This recipe is easy to customize with different veggies and toppings and can be paired with your choice of protein like tofu, tempeh, egg, chicken or prawns.
Featuring instant ramen noodles and coleslaw mix for convenience, paired with a delicious homemade stir sauce, this recipe is easy to make but still delivers on flavour.
If you’ve got a couple packs of instant ramen noodles you don’t know what to do with, this stir fry is the perfect use!
Highlights
- Vegetarian and vegan.
- Quick and easy.
- Enjoy in 15 minutes!
- Simple ingredients.
- Customize the vegetables.
- Budget-friendly.
- Family-friendly.
Ingredient Notes
Stir Fry Sauce
- Soy Sauce or Tamari: Your choice of soy sauce or tamari. Use tamari if you need the recipe to be gluten-free and low-sodium soy sauce if sodium content is a concern.
- Vegetarian Oyster Sauce: If you’re not vegan you can use regular oyster sauce, otherwise look online, in specialty stores or well-stocked grocery stores for vegetarian oyster sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: You can use seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar.
- Sugar: You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup or cane sugar.
- Sesame Oil: Sesame oil or toasted sesame oil is suitable.
- Chili Garlic Sauce: I like sambal oelek but Sriracha would also work.
Ramen Noodles
- Ramen Noodles: You’ll need two packages of instant ramen noodles. You will discard the seasoning packets the flavour doesn’t matter.
- Oil: You can use olive oil, canola oil or another cooking oil you like to stir fry the vegetables.
- Green Onion: You’ll need roughly 1 bunch of green onion, also called scallions.
- Garlic: Raw garlic is best for the recipe.
- Coleslaw Mix: To keep things quick and easy, use a package of prepared coleslaw mix. Otherwise, use shredded green or Napa cabbage.
- Sesame Seeds: These are optional for serving.
How to Make Ramen Stir Fry
Quick Tip: This recipes goes quick once you start cooking so be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
Mix the Sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Once that’s going, prepare the sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl. Set the sauce aside for now.
Cook the Noodles
Once the water is boiling, add the ramen noodles and cook them for just 1-2 minutes, using chopsticks or a fork to break them apart from their rectangular form.
We just want to rehydrate the instant ramen until it breaks up, being careful not to overcook them because they’re going to finish cooking in the pan.
Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Stir Fry the Vegetables
Next, heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
Add the green green onions, cabbage mixture and garlic and cook them for roughly 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the cabbage is tender but still crisp.
Stir Fry the Noodles
Add the cooked ramen noodles and stir fry sauce and cook for 1 more minute, tossing the noodles in the sauce until they’re well-coated and have absorbed most of the sauce.
Enjoy your Stir Fry
Serve your noodles hot from the pan topped with more green onions and sesame seeds. You may also enjoy a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and extra chili garlic sauce.
Variations & Add-Ins
I wanted to keep this recipe simple, quick and easy, so I went with just the coleslaw mix and green onion, however, ramen stir fry works well with just about any vegetable. Here are some additional veggies or swaps to consider:
- sliced mushrooms
- onion
- thinly sliced or julienned carrots
- bean sprouts
- broccoli
- bok choy
- bell pepper
- red cabbage, green cabbage or Napa cabbage
- peanuts or cashews
- snap peas or snow peas
- bell pepper
- baby corn
- edamame
- bamboo shoots
For topping your ramen stir fry try:
- toasted sesame seeds
- green onion
- crushed peanuts or cashews
- tofu or tempeh
- fried onions
- cilantro
- Sriracha or sambal oelek
- kimchi
- pickled ginger
- seaweed
- toasted sesame oil
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any variety of noodles in this stir fry. Suggested choices are ramen noodles, of choice, followed by chow mein or low mein noodles, udon noodles, rice noodles, soba noodles, spaghetti or linguini.
Yes. If you can get your hands on fresh ramen noodles, cook them according to the pacakage instructions before adding them to stir fry. Typically, they only need about 30-seconds of cooking time.
No, this recipe is not gluten-free as written as ramen noodles are traditionally made out of wheat flour.
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute your choice of gluten-free noodles such as thin or wide rice noodles, brown rice noodles or a gluten-free ramen noodle such as rice ramen noodles.
There are also gluten-free ramen noodles made from potato, millet and other gluten-free flours that you may be able to find online or in well-stocked grocery or specialty stores.
This stir fry is not overly spice but there is a little heat due to the chili garlic sauce. If you’re sensitive to spice, omit or reduce this ingredient.
Storing & Reheating
- Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw before reheating.
- Reheat leftover ramen stir fry covered in the microwave until heated through or you covered with foil in an oven-safe dish at 350 F until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.
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Description
An easy vegetarian ramen noodle stir fry you can whip up for a quick and tasty weeknight meal.
For the Stir Fry Sauce
For the Ramen Stir Fry
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Mix Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, vegetarian oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce. Set aside for now.
- Cook Noodles: Open the ramen packages, discarding the flavor packets. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes, using chopsticks or a fork to stir occasionally and break the noodles apart. You just want to rehydrate the ramen until they break up their rectangular form. Avoid overcooking them as they’ll finish cooking in the pan.
- Drain Noodles: Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Stir Fry Vegetables: In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the green onions, garlic and cabbage. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until cabbage is tender-crisp.
- Stir Fry Noodles: To the pan with vegetables, add the drained noodles and the stir fry sauce. Cook for 1 min, tossing the noddles in the sauce, until noodles are well coated and have absorbed most of the sauce.
- Serve: Divide noodles between bowls or plates. Top with more green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/3 recipe
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 7 g
Keywords: ramen stir fry, ramen noodle stir fry