Spicy Kimchi Ramen Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

Spicy Kimchi Ramen Recipe – Korean spicy ramen bowls are a vegetarian (or vegan) dish brimming with bold flavors. They’re healthy, hearty, and easy to make in under 30 minutes!

Why We Love This Vegetarian Recipe

Warm bowls of tender ramen noodles, oodles of veggie goodies, and a savory broth are what dreams are made of!

We have always preferred ramen soup on the spicier side – like Spicy Vegetarian Ramen and Spicy Shrimp Ramen. This quick and simple vegetarian Korean-inspired Spicy Kimchi Ramen Bowl recipe is loaded with tangy kimchi flavor and spice! Simply put: It is addictive.

I add soft-boiled eggs and chopped tofu to our bowls, but it is just as easy to make as a spicy vegan ramen recipe! In fact, the dish is great to customize with your favorite proteins and veggies.

Ingredients You Need

• Sesame oil – or other high heat and neutral flavored oil
• Scallions – sliced, greens and white separated
• Garlic – minced
• Shiitake mushrooms – sliced
• Vegetable broth – or mushroom broth for extra savory flavor
• Spicy kimchi – in juices, divided
• Gochujang sauce – spicy and sweet Korean chili paste
• Instant ramen noodles – regular or gluten-free
• Egg yolks – to thicken the soup

Plus your choice of protein! We love ramen eggs and chopped tofu.

How to Make Korean Spicy Ramen with Kimchi

First, prep all ingredients: Chop the scallions, separating the green ends from the white ends. Minced the garlic and slice the mushrooms. Then chop the kimchi into smaller chunks, reserving the juices for the broth. Separate the eggs, reserving the egg whites for later use.

Set a large 6-quart sauce pot over medium heat. Add the sesame oil, scallion whites, minced garlic, and sliced mushrooms. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes to soften, stirring regularly.

Once the mushrooms and onions have softened, add in the broth, 1 cup of chopped kimchi, all kimchi juices, and gochujang sauce.

Reserve the remaining chopped kimchi and scallion greens to garnish the ramen bowls.

Get the Complete (Printable) Spicy Kimchi Ramen Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Stir well and bring the spicy vegan ramen to a boil.

Once boiling, stir in the ramen noodles and egg yolks. (Note: If adding the egg yolks the recipe is no longer vegan.)

Stir quickly so the egg yolks mix into the broth evenly, creating a silky texture. Simmer the noodles for 3 to 4 minutes to soften.

How to Serve Ramen

Ladle the ramen soup into bowls, making sure each bowl has a generous amount of noodles and mushrooms. Top each bowl with scallion greens and a dollop of extra kimchi.

If desired, add chopped tofu and ramen eggs on top.

However, you can garnish this ramen noodle soup with anything from nori seaweed, napa cabbage, broccoli, avocado, enoki mushrooms, corn, or anchovy.

Recipe Variations

• Mushrooms and green onions are traditional ramen ingredients. But you can use other vegetables if you like! Try this kimchi ramen recipe with thinly sliced carrots, bok choy, baby carrots, squash, or bell peppers.
• Make this a spicy vegan ramen recipe by omitting the eggs. The broth won’t be quite so rich and silky, but will still be delicious.
• Feel free to use gluten-free ramen noodles. Adjust the cooking time per package.
• Sensitive to spice or tanginess? You can adjust the spicy heat and tanginess by how much kimchi juice you add to the broth. I like to add it all, but feel free to add part of the juice if needed.
• Looking for more protein? Add tofu to this ramen to keep it vegetarian… or add in chicken, pork, or poached eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How healthy is kimchi?

Kimchi is quite a healthy food! The fermented veggies are packed with vitamins and minerals, and are considered to be very good for gut health.

What do you do with the ramen seasoning packet?

If your ramen noodles come with seasoning packets, either save them for later use, or discard them. They are not needed in this recipe.

Is kimchi ramen very spicy?

Yes, between the kimchi and gochujang these bowls do pack some serious heat. Use less kimchi if you want to tone down the spiciness a touch.

Can this ramen recipe be made ahead?

I do not recommend that you make kimchi ramen ahead of time. The veggies and noodles will continue to soften as they sit in the broth. That being said, technically the soup will keep well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Looking for More Easy Vegetarian Recipes?

• Gemelli Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
• Homemade Lo Mein with Vegetables
• Mexican Sopa de Fideo (Soup with Noodles)
• Pasta Burrata with Summer Roasted Vegetables
• Easy Vegan Stir Fry Sauce (with Noodles)