Spicy Spaghetti Squash Ramen with Homemade Vegan Kombu Dashi

Swapping spaghetti squash for ramen noodles adds extra veggies to this flavorful dish, which also features crispy pan-fried tofu, caramelized onions, broccoli, mushrooms and fresh ginger.

This recipe comes to us from Austin at Building Our Rez.

Want more meatless recipes like this? Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly selection of plant-based recipes delivered right to your inbox!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• For the Tofu
• 1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu, pressed
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 2-4 tbsp oil

• For the Dashi
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 8 oz dried mushrooms
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves
• Thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and grated (about 2 tbsp grated)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp. chili oil (depending on your heat tolerance) plus more for topping
• 1 8-inch piece of kombu (seaweed)

• For the Veggies and Toppings
• 1 spaghetti squash
• Your choice of veggies, such as 1 head of broccoli (about 2 c chopped florets) and 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk

Directions:

Add all ingredients for the dashi except the kombu to a pot. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer while the spaghetti squash is cooking 45 minutes – 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Slice the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a greased baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway or until cooked through.

Cut your veggies. We cut our broccoli into florets and chop our bell pepper into ½ in pieces and add to the skillet with 1 tbsp. oil. Cook until veggies are cooked but still have a little bit of a bite.

Slice green onions for topping and set aside.

When the spaghetti squash is done, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Cook the tofu. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the tofu. The cornstarch make it want to stick together so make sure to sprinkle it in piece by piece so the cubes get to cook individually. Be careful at this step: the oil tends to splatter when you add the tofu. Allow to cook over medium-high heat about 4-6 minutes or until browned. Flip tofu cubes over and cook 4-6 minutes on the other side.

Add the kombu to the dashi and simmer (do not boil) for 20 minutes. Strain the dashi through a sieve to strain out all the large items.

Taste the dashi for flavor and seasonings. Even the low sodium soy sauce lends a decent amount of salt, but add more if necessary. Add more chili oil if you desire a spicier broth.

Assemble your bowl. Place spaghetti squash into bowls. Ladle broth over top. Layer on veggies and tofu on top with a drizzle of coconut milk, green onions and more chili oil if desired.