Creamy ramen with Kimchi, tempeh, kombucha, and miso

A recipe to combine multiple fermented products in one dish. We're talking about 5 fermented foods here! Spot the last fermented product in the ingredient list.

This ramen is super tasty, looks beautiful on the table, and it's very easy to make.

You can do it with any tempeh (soy, chickpea, green pea, etc.) But lentil tempeh has that nutty taste that goes really well in this dish. For kimchi, the pumpkin seed miso one is our favourite here but you can also use beetroot kimchi for an earthy taste and a nice touch of colour, or parsnip kimchi which is a bit more aromatic. For kombucha, our favourites for this dish are carrot & ginger kombucha or pumpkin & coriander seed kombucha. They are sweet but go very well in savoury dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ragi Pumpkin & Coriander kombucha or Ragi Carrot & Ginger kombucha

• 2 tbsp soy sauce, divided

• 2 tsp sriracha

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar

• 4 tbsp miso paste

• 2 tbsp coconut or avocado oil, divided

• 200 g Ragi tempeh, cubed

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 5 garlic cloves, minced or sliced

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 6 tbsp of Ragi kimchi liquid from the jar

• Between 200-300 g ramen noodles

For garnish:

• 2 nori sheets, cut into thin strips

• 1 spring onion, sliced

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

• 4 tbsp Ragi Pumpkin Seed kimchi

Method:

1. Whisk together half a bottle of kombucha, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, maple syrup, sriracha, and 2 tbsp of kimchi liquid in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Mix the miso and 50 ml of kombucha until smooth. Set aside. Drink the leftover kombucha.

3. Warm 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the tempeh with a bit of salt and pepper until golden. Remove from the heat and pour the remaining 1 tbsp of soy sauce.

4. Warm the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and the sesame oil in the same pan over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the kombucha-soy sauce mixture, increase the heat to a strong simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, or until slightly syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat and incorporate the miso mixture until smooth.

5. Cook the ramen noodles according to the pack.

6. In the meantime, heat the vegetable broth to a near boil, whisking in 4 tbsp of kimchi liquid.

7. Add the cooked ramen noodles to the pan with the miso sauce, followed by the tempeh, and toss to coat.

8. Distribute the noodles between bowls and pour the broth on top. Garnish with kimchi, shredded nori, spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!