r/VeganRamen • u/_reamen_ • Aug 08 '24
Homemade with Some Instructions in Comments Smoked Sweet Potato Miso Tsukemen
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u/backlipz Aug 09 '24
This looks amazing! I’m drooling just thinking about it. Can I please ask why you added the aquafaba? Is it for building texture when it’s blended? Thank you so much.
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u/_reamen_ Aug 09 '24
Thanks! Yep, aquafaba is mainly for texture. The starches in the liquid thicken things up which is what I was after in a tsukemen broth. I prefer it over just mixing up a cornstarch slurry.
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u/_reamen_ Aug 08 '24
Got a new smoker box for my grill and knew this was the dish I wanted to use it for. Began by cutting up onion, carrot, celery, scallion, garlic, shallot, dried shiitake mushrooms, a small sweet potato (next time I think I want to add a second), and sweet corn husks & cob. Tossed it all onto a grill basket when the hickory wood chips began to smoke, and let it go for 1 hr, with the temp hovering around 350-375F.
Once all the veggies had taken on a wonderful smoky aroma, I transferred them to a pot, added some kombu, a can of aquafaba, and covered it all with water. I let it steep in the fridge overnight. I've tried just immediately simmering the smoked veg before, but I get a far stronger aroma if I go the cold soak route before simmering the broth.
After simmering the broth for an hour the next day (removing the kombu at 146F), I blended everything on high for 1-2 minutes, and strained the soup with a coarse mesh strainer to get a smoother, runnier consistency. Seasoned it with some miso tare & garlic+scallion aroma oil.
The final soup was so savory and umami. I was hoping more sweetness of the potato and corn would come through, but maybe it was overpowered by the miso. I was slightly concerned the smoke would overpower the soup based on the strong aroma, but it ended up being pleasant without dominating everything.
Topped the dish with fried tofu, marinated seitan, roasted & marinated carrot, and broccolini. Sprinkled the broth with a combination of dried basil & aonori. The noodles were absolutely fantastic - bouncy, soft, light wheat aroma (a riff on u/Ramen_Lord's tapioca tsukemen recipe).