This Roasted Romanesco Coconut Soup with Brown Rice Ramen has a beautiful meld of flavors. The lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk sing in harmony together. It is both vegan and gluten-free.
As a teenager, I felt like something was missing in my life. I felt like I was supposed to be doing something creative but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I didn’t have any artistic education to provide direction. When I was 19, my mom left LA leaving me on my own for the first time. I knew that there was something I wanted to do with my life but I was clueless. I was so preoccupied with the LA lifestyle and my friends. I was spending a lot of time at the beach and going to parties. It was a lot of fun, but it kept me from finding my way.
Thankfully, my mom talked my dad into paying for me to go travel with her. It changed my life! I knew I wanted to be an artist but I was clueless of what form it would take. Basically, I lacked confidence in my abilities because I had none. After traveling in Europe and Asia, I ended up in Maui where I met my friend Lisa who was a painter. She taught me how to paint with pastels and watercolor. I was smitten. We started a batik t-shirt line that resembled watercolor paintings of table-scapes. Lisa’s dad is also an incredible artist and he created pieces that were turned into colorful hand-printed fabric. Lisa and I had the task of color separating each color on acetate paper. Everything I experienced in Maui has paved the way for all my other artistic adventures. You never know where inspiration will come from.
Roasted Romanesco Coconut Soup with Brown Rice Ramen - CaliZona
Ingredients
- 2 Large Heads Romanesco - roasted - recipe below
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Fresh Ginger - microplaned
- 2 Tablespoons Lime - juiced
- 3 Tablespoons Vegan Fish Sauce - or to taste - recipe below
- 1 Tablespoon Miren
- 1 Tablespoon Tamari
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Virgin Coconut Oil
- 2 Stalks Lemongrass - each cut into 3 pieces
- 1/2 White Onion - thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves - minced
- 2 Large or 3 Small Carrots - thinly sliced
- 2 Vegetable Bouillon Cubes - salt-free
- 2 Cups Filtered Water
- 3 Cans Coconut Milk - full-fat and guar gum-free
- 2 Cherry Bomb Peppers - stemmed and diced
- 6 Thai Lime Leaves makrut kaffir - torn or Lime Zest - to taste
- 1/2 Cup Basil - minced
- 1 Tablespoon Himalayan Salt
- Brown Rice Ramen Noodles
Vegan Fish Sauce and Crispy Vegan Shiitake Anchovies
- 3 Cups Filtered Water
- 1/3 Cup Tamari - gluten free
- 1 Tablespoon Miso - I used Garbanzo Bean Miso
- 1 Pack - 88oz - 25g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms I used Eden brand
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Rice Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Mirin
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Himalayan salt
Roasted Romanesco
- 1 Large or 2 Small Romanesco
- 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Generous Sprinkle Himalayan Salt and Pepper
Garnish options
- Basil - torn
- Green Onions - thinly sliced
- Cherry Bomb Peppers - stemmed and sliced
- Kumquats - thinly sliced
- Black Sesame Seeds
Instructions
Vegan Fish Sauce
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Add the water, soy sauce, miso, vinegar, salt, mushrooms and garlic to a small pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook until it is reduced by half. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.
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Strain well.
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It can be stored in the fridge for about a month.
Crispy Vegan Shiitake Anchovies - optional
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees
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Spread out the mushrooms in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray.
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Bake for 15 minutes and remove the small pieces if crispy and then bake the rest for 5 minutes or so.
Charred Romanesco
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Toss together the romanesco, oil, salt, and pepper.
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Spread out on the baking sheet and place on the middle rack.
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Roast for 15 minutes, then stir pieces around for even cooking.
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Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.
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Make sure and check on them every 5 minutes, until broccoli is as charred as you like it.
Soup
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Mix the soy sauce, vegan fish sauce, ginger, lime juice, mirin and coconut sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
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In a dutch oven or large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat.
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Pound the lemongrass stocks with the handle of a large knife to release the juices. Add to the pot.
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Add onion, garlic and carrots. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
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Add the set-aside liquid and the bouillon to the pot and mash the bouillon to dissolve them.
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Add water, coconut milk and roasted romanesco. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.
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Remove the lemongrass.
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Add the lime leaves and basil.
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While the soup is simmering, cook the ramen according to the package.
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Add some ramen to each bowl and top with the soup and garnishes.
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Serve with lime wedges, basil, peppers and green onions.
Recipe Notes
You can sub the vegan fish sauce for regular fish sauce. You can make the fish sauce and roast the romanesco the night before. You can sub with tamari if you don't want to make the fish sauce, It will change the overall flavor a bit.
