I love ramen. Who doesn’t? And the best part is the broth. My favorite ramen spot in LA is Tatsu – their tonkatsu broth is out of this world. I’ve been on a quest to recreate it at home, but I’m also not interested in boiling pork bones for a million hours. Enter the alternative, much easier secret ingredient that adds depth and creaminess to your broth – cashews. Dump it all in a slow cooker, set it on low, and forget about it (until it’s time to eat).

The broth is (semi-unintentionally) vegetarian/vegan friendly, but that doesn’t mean you can’t top it with whatever your heart desires. Grab some fresh ramen noodles from the grocery store, top with a jammy egg, then load it up with whatever else you’re in the mood for.

Broth yields four servings.

Ingredients

For the broth:

• 1/2 white onion, peeled
• Vegetable oil
• 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• Handful (approx 1/4 cup) dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 habanero pepper, roughly chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek or chili sauce
• 1/4 cup white miso paste
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• Salt

For the ramen:

• Ramen noodles
• Jammy ramen eggs (recipe here)
• Suggested toppings: green onion, thinly sliced jalapenos, additional protein, sesame seeds, drizzle of toasted sesame oil
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

• Heat a skillet over high heat. Brush the cut side of the onion with a bit of vegetable oil and place cut side down in the hot pan. Cook, undisturbed, until the onion has a nice char, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the onion, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, habanero pepper, sambal oelek, white miso paste, and vegetable broth to a slow cooker. Whisk to combine and dissolve the miso paste.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours. While the broth is cooking, submerge the cashews in almost-boiling water and let soak.
• Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve (discarding the rest of the ingredients) into a high-speed blender. Add the sweet soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and the soaked cashews. Blend for 30 seconds on low. Blend for 30 seconds on medium. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until the broth is completely creamy and smooth.
• Taste the broth, adding additional salt if needed.
• Prepare ramen noodles according to package directions. Ladle broth into bowls, add noodles, and add desired toppings. Slurp away.