Eggplant Burger On A Ramen Noodle Bun With Tahini Sauce
Ramen noodles are all the rage here in Los Angeles, and LA restaurants are cooking them up in all kinds of original ways. Ramen noodles usually host an entire meal in one bowl, and I love that too, but I thought it would be fun to make some ramen buns.
Surprisingly, they were much easier to construct than I imagined.
They were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and the eggplant burger perfectly complimented the crunchy texture of the noodles. And for me, tahini and eggplant go hand in hand.
These recipes together may seem a little arduous, but if you make your eggplant mixture the night before, it might not be that overwhelming.
If you don't want to make the ramen noodle buns, I also recommend eating the eggplant burger nestled between some lettuce wraps or pita bread. The ramen buns could be topped with pretty much any kind of veggie burger you prefer like a grilled portabello mushroom.
At any rate, I hope you enjoy this plant-based recipe as much as I did. By the way, please make sure you always check the ingredients of your ramen noodles.
Some brands do contain powdered cooked chicken or meat stock, but it is usually easy to find vegan noodles.
Wishing you a compassionate and peaceful week.
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- 4 ounces of ramen noodles
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons of ground flax seed)
- 2 tablespoons green onion, sliced thin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (or more)
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced into small cubes (approximately 3-3½ cups)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped red pepper
- 1 cup vegan bread crumbs (or more)
- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flax seed)
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅛ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup tahini paste (sesame-seed paste)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Couple of twists of fresh ground black pepper
- Combine all sauce ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth. If too thick, add a little warm water a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency. Refrigerate.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and add ramen noodles. Simmer until noodles are cooked but not mushy. This only takes a few minutes.
- Drain and cool in large bowl
- Make flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed with 6 tablespoons of water. Whisk. Place in refrigerator for ten minutes or longer to thicken.
- Add two tablespoons of the flax egg to noodles mixture and combine. Season with the green onions, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Divide noodles into 4 burger-size bowls. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over noodle pancakes and stack a bowl on top to flatten. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Invert each ramen bowl over skillet, gently tapping the bottom until ramen loosens.
- Saute each ramen bun until brown, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Ramen bun should be crispy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside.
- Transfer buns to large plate covered in tin-foil to keep warm.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 tablespoons of water. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer to thicken.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant cubes and red pepper. Saute until the eggplant is brown and very soft. Add a little vegetable broth if it starts to stick instead of more oil.
- Add the shallot, garlic, rosemary, coriander, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Remove from pan and mash with a potato masher until completely crushed. Add the bread crumbs, lemon juice, flax egg and parsley and combine. Add more bread crumbs if needed.
- Refrigerate covered for 30 minutes or longer.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet .
- With wet hands, divide the eggplant mixture into 4 burgers and cook in skillet until golden brown on each side. Make sure you turn them gently so they don't break.
- Serve on top of ramen noodle bun.
- Drizzle with tahini sauce
- Top the burgers with your favorite garnishes which could include vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and red onion.
- You could also serve these burgers in lettuce wraps or pita bread.
