Sweet Potato Black Sesame Ramen
So this is Sweet Potato Black Sesame Ramen. Sweet potatoes that have been roasted until their sugars caramelize and they're basically vegetable candy, blended into a broth with black sesame paste that tastes like someone distilled nuttiness into liquid form, all coating noodles in this creamy, earthy mixture that's both comforting and surprisingly sophisticated. You know how some vegan food tries so hard to prove it doesn't need meat or dairy that it forgets to actually taste good? This isn't that. The sweet potatoes provide natural creaminess without any cream, while the black sesame adds this deep, almost savory nuttiness that keeps everything from being too sweet. It's the kind of bowl that makes you feel healthy and virtuous while still being satisfying enough that you don't immediately want to order pizza afterward. The black sesame isn't just there for Instagram aesthetics, though the dark swirls against the orange broth do look pretty cool—it brings minerals, healthy fats, and a flavor that's completely different from the more common white sesame.
Orange meets midnight—sesame's ancient wisdom—sweetness finds its depth
Let Me Tell You...
I discovered black sesame paste at a Chinese bakery in Flushing where they made these buns filled with a paste so dark it was almost black and tasted like concentrated nuts mixed with earth in the best possible way.
The baker told me it was good for your hair, your bones, and probably your soul, though that last part might have been lost in translation.
I bought a jar of the paste and spent a week trying to figure out what to do with it besides eat it with a spoon when nobody was looking.
The sweet potato connection came from necessity more than inspiration.
I needed something creamy for the broth but didn't want dairy, and sweet potatoes when roasted and blended create this velvety texture that's almost identical to cream-based soups.
I roasted them until the edges were caramelized and slightly burnt, because that char adds depth that steamed sweet potatoes never achieve.
Blended with vegetable stock, they created this thick, orange base that tasted earthy and sweet and completely unlike the sad, watery vegetable broths I'd made before.
Getting the black sesame paste to behave required some trial and error.
It's thick and stubborn, prone to clumping if you add it to cold liquid or don't whisk hard enough.
The solution was warming some of the sweet potato broth first, then whisking in the sesame paste gradually until it formed this dark, smooth mixture.
When you swirl it into the orange broth, it creates these dramatic patterns that look almost too pretty to eat.
The flavor is intensely nutty and slightly bitter in a way that complements the sweet potato's natural sugar perfectly.
Now this has become my wellness-food staple, the thing I make when I want to feel like I'm taking care of myself without eating salad or doing anything else unpleasant.
The sweet potatoes provide vitamins and natural sweetness, the black sesame adds healthy fats and minerals, and the whole bowl tastes like comfort food that happens to be good for you.
Every spoonful reminds me that healthy food doesn't have to be boring or virtuous-tasting, that vegetables can be the star when you treat them right.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried ramen noodles (2 bricks, seasoning packets discarded)
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 pound)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup black sesame paste (or tahini mixed with black sesame seeds)
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 1 cup baby spinach or bok choy
- Microgreens or sprouts, for garnish
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potato cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in single layer.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until sweet potatoes are deeply caramelized and tender. Some edges should be slightly charred.
- Transfer roasted sweet potatoes to a blender. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- In a small bowl, whisk together black sesame paste with 1/2 cup warm vegetable stock until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish.
- In a large pot, combine sweet potato puree, remaining vegetable stock, miso paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and grated ginger. Whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir in most of the black sesame mixture, reserving some for garnish. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ramen noodles for 2-3 minutes until just tender, then drain.
- If using spinach or bok choy, stir into the hot broth and let wilt for 1-2 minutes.
- Divide noodles among bowls. Ladle hot sweet potato-sesame broth over noodles. Swirl reserved black sesame paste on top for visual effect.
- Garnish with sliced scallions, black sesame seeds, and microgreens. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.