Recipes · Plant Based Cooking

Creamy Coconut Curry Ramen and Easy Apple Turnovers: A 30 Minute Noodle Bowl and a Flaky Fall Pastry

One recipe turns a pot of red curry, coconut milk and peanut butter into a slurpable broth topped with crisp, savory tofu. The other wraps a spiced one pot apple filling in store bought puff pastry. Both are approachable, and both can be made fully vegan.

Dinner in 30 minutes. Dessert in 45.

Early November is the stretch of the year when cooking shifts toward warmth. The evenings are dark by dinnertime, apples are still plentiful, and the appeal of a hot bowl of something rich grows with every drop in temperature. Two recipes from food blogger Brita Britnell of Food with Feeling suit this moment well. The first is a creamy coconut curry ramen in which tender noodles sit in a red curry broth enriched with peanut butter and brightened with lime, crowned with a tofu mince that is seasoned to taste remarkably like ground meat. The second is a batch of flaky apple turnovers made with thawed puff pastry and a cinnamon apple filling that cooks in a single saucepan. This guide walks through both, with every measurement, the swaps that work, and the small techniques that decide whether the results come out crisp, golden and balanced. For more meatless dinners and bakes, browse the full Sustainable Action Now recipes collection.

The Ramen: A Broth Built From the Pantry

The ramen begins with the broth, which comes together in one medium pot in about five minutes of simmering. Two cups of vegetable broth, one 15 ounce can of coconut milk, two tablespoons of natural creamy peanut butter, two tablespoons of red curry paste, the juice of one lime and two tablespoons of soy sauce are combined, brought to a simmer and left to cook briefly so the flavors meld. The result is a soup with the richness of a Thai style curry, a faint nutty depth from the peanut butter and a clean, acidic finish from the lime. Curry pastes vary considerably in heat from one brand to another, so the recipe suggests adding more if you like it spicy and tasting as you go.

Each ingredient is chosen for a reason, and most have an easy substitute. Any dried ramen noodles will work, and if you are using instant noodles the seasoning packet should be discarded, since the broth supplies all the flavor. Rice ramen keeps the bowl gluten free, as long as tamari replaces the soy sauce. Lite coconut milk produces a lighter soup, while full fat coconut milk makes the broth noticeably richer and creamier, and the recipe works well with either. A good vegetable broth matters more than it might seem in a soup this simple, and the author points to Trader Joe’s Miso Ginger broth and Better Than Bouillon bases as favorites. Almond butter can stand in for peanut butter, but the peanut butter should be a creamy natural style, because a thicker commercial spread is much harder to whisk smoothly into the hot liquid.

The Tofu Mince That Eats Like Ground Meat

The topping is what lifts this bowl from a simple noodle soup to a full dinner. A 15 ounce block of super firm tofu, which needs no pressing and carries more protein than standard tofu, is shredded on the large side of a box grater. Some chunks will break off, and these can be pushed gently through the grater or simply crumbled by hand. The shredded tofu goes into a large skillet with half a tablespoon of hot olive oil and cooks for about ten minutes, stirred every couple of minutes, until it turns golden and most of its moisture has cooked off. That evaporation is the step that creates texture. If you use extra firm tofu instead, press it first, or the tofu will steam in its own liquid and never crisp.

While the tofu browns, a sauce is whisked together from another half tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of vegetarian beef bouillon, a quarter cup of soy sauce, a third of a cup of water, half a tablespoon of maple syrup, a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and two tablespoons of tomato paste. Once the tofu is golden, the sauce goes in and cooks for two more minutes until the crumbles are glazed and deeply savory. The bouillon supplies a meaty flavor, the tomato paste adds umami and color, and the maple syrup balances the salt. Regular vegetable bouillon works if you cannot find the beef style version, honey or agave can replace the maple syrup, and half a teaspoon of ground ginger can stand in for the fresh root.

Shred the tofu, cook out the moisture, then add the sauce. That order is the difference between crisp crumbles and soggy ones.

Assembling and Serving the Bowls

Cook the noodles according to the package directions while the broth simmers, then divide the noodles, broth and tofu among four bowls. The recipe suggests green onions, sliced cucumber, cilantro, chili crunch and sesame seeds, a combination that adds freshness, crunch and a hit of heat against the creamy base. The author notes that it is the noodle version of her broth bowls, and readers who prefer rice can use the rice version of these broth bowls with the same flavors. A good rule for noodle quantities is 6 ounces for two people and 9 to 12 ounces for four, depending on how noodle heavy you like your bowl.

Easy Apple Turnovers From Store Bought Pastry

The turnovers are a different kind of cooking, but they share the same philosophy of keeping a good result within easy reach. The filling is made in a single saucepan. Two tablespoons of butter, which can be vegan, are melted over medium heat, then four medium peeled and chopped apples, about one and a half pounds, go in with a third of a cup of packed light brown sugar, one and a half teaspoons of cinnamon, a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg, an optional pinch of allspice and two tablespoons of cornstarch. After about eight minutes the apples are tender and the sauce is thick. The cornstarch is the quiet hero here, because it turns the apple juices into a glossy, jammy filling that will not flood the pastry or leak out in the oven. Coconut sugar can replace the brown sugar, and choosing firm apples will help the pieces hold their shape rather than collapsing into sauce.

Shaping them takes only a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll one thawed sheet of frozen puff pastry to roughly 12 inches by 12 inches and cut it into four 6 inch squares. Divide the cooled filling among the squares, placing it in the middle, brush the edges with milk, and fold each square over into a triangle. Press the edges firmly to seal, crimp them with a fork, and transfer the turnovers to the baking sheet. Cut a few small slits in the top to let steam escape, brush the tops with milk, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you like. They bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden. The flakiness comes from the pastry itself, since its many layers of fat release steam in the heat and push the dough apart into crisp sheets.

Making the Turnovers Vegan, and Glazing Them

The turnovers are easy to make vegan. Use a plant based butter for the filling and any non dairy milk for brushing, and check the label on the puff pastry, since many store bought sheets are made without dairy but formulas differ by brand. The recipe also describes a simple glaze for the top as optional but well worth the effort, though the glaze measurements are not listed in the recipe card, so a simple mix of powdered sugar and a little milk, drizzled over the cooled pastries, is a reasonable approach if you want one. Let the turnovers cool slightly before eating, because the filling stays very hot for several minutes.

Planning, Storing and Reheating

For the ramen, store the curry broth separately from the noodles and tofu in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. The noodles keep absorbing broth as they sit, so combine everything only when reheating, or cook fresh noodles for the best texture. The tofu can be reheated in a skillet to restore some of its crispness. The turnovers keep in an airtight container for three to four days. The apple filling can also be made ahead and chilled, which makes assembly even quicker on the day you bake.

Together, the two recipes make a useful pair for a cold week. The ramen gives you a protein rich, one bowl dinner on the table in half an hour, and the turnovers give you a sweet, fragrant finish that tastes far more elaborate than it is. Both lean on pantry staples and freezer aisle shortcuts, and both leave room for the substitutions that make a recipe your own.