Easy Vegetable Lo Mein
Craving take out but don’t want to wait?! This homemade vegetable lo mein recipe is quick, easy and full of flavor. Made with simple ingredients and no fancy sauces, this is the perfect simple weeknight dinner.
I’m probably going to turn into a noodle one of these days. I’ve eaten more pasta, sesame noodles, peanut noodles, and now vegetable lo mein in the past 3 weeks than I think most people do in a year.
Anyway, this lo mein recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious. It all comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect on it’s own but also delicious served with my maple glazed salmon or a side of chicken.
For this recipe, you can use virtually any kind of noodle you want. Lo mein traditionally uses Chinese egg noodles which is kind of like spaghetti since it’s wheat based, but also has egg. I, of course, can’t eat wheat, so I just used brown rice spaghetti which works really well.
Lo mein is also made of various stir fried veggies, fresh garlic and ginger for lots of flavor, and a simple sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and sriracha for spice!
Lo mein an authentic Chinese dish meaning “stirred noodles” that is traditionally served with vegetables or meat, but in this recipe we’ll be sticking to just vegetables! Please note, this is just my take on the dish, I have done my research and hope I am doing this classic dish justice! Try my curry noodles or pan fried tofu noodle bowls next!
How to make vegetable lo mein
COOK NOODLES. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions.
SAUTE VEGGIES. In a medium saute pan, add the finely minced garlic, green onion and freshly grated ginger. Saute with the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add in the sliced mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to wilt slightly.
Add in the snow peas, julienned carrot and sliced bell pepper. If you notice anything sticking, add in a splash more oil. Cover the pan and let the vegetables steam for 5 minutes to soften.
ADD SAUCE. Remove the lid and add in the soy sauce (starting with 3 tbsp), toasted sesame oil, brown sugar and sriracha. Stir well to combine.
COMBINE. Combine the veggies with the noodles and combine together to coat the noodles with the sauce.
SIMMER. Let simmer for 5 minutes to absorb all of the flavor. If you can let it sit for longer (about 15 minutes) great, because the noodles will soak up more flavor.
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SERVE. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. I usually add an additional tablespoon of soy sauce because I love it so much, but you can add red pepper flakes, extra sriracha for spice etc. Serve hot and enjoy! If you want a non-vegetarian version, try my gluten free chicken lo mein!
What’s the difference between lo mein and chow mein?
Though their names sound similar, the main difference between lo mein and chow mein is the cooking method.
Both dishes use similar types of noodles (wheat and egg noodles) but lo mein noodles are boiled to be nice and soft like spaghetti, whereas chow mein noodles are stir fried to make them crispy!
Add in other vegetables!
Definitely! Feel free to swap in or out any veggies of your choice. Don’t like mushrooms? Just leave them out or swap in some broccoli! You can also use frozen veggies as well, just saute them a bit longer than if using fresh.
What kind of soy sauce is best?
I always use low sodium soy sauce in all of my recipes. Regular soy sauce can make recipes really salty really quickly, so for best results, stick with low sodium. You still get all of the delicious flavor, I promise!
Speaking of which, I may or may not be kind of obsessed with soy sauce, so I usually add 1-2 extra tablespoons to the final recipe. The recipe calls for 3-4, so I recommend starting with 3, following all instructions to the end, and then adding more if you want a little more flavor.
Does it keep?
This vegetable lo mein only gets better as it sits while the noodles soak up all of the flavor. Once prepared, it will keep in the fridge for about 3-5 days. You can enjoy it hot or cold!
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Quick & Easy Vegetable Lo Mein
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 8 ounces noodles of choice I used brown rice spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 inch thumb fresh ginger grated
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thin
- 1 large carrot julienned
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari*
- 1 tablespon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1-2 teaspoon sriracha
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions.
- In a medium saute pan, add the finely minced garlic, green onion and freshly grated ginger. Saute with the olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the sliced mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes, allowing the mushrooms to wilt slightly.
- Add in the snow peas, carrot and sliced bell pepper. If you notice anything sticking, add in a splash more oil.
- Cover the pan and let the vegetables steam for 5 minutes to soften.
- Remove the lid and add in the soy sauce/tamari, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar and sriracha. Stir well to combine.
- Combine the veggies with the noodles and combine together to coat the noodles with the sauce. Add in the spinach and chopped green onions and stir well.
- Let simmer for 5 minutes to absorb all of the flavor and let the spinach wilt. If you can let it sit for longer (about 15 minutes) even better because the noodles will soak up more flavor.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. I usually add an additional tablespoon of soy sauce because I love it so much, but you can add red pepper flakes, extra sriracha for spice etc.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
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