This Vegetable Lo Mein recipe is made with pasta noodles sauteed with snap peas, bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, and cabbage. They’re tossed in a sweet and savory Asian sauce. Skip the Chinese takeout and save money with homemade Asian noodles!
VEGETABLE LO MEIN
I’m crazy about Asian noodles. I mean, stir-fried noodles with fresh vegetables, tossed in a sweet and savory Asian sauce.
What’s not to love?
Actually, it can be a little oily when ordered as Chinese take out, which is why I came up with my own recipe.
It’s much healthier, budget-friendly, and ready in 30 minutes. This recipe uses everyday ingredients available at most grocery stores!
It easily ranks in the top favorite weeknight dinners of our meal rotation.
What kind of noodles are used in Lo Mein?
Lo Mein recipes typically call for packaged lo mein noodles that you boil, drain, and toss with other ingredients in a wok or skillet.
But, you can use any wheat noodle for this Asian noodle recipe. I often use spaghetti or linguine noodles because I always have them on hand.
What is a good substitute for lo mein noodles?
I love this rice ramen when I need a gluten-free option for Asian noodle recipes.
I can hardly tell I’m eating a rice noodle when I use it in this recipe. They’re just as hearty and delicious as any wheat egg noodles.
Chow Mein vs Lo Mein: What’s the Difference?
Lo Mein and Chow Mein are both Chinese noodle dishes made with wheat egg noodles.
The major difference between them is how the noodles are prepared in the manufacturing process.
Chow mein noodles are fried, then packaged.
Lo Mein noodles are boiled or steamed, then packaged.
I personally prefer lo mein noodles simply because they are not fried.
Both noodles require boiling before they can be turned into noodle entrees.
However, chow mein noodles can be used straight from the package (dry) and crumbled up as garnish or toppings for Asian dishes like salad, soups, and entrees.
What is Lo Mein sauce made of?
Lo Mein sauce is a sweet and spicy sauce that’s often made with soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and spices.
In order to make my recipe both vegetarian and vegan, I skipped the oyster sauce.
I’ve seen a few people add Sriracha, or ginger paste, or hot sauce to kick things up a notch. I’m all for that too!
The best veggies for Vegetable Lo Mein
The beauty of this Asian noodle recipe is that you can use any vegetables you like.
For this recipe, I used green onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, snap peas, and cabbage, but the possibilities are endless!
I also love knowing that when we ‘stir fry’ vegetables, they retain more nutrients when cooked for shorter periods of time.
So, let’s eat ALL the veggies we can get our hands on!
How do you make Lo Mein?
Step 1. Boil the noodles according to package instructions; rinse, drain, and set aside.
Step 2. Whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside.
Step 3. Saute the veggies.
Step 4. Toss the noodles, veggies, and sauce together.
Step 5. Heat through; serve warm.
* Grab recipe card below for full instructions
Lo Mein Meal Prep Steps
Step 1: Follow the recipe below, but do not add the sauce to the noodles and vegetables. Instead, package it into 2-4 oz portioned containers.
Step 2: Allow the cooked veggies and noodles to cool, then portion into meal prep containers.
Step 3: Store meal prepped portions in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Step 4: To reheat, pour the lo mein sauce over the noodles and reheat until fully warmed through. Use your favorite reheating method, stirring as needed. You might like to eat the noodles cold too!
Lo Mein Recipe Tips:
Tip #1: Substitute any pasta noodle for lo mein noodles in this recipe.
Tip #2: Use a reduced sodium soy sauce to cut down on the sodium.
Tip #3: Once the pasta/noodles have been boiled, rinse them under cold water to remove excess starch and prevent them from over-cooking.
Tip #4: Prepare ingredients up to 3 days in advance to save time cooking on a busy weeknight. Here’s how…
- chop the veggies
- boil, rinse and drain the noodles
- whisk together the sauce
- store components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator and simply reheat everything together when ready to serve.
Vegetable Lo Mein Ingredients
- reduced sodium soy sauce
- sugar
- sesame oil
- fresh ginger
- wheat egg noodles
- green onions
- mushrooms
- bell peppers
- snap peas
- napa cabbage
Kitchen tools I use for Asian noodles
- chef knife and cutting board
- small mixing bowl (to make the sauce)
- 3-quart saucepot (to cook the noodles)
- colander (to drain pasta)
- large nonstick skillet or wok
More healthy Asian recipes
Vegan Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles
Instant Pot Thai Coconut Lentil Chickpea Curry
Stir Fry Vegetables in Black Bean Sauce (with Meal Prep Instructions)
Vegetable Lo Mein
Ingredients
For the Lo Mein Noodles:
- 12 oz Lo Mein Noodles or any wheat pasta noodle
For the Lo Mein Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Reduced-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger finely grated
For the Vegetables:
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 3 Green Onions sliced, save green tops for garnish
- 2 cups Mushrooms chopped
- 4 mini Bell Peppers chopped
- 2 cups Snap Peas chopped
- 2 cups Napa Cabbage shredded
Instructions
For the Lo Mein Noodles:
- Cook NOODLES according to package directions; rinse in cold water, drain, set aside.
For the Lo Mein Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together SOY SAUCE, SUGAR, SESAME OIL, and GINGER; set aside.
For the Vegetables:
- Heat SESAME OIL in a large skillet or wok; add GREEN ONIONS (white stalk), MUSHROOMS, BELL PEPPERS, and SNAP PEAS; sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add CABBAGE and sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add cooked NOODLES and LO MEIN SAUCE; continue heating until warmed through, gently tossing as needed.
- Serve warm or chilled; garnish with sliced green onions
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
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