Homemade vegetable chow mein that’s better than takeout and almost as easy! With crispy noodles, stir-fried veggies and savory sauce, there’s lots to love about this vegan version of a Chinese classic.
Vegetable Chow Mein
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried chow mein noodles you can substitute with ramen noodles if needed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark mushroom soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil or high heat oil of choice, divided
- 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems removed, cleaned, and sliced
- 4 scallions white and green parts separated, white parts finely chopped, green parts cut into 1-inch lengths
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup julienne cut carrots about 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery about 2 medium stalks
- 1 1/2 cups sliced cabbage
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions.
- Drain the noodles into a colander, rinse them with cold water, and then return them to the pot. Toss the noodles with a dash of oil to prevent sticking.
- Whisk the soy sauce, mushroom soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil together in a small bowl, making sure to dissolve the sugar.
- Place a large skillet or wok with a nonstick surface over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.
- Give the oil a few minutes to heat up, and then add the noodles, arranging them in a relatively even layer.
- Fry the noodles in the oil for about 2 minutes until they begin to crisp on the bottom, then use a fork or spatula to redistribute the noodles. Continue cooking and redistributing the noodles every 2 minutes or so, until they have lots of crispy spots. This should take a total of about 8 minutes.
- Remove the noodles from the skillet and transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Give it a minute to heat up, then add the mushrooms.
- Let the mushrooms cook for about 4 minutes, until they begin to soften up and brown on the bottoms.
- Push the mushrooms to the side and add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions to the skillet. Cook the aromatics for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, being careful to avoid burning.
- Raise the heat to high and add the carrots and celery to the skillet. Stir-fry the veggies until they brighten in color slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute, until it just begins to soften.
- Return the noodles to the skillet and add the soy sauce mixture. Use a fork or spatula to distribute the ingredients, making sure to get an even coating of the sauce on the noodles.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the green parts of the scallions.
- Divide onto plates and serve.
