Chewy and tender noodles coated with homemade Lo Mein sauce and served with mushrooms and pak choi! This Chinese-inspired noodle dish comes together in 15 minutes and tastes just as good as takeout!
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⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- One pan and minimal ingredients. This recipe requires ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, plus a few veggies. It's also versatile, so it's a great way to use those leftover veggies sitting in your fridge.
- Ready in just 15 minutes. Why order takeaway when you can get AMAZING Lo Mein straight from the comfort of your home in no time?! This noodle stir-fry is perfect for weeknight dinners.
- Loaded with flavor. The homemade Lo Mein sauce tastes lovely and is really the star of this recipe. It's salty, a bit sweet, and packed with umami.
📘 What is Lo Mein
Lo Mein is a Chinese dish that consists of stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and some protein tossed in a sweet and salty sauce. "Lo Mein" translates to "stirred noodles" in Cantonese.
🥬 Ingredient Notes
Here is what you will need:
- Noodles - Basically, any long and thin noodles will work. I used fresh homemade ramen noodles, but spaghetti or linguine will also work.
- Garlic and green onions
- Veggies - I went with mushrooms and pak choi, but feel free to add extra vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, etc.
- Oyster sauce - The oyster sauce brings sweetness, saltiness, and gives the sauce a thicker consistency. You can use store-bought vegan oyster sauce or check this post to learn how to make vegan oyster sauce from scratch.
- Soy sauce - We are using a combination of regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce. The latter adds color to the noodles, bringing a dark orange color and a subtle caramel flavor.
- Sugar - To balance with the saltiness. You can use granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or even maple syrup.
- Chinese cooking wine - Optional, Shaoxing wine helps create a deeper and more complex flavor. Feel free to omit it if you don't have it on hand.
- Sesame oil - Use toasted sesame oil to add a nutty and toasty flavor.
🍜 How to Make Vegan Lo Mein
- Prepare the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, toasted sesame oil, and Chinese wine if using.
- Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the garlic and green onions for a couple of minutes.
- Add the vegetables. Add the mushrooms and pak choi and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- Cook the noodles. In the meantime, cook the noodles according to the package instructions and drain them.
- Combine. Add the cooked noodles to the pan and pour in the sauce. Toss to coat and cook for 1 more minute.
- Serve and enjoy!
📔 Tips
- Add your protein of choice. Add tofu, vegan chicken, tempeh, or even seitan sliced into thin strips for a more filling meal.
- Use the vegetables you have on hand. No pak choi? No problem! You can use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge. Carrots, bell peppers, broccolini, snow peas, etc.
- Do not overcook the noodles (or the vegetables). You want the noodles to stay chewy and al dente. The same goes for the vegetables; they should keep some crunchiness.
- Toss well. Use two wooden spoons or spatulas to thoroughly toss the noodles with the sauce until they have absorbed most of it.
💬 FAQ
- Which type of noodle works best for this recipe? I recommend using fresh noodles for the best texture and flavor. However, dried spaghetti, linguine, or ramen noodles will also work.
- Is this Lo Mein recipe spicy? No, this recipe is not spicy at all.
- How long does this Lo Mein keep? This Lo Mein will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a couple of tablespoons of water and a splash of soy sauce.
I hope you are going to love this quick and easy vegan Lo Mein! It's satisfying, rich in flavor, and perfect for busy weeknights!
🇨🇳 More Chinese-Inspired Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Vegetable Lo Mein
Chewy and tender noodles coated with homemade Lo Mein sauce and served with mushrooms and pak choi! This Chinese-inspired noodle dish comes together in 15 minutes and tastes just as good as takeout!
Ingredients
Lo Mein Sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine optional
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 stalk of green onions minced
- 3-4 mushrooms sliced
- 1 small pak choi chopped
- 10 ounces fresh noodles
Instructions
Lo Mein Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Set aside.
Stir-Fry
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Once hot, add the garlic and chopped green onions. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and pak choi and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the noodles according to the package instructions. Note: if using fresh noodles, cook for about 2 minutes.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the skillet. Pour in the sauce and toss to coat. Cook for one more minute and serve immediately.
Notes
- Add your protein of choice. Add tofu, vegan chicken, tempeh, or even seitan sliced into thin strips for a more filling meal.
- Use the vegetables you have on hand. No pak choi? No problem! You can use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge. Carrots, bell peppers, broccolini, snow peas, etc.
- Do not overcook the noodles (or the vegetables). You want the noodles to stay chewy and al dente. The same goes for the vegetables; they should keep some crunchiness.
- Toss well. Use two wooden spoons or spatulas to thoroughly toss the noodles with the sauce until they have absorbed most of it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 266 kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.7 g | Protein: 1.6 g | Fat: 10.7 g | Saturated Fat: 1.3 g | Sodium: 892 mg | Potassium: 155 mg | Fiber: 1.5 g | Sugar: 4.7 g | Calcium: 30 mg | Iron: 1 mg
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This looks great! What noodles did you use for this dish? I have a difficult time finding lo-mein or thick noodles. Most are thin, and don't hold up as well with veggies and sauce. They are better suited to soups.
I am going to try this, but any suggestion for the noodles you used would be very helpful.
Thank uou!
Thanks, Tomi! I used homemade ramen noodles. They are really great for this Lo Mein as they hold up the sauce well and stay chewy.
Thank you, Thomas! I was going to make the ramen noodles this weekend, but huge power-outage so probably next weekend. I am making this recipe to go with it! Can't wait to try them both!
We enjoyed this one- and it fixed a noodle craving! We added air fried tofu and roasted peanuts. I made one dish with store bought noodles and another with zucchini noodles. I added some tapioca flour in the sauce to thicken it a bit.
(I love that you have homemade noodles and oyster sauce recipes included. We didn’t use homemade noodles or get around to making the oyster sauce but will try another time. I did just add some mushroom seasoning to mimic the oyster sauce.)
It sounds like great additions! Definitely try the homemade noodles next time, it's delicious 🙂
Thanks for your feedback Tetyana!
Just tried your noodles recipe. Excellent vegan recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Glad you liked this Lo Mein Tommy 🙂
Thanks for your rating!