Vegetable Lo Mein

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Our favorite easy and flavorful Vegetable Lo Mein

Quick and delicious Vegetable Lo Mein recipe

Loaded with the Asian flavors we crave along with crisp tender vegetables and slurp-able noodles, this Vegetable Lo Mein beats take-out hands down!

Once you make your own lo mein dish at home, you’ll never want to order take-out again. The vegetables can be adapted to your family favorites or whatever you have on hand.

For an added protein boost add diced leftover cooked chicken, pork or beef. You can even add raw peeled shrimp at the same time as the vegetables. It’s all good!

However if you’re looking for ways to reduce the amount of meat in your diet this vegetable lo mein is satisfying, flavorful and hearty enough for a complete meal.

Overview of ingredients

• lo mein noodles (sometimes called egg noodles)
• toasted sesame oil for flavor
• vegetable oil or olive oil for sautéing the vegetables
• sliced mushrooms like cremini, button or mini portobello
• carrots cut into matchstick size pieces
• baby bok choy or your favorite leafy greens
• snow peas or sugar snap peas
• fresh grated ginger root
• minced fresh garlic
• scallions with greens and whites separated
• regular or low sodium soy sauce
• hoisin sauce
• chili-garlic sauce to add a little heat at the end
• sliced green onions for garnish
• toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Other vegetables and substitutions that are great in lo mein

• red bell pepper for color and flavor
• Napa cabbage, fresh spinach or a package of Asian slaw mix
• bean sprouts are one of my favorite add-ins but are sometimes hard to find
• small broccoli florets or sliced celery
• crushed red pepper flakes added with the garlic and ginger for added heat
• cooked chicken, pork or beef added in at the end
• raw shrimp can be added with the bulk of the vegetables and cooked until pink
• spaghetti noodles are a great sub for lo mein noodles
• fresh chopped cilantro leaves are also a great garnish

How to make Vegetable Lo Mein

1. First cook the noodles according to package instructions

Boil the noodles in a large pot and drain well. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with one teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside until needed.

2. Next sauté the vegetables

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until well browned on one side.

Stir the mushrooms then add the carrots, bok choy, snow peas, ginger, garlic, chopped green onion whites and the remaining vegetable oil.

Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and cooked lo mein noodles to the veggies. Stir and toss until combined. Continue cooking without stirring for a few minutes.

Stir in the scallion greens, remaining sesame oil and chili garlic sauce.

3. Finally serve and enjoy!

Serve the lo mein straight from the pan or on a platter garnished with additional scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds.

Feel free to pass additional chili garlic sauce or Sriracha for those that like a little more heat.

Tips for great Lo Mein

Don’t overcook the vegetables. You’ll want them to be a little crisp tender. If needed add the vegetables in batches with those that require a longer cooking time going in first.

Use good quality hoisin sauce. If the hoisin is not sweet feel free to add a little brown sugar with the sauce.

Allow the stir fried noodles to cook undisturbed for a few minutes for great flavor. That little char adds a lot of flavor so don’t skip that step!

Fresh, flavorful and light veggie lo mein

Even though this perfectly balanced dish has loads of flavor, it’s not swimming in an oily sauce like some take-out we’ve come across.

The noodles soak up most of the lo mein sauce but not so much that they turn soggy. Even leftovers are fantastic served cold or hot.

Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave and garnish with fresh sliced green onions.

When making homemade vegetable lo mein you can easily adapt the recipe to whatever you have in the fridge.

Need an even quicker meatless Monday meal? Try using a bag of asian slaw mix instead of slicing your own vegetables.  

This recipe tastes authentic, light, full of flavor and it couldn’t be easier to make! Perfect for a weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Once the prep work is done, this recipe comes together in minutes.  

We adore easy homemade weeknight Asian style recipes. Some of our favorites are your favorites too!

Most of our Asian inspired recipes fit the mold of quick and easy like our Spicy Peanut Noodles with Sesame, Spicy Dan Dan Noodles and these Easy Stir-Fry Vegetables.

For the noodle lover in your house, don’t miss this recipe for Asian Garlic Noodles. Clean out the vegetable bin in your refrigerator and make a memorable dish in less than 30 minutes!

Thanks for PINNING!

Our favorite Vegetable Lo Mein recipe

If you can eat just one serving of these noodles then you have more willpower than I do! I’m hopeless when it comes to resisting these flavor packed noodles and crisp tender vegetables in a perfectly balanced sauce.

Make this recipe next time you’re craving amazing Asian inspired lo mein noodles. You won’t be sorry you tried this recipe.

When you make this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating. Our readers love to hear how it came out for you.

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Originally published April 2015, updated May 2022