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Close up of a plate of vegetable lo mein with chop sticks

Vegetable Lo Mein

5 from 4 votes

A quick and flavorful Lo Mein recipe that's easily adapted with your favorite vegetables. Add chopped cooked chicken, shrimp, pork or beef for an added protein boost. Better than take-out!

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Our favorite easy and flavorful Vegetable Lo Mein

A platter of 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.

Various vegetables on a marble countertop including carrots, mushrooms, snow peas, green onions, garlic and bok choy
Overhead view of a skillet filled with vegetable lo mein noodles

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
A skillet filled with Lo Mein noodles and vegetables
Tongs picking up lo mein noodles from a skillet

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!

Closeup of a platter of veggie lo mein topped with sliced green onions

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.

A plate of lo mein with vegetables and chop skicks
Chop sticks picking up a heaping helping of lo mein noodles

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!

An overhead view of a skillet filled with Vegetable Lo Mein
Close up of a plate of vegetable lo mein with chop sticks

Vegetable Lo Mein

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Course: Main
Author: Tricia
Pin RecipePrint RecipeRate Recipe
5 from 4 votes
A quick and flavorful Lo Mein recipe that's easily adapted with your favorite vegetables. Add chopped cooked chicken, shrimp, pork or beef for an added protein boost. Better than take-out!

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces lo mein noodles
  • 3 teaspoons sesame oil divided
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 large carrot julienned
  • 2 small bok choy halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup snow peas
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 scallions sliced into 1-inch pieces, whites and greens separated
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce more or less to taste
  • sliced green onions for garnish
  • toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Cook lo mein noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Return the drained noodles to the cooking pot and drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Toss to coat and set aside.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook without stirring until well browned on one side, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir the mushrooms and add the carrots, bok choy, snow peas, ginger, garlic, chopped onion whites and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Cook, stirring frequently until the bok choy starts to soften.
  • Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and cooked lo mein noodles. Stir and toss until combined then continue cooking without stirring for 2 to 3 minutes to develop a light char on the noodles. Stir again then cook without stirring for a few minutes more. Add the scallion greens, remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil and chili garlic sauce. Toss to combine.
  • Serve garnished with additional scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe Notes

Optional ingredients:
  • Sliced red bell pepper
  • Napa cabbage or spinach in place of the bok choy
  • bean spouts are one of my favorite ad-ins when I can find them
  • cooked chicken, pork, shrimp or beef for added protein
  • Spaghetti noodles are a good substitute for lo mein noodles.
  • Cilantro is also a favorite garnish

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1106mg | Potassium: 885mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 14467IU | Vitamin C: 139mg | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 3mg

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

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5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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36 Comments

  1. Jennie

    5 stars
    This was as delicious ….tasted so fresh with all of the added vegetables. I knew my husband would miss the meat…and available in my refrigerator was kielbasa.
    I grilled it and served it with the lo mein. My husband who loves hot Asian mustard used it with the sausage. I was so surprised at how well the sausage and hot mustard went with this dish. It’s wonderful to have access to your site….and I take advantage of that frequently. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thank you Jennie! I LOVE the idea of serving this lo mein with kielbasa. I bet it was delicious. So glad you both enjoyed it and appreciate you taking the time to comment. P.S. I love hot Asian mustard too!

      Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Thanks Jasline – I appreciate the chopstick lesson – I never knew and would not intentionally offend anyone – thanks for the kind way of explaining my error – I removed the second to the last photo 🙂 Have a wonderful day and thanks again!

      Reply

  4. Susan

    I just love meals like this.! I’m a huge fan of Asian cuisine and I’m looking forward to trying this recipe as lo mein is one dish I’ve not made at home.

    Reply

  5. John@Kitchen Riffs

    I love noodle dishes! Particularly Asian ones. Although I agree — way too many Asian restaurants use enough oil for 6 portions in one serving. 🙁 Anyway, this looks perfect — love this. And btw, the Star Wars pun you mentioned on my blog (may the 4th be with you) is one of my absolute favorites! Anyway, this is excellent — thanks.

    Reply

  14. Monica

    Okay…my lo mein never looks this good! Wow. Great pics and a wonderful dish. I am really looking forward to your meatless Monday revelations! I am inspired and so ready to dig into this! I made rice noodles last night and I’m laughing to myself at how bad it looked compared to this. : ) Having this for dinner, then some lemon curd dessert sounds perfect.

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      You are so funny Monica – thanks for your sweet words. I was not very happy with the photos – a pile of noodles is hard to shoot – at least for me. Hope you had a great weekend.

      Reply

  15. sue|theviewfromgreatisland

    I want to SLURP this right up! I am a huge Panda Express fan, and I always get their chow mein. I’ve been trying to perfect a copycat version, so this will help fine tune my recipe. We have a really great Asian veggie stand at our farmer’s market, so I am going to load up next time I go and make this, thanks Tricia!!

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Oh I can’t wait to see what you cook up – love chow mein! You are lucky to have great markets close by. We’re trying to work in a field trip to DC for a visit to the Eastern Market. Have a lovely week 🙂

      Reply

  17. tanna

    This looks soooooo good, Tricia. I don’t know how you have time to do all you do and come up with such WONDERFUL and beautiful meals. You are my super hero. blessings and hugs ~ tanna

    Reply