Vegetable Chow Mein is a delicious Asian side dish or dinner. This easy chow mein recipe is quick, easy-to-follow and inexpensive to make! Now you can have your favorite Chinese dish at home, anytime!
After dessert and chocolate, my next love is Asian food. I love all kinds of Asian foods. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, and so on.
Chinese New Year is next week, Thursday, February 19, so I wanted to celebrate by sharing all Asian cooking recipes for the next week. I won’t be posting everyday, but every recipe you see here on Hip Foodie Mom for the next week (6 recipes, 4 posts) will be an Asian food recipe.
When it comes to cooking Asian dishes like vegetable chow mein, it’s not hard at all. It just comes down to the ingredients and the method of cooking.
What kind of noodles to use for vegetable chow mein
I live just outside of Madison, Wisconsin, where we do, thankfully, have a few Asian markets in town. I was psyched to see fresh chow mein egg noodles when I went to one last week, Asian Midway Foods. Now, truthfully, the produce isn’t always the best there, but I can buy my essentials and staple Asian food ingredients here and at the Korean market right down the street.
When shopping at your local Asian market, don’t feel lost. Just ask for help. Now, I hate to say it but sometimes the people working there may not know how to speak English well. So, simply carry the printed recipe or have a photo of what you are trying to make and someone should be able to help you. Just speaking the truth here. If you have an Asian market that’s in a larger city, chances are, someone there will speak English and you’ll be fine.
And as I do anywhere I shop, check the expiration dates on everything. The last thing you want is to purchase a brand new bottle of hoisin sauce that’s almost going to expire.
How to make chow mein
This easy chow mein is a staple in our family. It’s the pasta. My kids go crazy for anything with long noodles. Whether it is made with meat added or it’s a vegan chow mein recipe like this one, it has to be flavorful, with the noodles cooked just right. I can’t do flimsy, over cooked chow mein noodles.
In case you are wondering, yes… this is a vegan recipe for chow mein. Most recipes for the dish are vegan, unless meat is added. Hoisin sauce is vegan and is made with soy.
You’re going to be shocked at just how easy this is to make. . and in under 30 minutes. A lot of Asian people will be enjoying vegetable chow mein noodles for Chinese New Year. Long noodles = good luck. . so slurp up those noodles! Enjoy!
Other Asian Noodle Dishes to Make:
- Japchae: Korean Stir Fried Noodles + A Video!
- Soba Noodles with Extra Crispy Tofu
- Longevity Noodles for Chinese New Year
Vegetarian Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh ginger minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup bok choy chopped (both green and white parts)
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 8 oz shiitake or oyster mushrooms chopped
- 8 ounces fresh or dried chow mein egg noodles
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1 to 2 cups snow peas
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce + more if needed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 green onions diced for garnish
Instructions
- Using a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. After a minute or so, add ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add all of the vegetables from the bok choy to the mushrooms and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften a bit. Feel free to add a touch more vegetable oil if needed.
- Next, add in the egg noodles and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes and then add in bean sprouts and snow peas and cook for about 3 minutes or so. Add in the vegetable broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until slightly reduced and thick, for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and garnish with the diced green onions before serving.
Adapted from The Food Network
