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20-minute Vegetable Lo Mein is a super easy weeknight dish loaded with fresh, stir-fried veggies! With crisp vegetables and tender egg noodles all combined in a savory sauce, this is a knockout recipe that the whole family will go crazy over!
Skip the takeout and enjoy this vegetable lo mein dish at home with your family. For more better-than-takeout goodness, try this P.F. Chang’s Copycat Mongolian Beef, 20-Minute Garlic Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein, or Bang Bang Chicken!
20 Minute Vegetable Lo Mein
Craving takeout but short on time? This Easy 20-Minute Vegetable Lo Mein is the answer! It’s packed with flavor and comes together in under 20 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner or side dish to your other favorite Asian meals.
This vegetable lo mein is way better than takeout. And it’s a breeze to prepare, so making it is a no-brainer! So grab your favorite veggies and let’s get cooking.
Ingredient List
The beauty of cooking at home is being able to tweak everything to your liking. So throw in any other additional vegetables you like, or adjust the sauce to taste! Here is a list of everything I used, and as always, exact measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Noodles: You can use traditional lo mein noodles or spaghetti for a more accessible option.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for stir-frying the vegetables and noodles in. Any neutral cooking oil will work here.
- Veggies: I used a blend of julienned red bell peppers, carrots, snow peas, button mushrooms, bean sprouts, and broccoli. Give me alll the texture!
- Minced Garlic: Gives the vegetable lo mein a savory base flavor.
- Minced Ginger: Keeps things bright and not too salty.
- Sesame Seeds (for garnish, optional): Add extra texture and nutty flavor. A must-add for me!
What Kind of Noodles Work Best?
Egg noodles (preferably about 1/4-inch thick) are best for a more traditional version of this veggie lo mein, but spaghetti can also be used as a convenient alternative!
Sauce:
- Soy Sauce: The base of the sauce for the vegetable lo mein. Regular or low-sodium will work, but I recommend using low-sodium so the dish doesn’t get too salty too fast.
- Hoisin Sauce: Adds a sweet and umami depth to the sauce.
- Sesame Oil: Don’t skip those nutty flavors!
- Brown Sugar: Balances the savory flavors with a touch of sweetness.
- Mirin or Rice Vinegar: Adds a hint of acidity that brightens the flavor of the lo mein overall.
How to Make Veggie Lo Mein in 20 Minutes:
Grab that wok and let’s get cooking! It’s so easy, you’ll wonder why you spent all that money on Chinese takeout. (Speaking from experience.)
- Cook Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Then strain and set aside.
- Heat Oil: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add in all the vegetables except the bean sprouts. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add in Aromatics: Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Combine: Stir in the sauce, cooked noodles, and bean sprouts and toss to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the noodles are heated through.
- Serve: Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired, and serve immediately.
For the Sauce
- Whisk Together: In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients and set aside until needed.
Tips for Making Vegetable Lo Mein
- To Make it Gluten-Free: Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce, or replacing it with liquid aminos! You will also want to use rice noodles instead of egg noodles.
- Add Your Favorite Veggies! Change up the vegetables to your liking. You can use just a few, or add as many as you like! There never can be too many veggies, this is vegetable lo mein after all!
- Using Ginger Paste: Instead of using fresh ginger, you can use ginger paste! You can also freeze any leftover fresh ginger you have and use a microplane to grate it right out of the freezer when you’re ready to use it in another recipe.
- Keep Your Noodles From Sticking: After draining your noodles, toss them with a couple of tablespoons of oil to prevent them from sticking together until you’re ready to add them to the pan.
Can You Make Vegetable Lo Mein Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can prepare this Vegetable Lo Mein ahead of time by cooking the dish as instructed, then letting it cool completely and storing in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days. If you are going to store this, you will want to make extra sauce, because the noodles may dry out when reheated.
Can You Freeze Vegetable Lo Mein?
Yes! This is a great recipe for making ahead and freezing for up 3 months. Defrost the Vegetable Lo Mein in the refrigerator, then reheat in a wok or skillet, adding extra sauce as needed. I also like to freeze individual freezer bags for single servings so my kids can reheat them for a quick snack.
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Easy 20-Minute Vegetable Lo Mein
5 from 2 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
20-minute Vegetable Lo Mein is a super easy weeknight dish loaded with fresh, stir-fried veggies! With crisp vegetables and tender egg noodles all combined in a savory sauce, this is a knockout recipe that the whole family will go crazy over!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Vegetable Lo Mein
- 8 ounces uncooked lo mein noodles or spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- ½ cup snow peas
- 1 cup button mushrooms, cut in half or quartered
- 1 cup broccoli florets, bite-size
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½-1 cup bean sprouts
- sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, regular or low sodium
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mirin, or rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
Instructions
Lo Mein
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Strain and set aside.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Add in all the vegetables except the bean sprouts. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Stir in the sauce, cooked noodles, and bean sprouts and toss to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the noodles are heated through.
Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired, and serve immediately.
Sauce
In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients and set aside until needed.
Notes
Originally posted March 12, 2019
Updated on March 8, 2024
Nutrition
Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 9gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 1046mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 3757IUVitamin C: 70mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Asian American, Chinese, chinese american
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
About Alyssa Rivers
Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.
Read More About Me
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