20-Minute Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce in lo mein made of? ›

Most commonly, lo mein involves chicken, beef, pork, turkey, shrimp or tofu. Sauce components: Lo mein sauce is mainly composed of sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and a dash of sugar. If you like your noodles to have a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

Chow mein: thin, dried noodles that are parboiled for 5-6 minutes, and fried alongside veggies and meat. Lo mein: fat, chewy noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, then added to stir-fry after veggies and meat is cooked.

This vegetable lo mein recipe is much healthier than takeout. One bowl is only 335 calories with 16 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. Plus, it's a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals from all the veggies.

Lo Mein Noodle Alternatives

However, you could also use zoodles (zucchini noodles), coodles (carrot noodles), or even heart of palm instead! Full disclosure, if you're following a Whole30, Paleo, or another specific diet protocol, swapping out the noodles may alter this recipe's compliance with your needs.

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

If you find your lo mein noodles to be bland and want to add more flavor, here are some ways to spice them up: I bring a quart of unsalted chicken stock to a boil, I add soy sauce , a dash of fish sauce and just a bit of sambal bajec.

Lo mein sauce

The sauce is what makes this dish so addictive. It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's super easy to make a batch of lo mein sauce and keep it in the fridge so you can easily make lo mein whenever the craving hits.

Lo mein is also made of various stir fried veggies, fresh garlic and ginger for lots of flavor, and a simple sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and sriracha for spice!

Lo Mein is a healthier option than Fried Rice for a variety of reasons. For starters, it can be a good source of protein, especially when combined with lean proteins like chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu. Protein is necessary for muscle building and repair, as well as for keeping you full for longer periods of time.

Healthier choices include steamed brown rice, sautéed or steamed vegetables, spring rolls, or soups like egg drop soup or hot and sour soup. Veggie-based items like edamame, lettuce wraps, braised bamboo shoots, or cucumber salad are a few other great options you can try.

What can I use instead of cornstarch for lo mein? ›

In place of cornstarch, try using arrowroot, superfine white rice flour, or even superfine “glutinous” rice flour. Any of them will help thicken this simple lo mein sauce.

Chow Mein And Lo Mein Use Different Noodles

Both chow mein and lo mein use egg noodles. Lo mein typically uses fresh noodles, while chow mein can be made with fresh or dried. Lo mein noodles are typically thick and chewy. Stir-fried noodles in chow mein are thinner and cooked to a golden crisp.

But really, you can also totally make Lo Mein with any noodles – thick, thin, fresh, dried, egg or rice – or ramen noodles, or even spaghetti or other long pasta.

There are many Chinese sauces that are brown just a few most common, soy sause, oyster sauce, sweet bean, Hoisin…

Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking.

Meanwhile, vegetables and meat or seafood are stir-fried, then everything gets tossed together with a sauce before serving. (That's another distinction between chow mein and lo mein: Lo mein is a saucy dish, while chow mein is typically drier or less liquid-y.)