Home > Dinner > Chow Mein Chow Mein September 15, 2019 | 33 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Easy 30-minute vegetarian Chow Mein offers plenty of veggies and an addictive savory sauce coating it all. Today I’m sharing all my tips and tricks on how to make Chow Mein better than takeout! If you’re not a vegetarian and want to add meat to your chow mein, then try this beef chow mein or chicken chow mein instead. Chow Mein is packed with veggies and makes for the perfect “clear out the fridge” kind of meal! While I’m not vegetarian, I love packing meals full of veggies and this is one of my favorites. It’s also one of the best ways I know to get my kids to eat veggies — add them to noodles and a sauce and they’ll eat every last bite. How to make Vegetarian Chow Mein Chow Mein is incredibly easy and quick to make. Once the veggies are prepped, the actual cook time is very brief. Prep veggies. Thinly slice/chop all the veggies: the pepper, carrots, celery, green onions, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and cabbage. Prep sauce. All the sauce ingredients get whisked together in a small bowl and set aside. Cook the noodles. Follow package directions to prepare the noodles. Stir fry the veggies. Now that everything’s prepped, it’s time to cook! Start with the onions, garlic, and ginger. Next, cook the veggies and then add in the noodles, along with the sauce. Toss to combine, garnish, and enjoy! QUICK TIP What’s the difference between chow mein and chop suey? One of the big distinctions is that chow mein is served with some type of noodle, whereas chop suey is served with rice. Vegetarian Chow Mein sauce Cornstarch: Use just a little for thickening. Soy sauce: Avoid dark or sweet soy sauce; use regular or lite. Vegetarian oyster sauce: This gives an amazing depth of flavor (don’t worry it doesn’t make the dish taste like oysters). Hoisin sauce can be used in a pinch, but the flavor will be different. If you aren’t vegetarian and just want a veggie-loaded entrée, you can use regular oyster sauce. Vegetable stock: I prefer the heartier flavor of stock, but broth also works here. Use low sodium if worried about salt. Again, if you aren’t vegetarian, you can use chicken stock or broth in place of the vegetable stock. Brown sugar: Add just a little to balance everything out. Sesame oil: It adds a great authentic flavor. Noodles for Vegetarian Chow Mein Yakisoba (such as Fortune® brand) are typically found in refrigerated produce section of grocery stores. Dry spaghetti is a nice alternative, especially if you’re using up food that you have on hand. If using, pick the thin spaghetti. The flavor will be slightly different, but still good. Dry chow mein noodles (such as Wel-Pak®) are usually found in the non-refrigerated Asian aisles of grocery store. Fresh chow mein noodles are a good option but are often hard to find in the U.S. Try checking for them at Asian grocery stores. Vegetable variations One of the great things about this vegetarian Chow Mein is how easy it is to customize. As long as the veggie quantities remain fairly consistent (and the veggies are thinly sliced so they’ll cook in time), you can use basically whatever you like. Below are some ideas: Bean sprouts Thinly sliced green bell pepper Snow peas or sugar snap peas Thinly sliced yellow onion Thinly sliced red cabbage Small broccoli florets Water chestnuts Thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash Adding protein If you’re looking to add additional protein while keeping this dish vegetarian, you can add in some tofu. I love this guide to cooking tofu. If you aren’t vegetarian, feel free to add in some cooked chicken, beef, or shrimp. You could also serve this chow mein as a side dish to grilled chicken or grilled steak. More delicious vegetarian recipes Healthy Tacos black bean and corn Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls Southwest Quinoa Salad Vegetarian Enchiladas Baked Gnocchi & Vegetables one pan FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Vegetarian Chow Mein 5 from 14 votes - Review this recipe Easy 30-minute Vegetarian Chow Mein offers plenty of veggies and an addictive savory sauce coating it all. Today I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to make Chow Mein better than takeout! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Vegetarian Chow Mein 5 from 14 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Easy 30-minute Vegetarian Chow Mein offers plenty of veggies and an addictive savory sauce coating it all. Today I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to make Chow Mein better than takeout! Course Dinner, Main Course, Vegetarian Cuisine Chinese, Vegetarian Keyword beef chow mein, vegetarian chow mein Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 2 servings (large; 4 small servings) Calories 446kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $5.12 Ingredients▢ 3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced in small shreds▢ 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (~1 inch piece)▢ 1/2 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced (~2 large cloves)▢ 3/4 cup julienned carrots (~1 large carrot)▢ 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery (~2 stalks)▢ 1 and 1/2 cups thinly sliced red pepper (~1 large pepper)▢ 1 and 1/2 cups thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms▢ 1/4 cup green onions (~3 onions)▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil▢ 1 package (6 ounces) chow mein noodles▢ 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lite soy sauce▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce (regular oyster sauce if not vegetarian)▢ 1/3 cup veggie stock or veggie broth (chicken stock/broth works if not vegetarian)▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar lightly measured, do not pack!▢ 1/2 teaspoon toasted (or plain) sesame oil▢ Freshly cracked pepper▢ Optional: toasted sesame seedsUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsVEGGIE PREP: Prepare the ingredients in advance, because the cooking goes fast! Finely shred the cabbage, coarsely mince the ginger and garlic (don't want too fine of a mince or they burn; don't use jarred/tube ginger or garlic). Peel the carrot and then julienne into very small/thin pieces. (I cut into rounds and then cut into matchsticks) Very thinly slice the celery. Thinly slice the red pepper and halve those thin slices if they're long. Thinly slice mushrooms. Thinly slice the green onions to separate the white root from the green. You should get about 1/4 cup thinly sliced white roots. Reserve the thinly sliced green parts for later.SAUCE PREP: Add the cornstarch and soy sauce to a small bowl and whisk with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in the vegetarian oyster sauce, vegetarian stock, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Add pepper to taste (I add about 1/2 teaspoon). Whisk until smooth. Reserve for later.NOODLES: Follow package directions to prepare the chow mein noodles. Rinse in cold water and set aside.COOK: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet pan on high heat. Add the white roots of the onion for a minute or two and then and in the garlic and ginger. Be very careful to make sure neither burn -- only cook for about 20 seconds. Add red pepper, carrots, and celery. Stir fry, stirring nearly constantly for 2-3 minutes.COOK CONT.: Add in the shredded cabbage and mushrooms. Stir constantly until veggies are crisp-tender and cabbage is wilted, about another 2-3 minutes. (You don't want the veggies to be mushy/soggy; they should be crisp-tender). Stir in the cooked noodles and the sauce mixture. Toss with tongs for 1 minute until thickened and ingredients are incorporated. Add in the thinly sliced tops of the green onions and toasted sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy immediately. Video Recipe NotesIf want to add additional protein, you can add in some tofu. If you aren't vegetarian, add in some cooked chicken, beef, or shrimp. You could also serve this chow mein as a side dish to grilled chicken or grilled steak. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 62.7g | Protein: 12.9g | Fat: 22.3g | Sodium: 2490.6mg | Fiber: 18.7g | Sugar: 22.9g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
This sounds delicious! I’ve never tried making chow mein before, but now I’m intrigued! And I love that you can switch it up depending on your tastes. Pinned! Reply
You’re the best at fast, easy yet super delicious dinners. This looks great, and my favorite part is how you can use whatever veggies and protein you want. Sometimes it’s hard when you have a recipe that has a laundry list of specific ingredients…and you never end up making it because you never have them on hand. Know what I mean? Reply
This is such a great dish! So many great things about it! Love all the colors and veggies that are packed in there. And I really love how easy and quick all of your dishes are. They make me actually want to make things other than cake, haha. Reply
I love chow mien and have never made it at home. We love it, and it’s high time I made some homemade take-out! This looks delicious, Chelsea! 🙂 Reply
You have me convinced for sure! I love takeout so this would be a solution for both my wallet AND my tastebuds! 😀 Reply
I don’t feel like cooking dinner tonight. If I could click my heals and and wish for something to appear before me this is what I would choose! DELISH! Reply
Saw this on Buzzfeed yesterday and had to try it. Oh man am I glad I did. This was one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I’ve had in a long time! Now I can’t wait to try out all of your other recipes. Thank you! Reply
SO good to hear! Thanks so much for your comment and review Krystle! So glad you liked it and hope you enjoy the next recipe you try 🙂 Have a great weekend! Reply
Okay first of all, WOW! I’ve been a vegan for almost 4 years now and every time I drive past Panda Express my mouth still waters for the chow mein. I happened to come across some chuka soba noodles from Sprouts and did a quick google search for vegan chow mein at the store and came across this recipe. This recipe was simple enough and had many ingredients I already owned. I came home and made it and YUM! Both me and my non-vegan husband were floored. Such a simple recipe but seriously this recipe is a home run. This definitely does it for me, it tastes just like chinese takeout. I omitted the sugar, and subbed teriyaki for oyster sauce and it was fabulous. Thank you for this delicious recipe!! Reply
This comment made my day!! So thrilled it was a home run and you both enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review Rachel! Reply
Hello, I am a tidy bit miffed that the recipe was tagged as vegetarian, but uses several meat ingredients: beef and oyster sauce. It might be delicious, but it’s a waste of time for me. Please use honest tags. Reply
this was great! Made the recipe completely vegan and just used amino acids in place of soy sauce and oyster sauce. Made it a little salty, but was quickly looked past for it was absolutely delicious! Threw some baked sesame tofu in it at the end and even the babies ate it up! Will be saving this for future cooking and find me a good vegan “oyster” sauce recipe. Reply
I love making this for supper. I have made it about 10 times so far. Fresh, delicious, easy and nutritious. It’s a winner! Reply
This recipe was delicious! Even with incorrect proportions of veggies, subbing flour for cornstarch, and no oyster sauce, it was incredible. I made a way smaller portion than the recipe calls for but used the same amount of sauce and could not stop eating! The sauce is like magic. Reply
Wow this dish is delicious!! First time trying it and will definitely make again!!! Thanks for sharing such great recipes! Reply
Just tried this recipe today and it tasted amazing. I appreciate recipes that also come along with a video, it really helps. Thank you for this! I tried other peoples recipes but this one ended up being my favorite. Will continue to refer back to this 😊 Reply
I’m not understanding where all the sugar is from? I only see a small amount of brown sugar in the recipe, yet the nutrition info says there’s 23gr of sugar per serving??? Reply
Great recipe, family enjoyed very much. I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I use what I had. Thank you Reply
This recipe was easy to prepare and downright delicious! I added chicken since I’m not vegetarian but kept the rest of the recipe the same. It will be a regular in my rotation now. Reply
