Vegetable Chow Mein
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and Serious Eats.
This vegetarian variant follows the classic chow mein method but leaves out chicken and oyster sauce, stir-frying peppers, carrot, mangetout and bean sprouts in a soy glaze with the noodles fried loose.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
Unlock all flavours with Premium
This flavour is part of Premium. You can see the ingredients and nutrition; the quantities and the full method are for members.
Premium: $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
Equipment
- large pot (at least 4 litres)
- colander
- rimmed baking tray
- wok (35 cm) or large non-stick frying pan (30 cm)
- wok spatula or tongs
- small bowls for the prepared ingredients
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 392 kcal |
| Protein | 12.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 55.2 g |
| of which sugars | 7.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 14.2 g |
| of which saturates | 1.3 g |
| Fibre | 4 g |
| Salt | 1.49 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Noodles
- 300 g fresh thin egg noodles (chow mein or Hong Kong-style)
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 4 g sugar about 1 tsp
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp water
Stir-fry
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 10 g fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 red pepper, in thin strips
- 1 green pepper, in thin strips
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 100 g mangetout or sugar snap peas, halved lengthways
- 150 g bean sprouts
- 4 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
- 1
Cook and dry the noodles. This vegetable version follows the same noodle method as the classic chow mein, with no meat or oyster sauce, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Boil the noodles in 3 litres of unsalted water for 1 minute until flexible, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Shake off the excess water, toss with 1 tsp of the oil and spread on a tray for 10 minutes so they're dry enough to crisp rather than steam later.
- 2
Mix the sauce. Stir together the light and dark soy sauces, sugar, sesame oil, white pepper and water in a small bowl. This thin glaze is meant to coat the noodles and vegetables lightly rather than form a thick sauce.
- 3
Char the peppers and carrot. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the wok over high heat and stir-fry the peppers and carrot for 2 minutes until they pick up some light charring at the edges. Add the mangetout for a further minute, then lift everything out onto a plate. Cooking the vegetables first and briefly keeps them crunchy instead of turning soft by the time they're served.
- 4
Fry the noodles loose. Add 2 tbsp of oil and the noodles to the wok, spreading them out and leaving them undisturbed for short spells over 3-4 minutes until they're crisp in places.
- 5
Return vegetables and glaze. Add the remaining oil, garlic and ginger and stir for 20 seconds, then return the peppers, carrot and mangetout to the wok. Pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute until the noodles have turned an even brown all over.
- 6
Add sprouts and spring onion. Scatter in the bean sprouts and spring onions and toss for a final 30 seconds, just enough to warm them through while they keep their crunch. Serve immediately while everything is hot and glossy.
Storage
Keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot wok or microwave until piping hot throughout. This dish doesn't freeze well, as the peppers and bean sprouts turn limp and watery once thawed. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
