This quick and easy, 20-Minute Veggie Lo Mein Bowl is perfect if you need a healthy vegetarian or vegan dinner idea!
20-Minute Vegan Lo Mein Bowl
Lo mein is known for its savory flavors, varied textures, and the ability to customize it according to personal preferences. This easy vegetable lo mein is so colorful, loaded with carrots, broccoli, snow peas, bell peppers, and mushrooms. It’s a healthy stir fry the whole family will love. It’s a versatile and satisfying dish that is often enjoyed as a main course in Chinese cuisine and is popular in many parts of the world as well. If you want to add some protein, sauté some tofu, air fryer shrimp, or chicken to add to the dish. Some more of my favorite noodle stir fry recipes are this Soba Noodle Veggie Stir Fry, and Spicy Hearts of Palm Noodle Stir Fry.
I am sharing this recipe from Brittany Mullins’ latest cookbook, Mostly Veggies: Easy Make-Ahead Meals for Healthy Living. Her book has everything from chia puddings and protein smoothies to butternut squash enchiladas and cobb salads, plus four weekly meal plans. I polled many of you on my Instagram, and this vegan lo mein recipe from her book was asked about the most. Here’s what she said about it in her book:
“Growing up, my go-to order from my local Chinese takeout restaurant was always lo mein, but I hadn’t had it in years…until I began working on this recipe. Lo mein is a Chinese noodle dish that comes together quickly with vegetables, protein, and a sesame oil–based sauce. The noodles are fully cooked and tossed into a wok or skillet with stir-fried vegetables and sauce. Egg noodles are traditionally used, but we’re using whole-wheat spaghetti noodles to boost the nutrition a bit. That said, the star of the show here is the plethora of vegetables. They bring an array of color, nutrition, and crunch to this dish. My favorite is the broccoli because the florets soak up a good amount of sauce and get so flavorful.”
What is lo mein?
Lo mein is a popular Chinese dish that consists of soft wheat noodles, typically stir-fried with various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, or seafood. The name “lo mein” translates to “tossed noodles” in Cantonese, which accurately describes the cooking technique used for this dish.
Is veggie lo mein healthy?
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.
What is vegetable lo mein made of?
- Noodles: You can really use any noodle, but whole-wheat spaghetti adds extra fiber.
- Mushrooms: Stem and thinly slice shiitake mushrooms.
- Bell Pepper: Any color bell pepper will work if you don’t have red.
- Carrots: Grate carrots until you have a cup.
- Garlic: Mince three garlic cloves.
- Broccoli: Chop three cups of florets.
- Snow Peas: You can substitute sugar snap peas if you prefer.
- Salt to season the veggies
- Green Onions sliced for garnish
- Vegetable Lo Mein Sauce: This is where you get all the flavor. Reduced-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, grated fresh ginger, honey or maple syrup to make it vegan, toasted sesame oil and sriracha.
How to Make Lo Mein
- Noodles: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente and drain. You want the noodles to be a little under-cooked.
- Sauce: Whisk all the sauce ingredients in a bowl while the spaghetti cooks.
- Stir Fry: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender for a few minutes. Add the broccoli and snow peas, season with salt, and cook for another two to three minutes.
- Finish: Add the noodles and sauce to the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Divide the lo mein into four bowls and garnish with green onions.
How to Meal Prep Lo Mein
Veggie lo mein will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container, so it’s great to cook in advance for easy meals throughout the week. Divide the dish into four meal prep containers and reheat for a minute or two in the microwave or on the stove until warm.
Variations
- Lo Mein Noodles: Authentic lo mein is made with egg noodles, which you could also use in this recipe, but really any long noodle will work.
- Mushrooms: Swap shiitakes for baby bellas or white button mushrooms, or skip them if you don’t like mushrooms.
- Fresh Vegetables: You can use almost any vegetable in this lo mein recipe. If you’re missing one, swap it with something else. Cauliflower florets, bok choy, water chestnuts, sliced onions, or bamboo shoots would be good.
- Protein: Add some stir fried tofu, scrambled eggs, shrimp, or chicken to increase the protein and make it more filling.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: If you’re gluten-free, use reduced-sodium tamari or coconut aminos, which is also Whole30-compliant and soy-free.
- Spiciness: Depending on your spice preference, you can add more or less sriracha.
More Healthy Takeout Recipes You’ll Love
Veggie Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 3.5-ounce package shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup snow peas
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
For The Lo Mein Sauce
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium tamari, reduced-sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey, or pure maple syrup to make it vegan
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, 8 to 12 minutes, then drain. You want the noodles to be a little under cooked.
- While the spaghetti cooks, whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and snow peas and toss to combine. Season the vegetables with the salt and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the noodles and sauce to the skillet and toss to combine with the vegetable mixture. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
