Veggie Lo Mein

I’ve been slacking. Work has been nuts – I’ve been working like 11 hour days on top of continuing to check my email once I get home; the result of having half our team half way across the globe. So I guess I’m not really slacking per se, but I’ve been too busy to dedicate time to my beloved food blog! So this recipe I made quite awhile ago but have just now gotten around to writing it up.

My husband was shocked the first time I made these noodles without meat (no meat??! how can it be?!). I normally prepare them with some chicken or pork and no veggies cause hubby doesn’t really eat them. But lately I’ve been making a strong effort to wean hubby off of thinking he has to have meat at every meal, and attempting to force him to eat veggies or at least pick around them! I’ve grown quite fond of this veggie variety. I has a slightly different flavor than my regular chicken lo mein, and its a great meal!

The key element of these noodles are fresh noodles. I love being able to buy fresh noodles from the oriental market. For starters, the cook very quickly which is great for a weeknight meal. Prepping this meal only takes about 20 minutes. But secondly, fresh noodles are absolutely delicious. Its amazing how different they taste than the dried noodle varieties. I usually have a box of dried noodles on hand but whenever I can, I use the fresh.

I didn’t specify a quantity of veggies below because it really varies just depending upon what you’d like to use. In this specific mix, I used julienned carrots (~ 1 1/2 cups), and some diced Chinese cabbage (~ 5 cups loose). I also frequently use shitake mushrooms as well (which hubby will eat), but we were out in the fridge. If I had a husband who ate more veggies, I’d probably use more veggies but since he picks around them anyway this is a good quantity for us! Its really easy to add more to your liking, especially something like cabbage which cooks quickly. You can just toss more into the wok until the ratio fits your liking.

Veggie Lo Mein

1 pound fresh noodles
Veggies of choice
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp olive oil, plus some for drizzling
1 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce
5 tsp low sodium soy sauce

Prepare noodles as directed on package. After straining noodles, run noodles under cold water to cool them and prevent them from sticking.

In a medium sized wok over medium heat, add 1/2 tsp olive oil, minced garlic and vegetables (adding the veggies first that require more time, such as carrots). Season with a pinch of salt & 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce. Saute vegetables for a few minutes until cooked. Remove vegetables from heat and set aside.

Return empty wok to stove and add sesame oil to wok along with 1/2 tsp olive oil. Allow sesame oil to become fragrant. Add all the prepared noodles and drizzle with more olive oil. Turn heat to medium-high. Toss noodles repeatedly to allow them to coat with the oils. Add soy sauce and 1 tsp Sriracha sauce. Continue tossing for approximately 10 minutes and noodles are thoroughly reheated and flavors have had a chance to mingle. Stir in prepared vegetables. Serve warm.

Tagged as: Chinese, Main Course, Pasta, Vegetarian