This vegetable lo mein dish combines delicious Asian flavors for filling chili garlic noodles topped with your favorite veggies in under 20 minutes. These pan-fried noodles are perfect for using up leftovers and are healthier and cheaper than takeout! Plus, this recipe can be made vegan and gluten-free with a single ingredient swap!
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Then add them, along with the dried chili, to a small bowl,
Pour the hot oil over the mixture* - it will sizzle wonderfully for a while before settling down.
Step 2: Cook the noodles
Depending on which type of noodles you're making, prepare them according to the package instructions. I usually use specific lo mein/dan dan noodles, which take 3-5 minutes in boiling water. Once cooked, drain.
Step 3: Prepare and saute the vegetables (Depending on what vegetables you decide to use, this step may vary slightly.)
Add your mushrooms and bok choy (whole or sliced) to a large, pre-heated dry pan (no oil) and cover with a lid for about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and add the chili oil and all the sauce ingredients to the pan**, mixing well.
Stir-fry the vegetables for a couple of minutes within the sauce.
Step 4: Combine, toss, and serve the vegetable lo mein
Add the noodles to the pan tossing it well, so the sauce is well distributed throughout the dish. Cook until the noodles are heated through, and then serve your chili garlic noodles hot!
How To Make Ahead & Store
To make ahead: You can prepare and store the chili oil and lo mein sauce (separately) in the fridge for 5-7 days before preparing the chili noodles.In the fridge: Store leftover vegetable lo mein in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.In the freezer: Lo mein can be frozen for up to four months in individual freezer bags/containers. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. However, be aware that certain vegetables may change texture upon thawing.To reheat: Reheat the garlic noodles over the hob or in the microwave.You may need a little extra sauce, as the chili noodles tend to dry out slightly. Or, for more indulgent noodles, you could add a dab of butter (dairy or dairy-free).
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Notes
* You could also use a pre-prepared chili oil and add the garlic and ginger to the pan raw. This will change the flavors of the chili noodles though slightly.** You can optionally prepare the sauce in a separate small bowl before adding it to the pan. I like to save on the additional washing up by just chucking it right into the pan.Check the recipe post for tons of optional ingredient add-ins!
For vegan lo mein: Make sure to use vegan noodles. Otherwise, this vegetable lo mein recipe is already vegan!
Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and use any gluten-free noodles.
Low-carb: You can swap out the noodles entirely for a low-carb option like zucchini or butternut squash noodles. If doing so, I tend to include extra protein in the recipe to make the chili noodles more filling.
To adjust the spice: For more spicy Asian noodles, add a little extra chili oil or chili flakes. You could also add some chili sauce. To change the spice levels either way (more or less), you can pick and choose the chilies you use in the recipe based on how spicy they are and adjust how much is used.
To reduce sodium: feel free to use reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Add extra garlic for super garlic noodles - I know everyone's taste preference for garlic is different.
If you prefer more saucy chili noodles: feel free to double the sauce recipe minus the sugar and chilies and then add those a little at a time until you achieve the sweetness/spiciness you prefer. You could also add a splash of vegetable broth.
For crispier stir-fry noodles: If you want 'chow mein' style pan-fried noodles, it's best to undercook the noodles and add them to the sizzling hot pan, tossing and frying for a few minutes till they begin to become crispy. Then add the sauce right at the end.
It's best to slightly undercook the noodles when boiling/steaming. They will continue to cook when added to the pan.
Depending on whether you prefer your vegetables to be crisp or tender, adjust the frying time. You can also add a splash of water to the pan at the beginning of the cooking process and cover them with a lid; this will help the veggies steam