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Vegetable Chow Mein

Course Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Keyword Asian Cuisine, Noodles, Stir Fry, Vegan Noodles
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author The Earth Kitchen

Equipment

  • large sauté pan, cast iron, or wok
  • spatulas / tongs
  • Mixing bowls
  • strainer / colander

Ingredients

  • 550 g (5-6 cups) stir fry noodles (see notes)
  • 1 large (¾ cup) carrots julienned or sliced into matchsticks
  • 1 lb (1 cup) snap peas thinly sliced
  • 1 whole red bell pepper julienned or sliced into matchsticks
  • 1 head baby bok choy roughly chopped
  • ½ large (1 cup) white or yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves (2 tbsp) garlic crushed & minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 cup white portobella mushrooms roughly chopped
  • 2 stalks green onions thinly sliced
  • sesame seeds for garnish
  • black or white pepper to taste

FOR THE STIR FRY SAUCE

  • 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (see notes)
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • ½ tbsp sesame oil

FOR THE CRISPY GARLIC TOPPING (OPTIONAL STEP)

  • 1 whole head garlic minced
  • 1½ cup cooking oil
  • 1 tbsp red chili flakes

Instructions

FOR THE CRISPY GARLIC TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

  • Preheat a frying pan on medium heat and generously coat in oil (about ⅓ inch deep). Toss in the minced garlic to slowly fry and stir around every minute to prevent it from burning. If you wish to add heat, add a tablespoon of red pepper flakes into the oil and stir.
    Continuously stir until garlic becomes golden brown and crispy. Be careful, if you feel that your stove top is getting too hot, lower down the heat. Over frying the garlic will make it bitter. This process may take between 5-10 minutes depending on your stove top. Strain garlic from the oil and let it cool. It will crisp up as it cools down. DO NOT DISPOSE GARLIC OIL, this can be used as an aroma oil for cooking and condiment for Asian cuisines.

FOR THE SAUCE

  • Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well combined. Set aside until ready for use.

FOR THE CHOW MEIN

  • Carefully read instructions for preparing stir-fry noodles. If you are using frozen stir fry noodles (see notes), soak the stir fry noodles in hot water for 5 minutes and allow it to soften. Drain on a colander and pat dry before using.
  • Preheat a pan (cast iron or wok) into medium high heat. Coat with a tablespoon of cooking oil (or the garlic infused aroma oil used for the garlic crisp). Once pan is fully heated, toss the stir fry noodles and allow it to crisp a little bit by leaving it alone on the pan on each side. Pour (2) tablespoons of the stir fry sauce on the noodles and mix. Parts of your noodles might crisp or caramelize a little (depending on your pan) and that is perfectly normal. Give it 4-6 minutes to pan fry.
  • Remove the noodles from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, coat another tablespoon of oil and stir fry the aromatics first - such as the onions, ginger, and garlic. Stir until fragrant. Next, add in the mushrooms and toss until it shrivels in size before adding the of the vegetables. Add the vegetable ingredients such as the carrots, snap peas, and bell peppers.
    PLEASE NOTE: It is important that you don't toss all the ingredients all at once; mushrooms release liquid and if it is not fully cooked or pan is not heated properly, it will turn into a puddle of mess. Be sure all ingredients are nice and dry before tossing into the pan.
  • Add the noodles back in and stir. Gradually add the stir fry sauce (season according to your liking) and mix until well combined. Add the chopped bok choy and fold into the mix. Let the stir fry noodles sit on the pan for about 3-4 minutes before turning off the heat. Toss in green onions and sesame seeds to finish. Sprinkle with black or white pepper to taste. Top with crispy garlic to serve with a small drizzle of aroma oil.

Notes

Stir Fry Noodles - You can use frozen stir fried noodles in any Asian frozen section of the grocery store. Packaging would normally be labelled as Stir Fry Noodles or Chow Mein noodles - ideally made for crispy noodles. If you cannot find these in the frozen aisle, you can also get them dried or use any dehydrated noodles of your choice; though it may require boiling beforehand. I prefer using frozen because it requires less time to rehydrate and it will keep the Chow Mein from getting soggy. Always check for eggs or dairy in any noodle products.
Rice Wine Vinegar - Traditional Chinese cuisines make use of Shaoxing Wine - which is a dark rice wine vinegar that resembles a very light soy sauce. This may require deep diving into Asian supermarkets OR ordering online on Amazon. Accessible substitutes will include dry sherry wine (found in most cooking wine section of main grocery stores), mirin (Japanese rice wine which you can pick up at Tokyo Mart in Tamuning if you live on Guam or in most Asian markets), sake (Japanese rice wine), plain soju (Korean wine made from rice, wheat, or barley), any white cooking wine, and non-alcoholic options like veggie broth, mushroom broth, and the Better Than Bouillon vegetable base (diluted in a tablespoon of water).