20-Minute Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce in lo mein made of? ›

Most commonly, lo mein involves chicken, beef, pork, turkey, shrimp or tofu. Sauce components: Lo mein sauce is mainly composed of sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and a dash of sugar. If you like your noodles to have a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

Chow mein: thin, dried noodles that are parboiled for 5-6 minutes, and fried alongside veggies and meat. Lo mein: fat, chewy noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, then added to stir-fry after veggies and meat is cooked.

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.

Refrigerate leftover lo mein in an airtight storage container for up to 5 days.

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

There are many Chinese sauces that are brown just a few most common, soy sause, oyster sauce, sweet bean, Hoisin…

Lo mein is also made of various stir fried veggies, fresh garlic and ginger for lots of flavor, and a simple sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and sriracha for spice!

Safe to say, you may not always have the right noodles on hand for when a craving strikes, but luckily enough, it's easy to swap them around, especially if it's lo mein that you're making. The best substitute for lo mein noodles are chow mein noodles because they are both essentially the same thing.

You want to buy an egg noodle or pasta that's relatively thin and has some tooth. Some common names will be lo mein, chow mein, egg noodles or pancit noodles. Most markets have Japanese yaki soba noodles in the cold case, and those would work perfectly.

Steamed Fish or Seafood

Steamed seafood is one of the healthiest options you could choose from a Chinese restaurant menu. Most fish options are high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. This protein often comes with ginger and scallions, which will add flavor to the dish without adding calories or sodium.

Can you eat day old lo mein? ›

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), leftovers stored in your refrigerator can last about three to four days. This is a general rule for Chinese food and any other leftovers you may have.

Chinese leftovers should last between three to four days in the fridge, according to PreparedCooks. However, certain ingredients could last in different longevities. Shrimp, for example, has a short shelf life. This means that it might not last as long in the fridge.

15 Minute Lo Mein! Made with just soy sauce, sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, ramen noodles or spaghetti noodles, and any veggies or protein you like. SO YUMMY!

Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking.

The experience is somewhat different between the two. Lo mein tends to be saucier and more toothsome, with a texture some describe as “slippery” because of the noodles' softness. Chow mein tends to have a greater variety of textures within the dish, thanks to the added texture that comes from frying the noodles.

Soy sauce (jiàng yóu, 酱油), the most common of Chinese sauces, sounds simple, and for the most part, it is.

Lo mein sauce

The sauce is what makes this dish so addictive. It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger.