This Vegetable Chow Mein recipe has been in my regular rotation for years – tender noodles, crunchy cabbage, colorful veggies, and a savory sauce that pulls it all together in about 25 minutes. Plus, it comes together almost entirely in one skillet!
Love a good noodle dish? You need to try our Vegan Pad Thai as well as our Easy peanut Noodles, this incredible Tofu Stir Fry recipe and our Easy Homemade Ramen!
Why you’ll love this easy dinner recipe!
words
Why You’ll Love This
Ready in 25 minutes – genuinely one of the fastest dinners in my lineup
A true “clean out the fridge” recipe – the veggie swaps are endless
That sauce though – soy, hoisin, sesame, a little brown sugar – it just works
Fully vegan and satisfying enough to stand on its own as a meal
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
Chow mein noodles – the base of the dish; fresh noodles from a Asian markets are ideal, but refrigerated yakisoba or dry spaghetti work great too.
Napa cabbage – adds a subtle crunch and soaks up the sauce beautifully; I don’t recommend skipping it.
Carrots – brings sweetness and color; pre-shredded carrots save time.
Broccoli – adds substance and a little bite; swap for bok choy or snow peas if you prefer.
Red bell pepper – for sweetness and color; any color bell pepper works.
Green onion + garlic – added toward the end so they stay bright and don’t burn.
Soy sauce – the salty, savory backbone of the sauce; tamari works for gluten-free.
Hoisin sauce – adds depth and a hint of sweetness; don’t skip this one.
Rice wine vinegar – brightens everything up; shaoxing wine is the more traditional swap if you have it.
Brown sugar – just a touch to balance the salt; coconut sugar or maple syrup both work.
Sesame oil – used both in the sauce and for cooking; toasted sesame oil gives the best flavor.
Cornstarch – helps the sauce thicken and cling to the noodles.
How to Make It
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you 🙂
Cook the veggies. Heat oil in a large skillet or large wok over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots, broccoli, bell pepper, and cabbage for about 5 minutes. Then, add in the green onion and garlic and sauté for 2 additional minutes.
Cook the noodles and make the sauce. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all ingredients for the sauce.
Add the sauce and noodles. Combine the sauce and noodles with the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes and until the noodles are reheated and the sauce is thickened and beginning to coat the veggies and noodles.
Finish it off. Remove from the heat and serve with extra green onions, sesame seeds, bean sprouts + any other toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Don’t confuse your noodles. Chow mein noodles and chow mein crispy pieces are sold under the same name – you want the soft noodles, not the crunchy snack version.
Prep everything before you start. This cooks fast. Have your veggies chopped and sauce whisked before the skillet gets hot.
Don’t overcook the vegetables. You want them tender but still with some bite – about 5-7 minutes total is right.
Add protein easily. Crispy tofu is BY FAR the best add-in here – toss it in with the noodles at the end. My tofu guide has everything you need.
Shaoxing wine upgrade. If you can find Chinese cooking wine, use it in place of the rice vinegar – it adds a more traditional depth of flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chow mein means stir-fried noodles – the sauce is lighter and the noodles have more texture. Lo mein means tossed noodles with a thicker, saucier coating. Both are delicious, but chow mein tends to be a bit drier and more stir-fry style.
Yes! Swap soy sauce for tamari, use gluten-free hoisin, and sub rice noodles or soba noodles (100% buckwheat) for the chow mein noodles.
Refrigerated yakisoba noodles are the closest and easiest to find. Thin spaghetti noodles, soba noodles, or rice noodles all work well too.
Absolutely – crispy tofu is the natural fit here and makes this a complete meal. Edamame is an easy add-in that doesn’t require any extra cooking. If you’re not vegetarian/ vegan, you can throw in some cooked chicken or beef.
Vegetable Chow Mein
Ingredients
For the sauce
½ cup of hot water2 tablespoons soy sauce1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce2 teaspoons cornstarch1 ½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar*1 tablespoon brown sugar can sub in coconut sugar or maple syrup1 teaspoon sesame oilBlack pepper to taste
For the chow mein
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil1 cup julienned carrots about 2 medium carrots1 cup finely chopped broccoli½ red bell pepper thinly sliced2-3 cups Napa cabbage finely shredded3 green onions chopped3 cloves garlic minced6 oz chow mein noodles*
Instructions
Video
Notes
Rice wine vinegar – Shaoxing wine is the more traditional choice here and worth using if you can find it. Rice wine vinegar is a solid everyday substitute.
Add protein – Crispy tofu is the move. Toss it in with the noodles at the end. See my tofu guide if you need a starting point.
Storage + Reheating – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a small splash of water or soy sauce to loosen the noodles – they’ll soak up the sauce as they sit, so this step makes a big difference. Microwave works in a pinch but the skillet method keeps the texture much better.
Nutrition
The post Easy Vegetable Chow Mein (One Pan, 25 Minutes!) appeared first on Food with Feeling.