When it comes to quick, satisfying, and wholesome meals, vegetable mei fun is one of my go-to options. I love it just as much as my favorite chicken mei fun. But when I don’t have meat in my fridge, I can whip this dish together using pantry ingredients and whatever leftover vegetables I have in the fridge.
This Cantonese classic balances delicate thin rice vermicelli, tender-crisp vegetables, soft eggs, and a savory sauce to create a dish that’s both comforting and fresh. It’s a fantastic main dish that is filling and full of nutrition, and it comes together quickly, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
My favorite Chinese rice vermicelli for stir frying
Rice vermicelli comes in different shapes and sizes. When it comes to stir fried mei fun, my favorite brand is “Jiang Men Rice Sticks”. They are quite thin in dried form, but will become thicker once hydrated. The best thing about these rice noodles is, they hold their shape and stay a little chewy even after they’re cooked at high heat. You can often find this brand in Chinese markets or large Asian markets.
Sauce ingredients
The sauce uses oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and light soy sauce for the savory backbone. Dark soy sauce adds a darker color to the sauce, but you can skip it if you don’t have it on hand. White pepper adds a mild kick and sesame oil adds nuttiness.
The sauce is mild and slightly sweet, bringing out the natural flavors of the vegetables. If you think the dish is too mild for you, feel free to stir in some chili oil or chili crisp at the end of the cooking.
Vegetable options
My recipe uses carrot, cabbage, bean sprout and baby bok choy for color and texture. I tend to overload the homemade mei fun with vegetables, but feel free to tweak it with whatever you have on hand.
Some of my favorite other vegetables are:
- Onion: Slice half an onion thinly and add it at the beginning of the cooking, with the aromatics. You can reduce the amount of scallion if using onion.
- Napa cabbage: You can use it to replace the cabbage and / or bok choy. Be careful, napa cabbage tends to release a lot of liquid if cooked for too long. Make sure you always use high heat so the liquid evaporates properly.
- Red pepper or bell pepper: You can slice half a pepper very thinly and use it instead of bean sprouts, for the crisp texture. Avoid chili peppers, since the spiciness usually takes over and makes the dish unbalanced.
- Spinach and choy sum: Both add tenderness and color. You can use them to replace the baby bok choy.
How do I make this dish vegetarian?
You can replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and use vegetarian oyster sauce to make this dish vegetarian.
How to make
- Soak the vermicelli until al dente, then cut the strands to shorter pieces so they’re easier to stir fry. Always check the package of your rice vermicelli, since different brands call for different preparation methods.
- Scramble the eggs. I like to use a generous amount of oil and heat it up really hot. So the eggs brown slightly on the surface and the inside is tender and fluffy.
- Next, cook the aromatics to infuse the oil, then cook the vegetables according to their tenderness. In this recipe, I cooked the cabbage and carrot first, then proceeded with the bok choy whites and bean sprouts. Bok choy greens and scallions are added at the end. It is important to use salt to season the vegetables as you go, to build flavor.
- After adding the vermicelli and the sauce, I like to cover the pan to steam it briefly. It helps to bring the pan temperature back up and make sure the vegetables added later are cooked through.
- Then toss everything until the sauce is absorbed and the vegetables are fully cooked. It’s important to taste the dish at this point. You can slightly adjust the seasoning by sprinkling more salt, or you can cover the pan to steam a little longer if the vegetables are not tender enough.
How to prepare the vermicelli?
Different rice vermicelli require soaking or boiling. The brand I used in this recipe requires soaking in hot water. I found that it’s important to use hot but not boiling water. If your water is not hot enough, the vermicelli takes a very long time to rehydrate. On the other hand, if using boiling water, the vermicelli will turn soft too quickly and become a little mushy during stir frying.
This vegetable mei fun is light, satisfying, and packed with umami from the simple sauce. It’s the kind of dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight yet flavorful enough to impress.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use other noodles instead of rice vermicelli?
Yes, you can substitute thin egg noodles or other Chinese noodles, but cooking time may vary and the texture will be different.
How do I prevent the rice vermicelli from sticking together?
After cooking, rinse the noodles under cold water, drain them well, and leave them near the sink. If the noodles start to stick right before you add them to the stir fry, you can quickly rinse them with cold water again and fluff them. Alternatively, you can toss the noodles with a small amount of oil. Cutting long noodles into shorter strands also makes tossing easier.
Can I make it ahead of time?
Mei fun is best served immediately once it’s cooked for optimal texture. You can definitely reheat and eat the leftover noodles the next day, but the noodles and the vegetables may be slightly soggy.
How do I avoid soggy noodles?
Avoid overcooking the noodles and overcrowding the pan. Always cook over high heat. If you start to notice the pan is too crowded while cooking the vegetables, take them out and add them back at the end.
Other noodle recipes you might like
- Beef Chow Fun (干炒牛河)
- Singapore Noodles (星洲炒米粉, Singapore Mei Fun)
- Roast Pork Lo Mein (叉烧捞面)
- Chicken Pan Fried Noodles
- Biang Biang Noodles (Yu Po Mian)
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Vegetable Mei Fun
Ingredients
- 5 oz dried thin rice vermicelli noodles (yields 1 lb / 450 g after soaking)
- 4 eggs , beaten with a pinch of salt
Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Stir fry
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 thumb ginger , minced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 medium carrot , julienned
- 2 cups cabbage , shredded
- 2 baby bok choy , white sliced to 1/2” pieces, greens sliced to 1” pieces
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 green onions , sliced to 2” pieces
Instructions
- Cook or soak vermicelli noodles in boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. I like to cook the noodles 1 minute less than the package indicates. Once done, drain and set aside. Use a pair of scissors to cut the vermicelli into short strands so it’s easier to stir fry.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil into a big skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beaten eggs into the pan. Lightly scramble the eggs until just cooked. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic, ginger and onion into the same pan. Stir and cook to release fragrance, 30 seconds or so.
- Add the carrot and cabbage. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until the carrot just starts to turn soft. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir to mix well.
- Add the bok choy white and bean sprouts. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the noodles, sauce mixture, bok choy greens, and green onion. Stir a few times and cover the pan to steam for 1 minute. Then toss with a pair of tongs until the sauce is mixed evenly. Add back the eggs and toss again. Transfer everything to serving plates and serve hot as a main.
Notes
- To make the dish gluten-free: use a gluten-free oyster sauce, use tamari to replace soy sauce, and use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.
Nutrition
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