These Vegetable pan fried noodles are perfect for a one-bowl weeknight dinner! The crispy noodles are covered with colorful vegetables that come in all textures and a rich savory sauce. {Vegetarian, Vegan}
Pan fried noodles are always a crowd favorite. Previously I shared a beef pan fried noodles recipe and got many questions on how to make it vegetarian. So today I want to share this colorful vegetable pan fried noodles recipe. The crispy noodles are loaded with fresh vegetables and brought together with an aromatic brown sauce.
Compared to the restaurant version, my vegetable pan fried noodles contain much more vegetables per serving. Not only is it a healthy and satisfying meal, it’s also a great dish to help you clean out the vegetables left in your fridge. This recipe includes the veggies I enjoy the most. But I will also share tips on how to switch out the ingredients and use whatever you have on hand.
Vegetable pan fried noodles ingredients
What type of noodles to use
The best noodles for vegetable pan fried noodles are Hong Kong pan fried noodles. It is a type of thin fresh noodles that are made with wheat flour and eggs. This type of noodle creates a very crispy and crunchy result which is perfect for this dish. You can usually find them in the refrigerated or freezer section at Chinese markets and some Asian markets such as H Mart. You can also purchase them online.
If you do not have Hong Kong pan fried noodles, the best alternative is vermicelli pasta, which yields a similar result. If you can’t find either, you can also use ramen noodles (a bit thicker) or angel hair pasta (a bit thinner).
How to cut Chinese broccoli
For this recipe, I like to slice the Chinese broccoli stem into thin pieces and slice the leaves into bite-sized pieces. This way the Chinese broccoli will be cooked evenly together, and you can cook it through easily during the stir fry process.
Mise en place
Once you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Prepped vegetables: carrot, onion, Chinese broccoli, mushroom, bean sprouts
- Noodles
- Mixed sauce
- Chopped aromatics
How to make vegetable pan fried noodles
- Quickly cook the noodles until al dente
- Pan fry the noodles until crispy
- Stir fry the onion and carrot
- Quickly cook the ginger and garlic
- Stir fry the Chinese broccoli and mushrooms
- Add the sauce
- Add the bean sprouts and give it a final stir
- Top the vegetables and sauce over the noodles
How to replace vegetables in vegetable pan fried noodles
You can replace the ingredients below with other types of vegetables that you have on hand. But for the best result, consider a mix of vegetables that has different colors and textures.
- To replace Chinese broccoli (leafy greens): blanched broccoli florets, chopped kale, shredded cabbage, shredded napa cabbage, spinach
- To replace bean sprouts (crispy texture): bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, green peppers, and chili peppers
- Almost any type of mushroom will work: button mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, etc
- To replace onion: shallot or green onions
How to serve vegetable pan fried noodles
Vegetable pan fried noodles make a satisfying one-bowl dinner. If you are serving a multi-course dinner, you can serve them as a side dish along with other main dishes.
More delicious Chinese noodle recipes
- Vegetable Chow Fun (蔬菜炒河粉)
- Real Deal Sesame Noodles
- Chicken Chow Mein (鸡肉炒面)
- Singapore Noodles (星洲炒米粉, Singapore Mei Fun)
- Zha Jiang Mian (Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodle, 炸酱面)
- Stir Fried Vermicelli with Pork (Ma Yi Shang Shu, 蚂蚁上树)
Vegetable Pan Fried Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) fresh Hong Kong pan fried noodles (or other type of thin noodles) (Footnote 1)
Sauce
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Stir-Fry
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil , divided
- 5 heads (8 oz / 225 g) Chinese broccoli , sliced to small bite-size pieces (or 1 head broccoli) (*Footnote 2)
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 ” (2.5 cm) ginger , minced
- 1/2 yellow onion , sliced
- 2 (4 oz / 110 g) small carrot , sliced to rounds (yield about 1 cup once cut)
- 1 pack (5 oz / 150 g) white shimeji mushrooms , separated (or button mushrooms, sliced)
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix thoroughly.
- Prepare the noodles according to package directions (*Footnote 3). Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan (nonstick or carbon steel) with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the noodles. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the noodles crisp up and turn light golden, 5 minutes or so. Once done, transfer the noodles to serving plates.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and carrots. Quickly stir a few times to mix well. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
- Add the Chinese broccoli and mushrooms. Cook and stir for another minute, until the veggies start to soften.
- Stir the sauce thoroughly to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour the sauce into the pan. Stir and cook to bring the sauce to a boil, and cook until it starts to thicken.
- Add the bean sprouts. Stir to mix everything well. Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, divide and pour the vegetables and sauce over the fried noodles. Serve immediately as a main dish.
Notes
- Hong Kong noodles will yield the best texture. The best alternative is vermicelli pasta, which yields a similar result. If you can’t find either, you can also use ramen noodles (a bit thicker) or angel hair pasta (a bit thinner). You can store the leftover HK noodles in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Slice the Chinese broccoli stems into very thin slices, and slice the leaves into bite-sized pieces. This way both parts can be cooked fast and evenly during the stir frying process. You can also use blanched broccoli to replace the Chinese broccoli.
- Hong Kong noodles can have different preparation methods depending on the brand. Some don’t require boiling and you can directly pan fry them. In such a case, you might need to pour in a small cup of water (1/4 cup or so) to steam the noodles in the frying pan so they are not too dry. If the package requires boiling but doesn’t indicate a time, you should boil the noodles and keep a close eye on them so they will be al dente. I briefly cooked mine, for less than 1 minute. If you use pasta, cook it until al dente. If you use thin Asian noodles, cook them 1 minute less than the package indicates.
Thank you so much for your blog. You have transformed my barely ok stir fries into restaurant-quality meals.
This was wonderful! I used regular spaghetti noodles, and drizzled with a little sesame oil before piling the saucy vegetables on top. The family inhaled this, and nobody even thought to miss the meat. A winning recipe, Maggie!
I made a version of this for lunch today. And when I served it up, the first reaction was “wow! This looks like it just came out of a restaurant!” And after eating, the reaction was “that’s really good. You can make it again.”
So, easy enough for lunch and delicious enough to make again.
I make chowmein all the time—hong king style—the gailon just makes this dish better—add shiitakes and bamboo shoots —maybe some red pepper strips & green onions on top with egg strips for a delish Chinese vegetable Chowmein!