Vegetarian Chow Mein (素菜炒面)
Introducing the best noodle sauce to make this scrumptious and authentic Vegetarian Chow Mein. {Vegan, Gluten-free adaptable}
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) dried Chinese noodles (*footnote 1)
Sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons homemade vegetarian oyster sauce (or store bought) (*footnote 2)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
Stir fry
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 carrot , peeled and julienned
- 3 to 4 shiitake or white mushrooms , sliced
- 2 small heads baby bok choy , chopped
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
- 1 cup sliced bamboo shoot (or 1 cup sliced red pepper)
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 green onions , chop to 2-inch (5-cm) pieces
Serve (optional)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or 1 tablespoons homemade chili oil)
- Chopped green onion for garnish
- Crumbled toasted peanut (or almond for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to the package instruction. Drain and set aside.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stir to mix well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high until hot. Add carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and baby bok choy. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in 2 tablespoons water. Cover the pan and let steam for 30 seconds. Transfer everything onto a big plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance. Add noodles. Toss the noodles with a pair of tongs until the edges turn a light golden color. Add more oil if the noodles stick together.
- Return the cooked vegetables to the pan. Add bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and green onions. Pour in the sauce. Toss until the sauce is eventually mixed and absorbed. Remove the pan from the stove. Swirl in sesame oil (or homemade chili oil). Toss again to mix well.
- Transfer everything onto a big plate. Serve hot as a main.
Notes
- As I mentioned in the blog post, you can use chow mein noodles, or any type of thick wheat noodles. Alternatively, you can replace it with rice noodles for gluten-free and shirataki noodles for gluten-free and paleo.