Vegan Lo Mein

This super fast 15 Minute Vegan Lo Mein is the perfect meal when you need dinner ready in a flash but you still need it to be healthy and taste good. Simple & easy to find ingredients and it tastes just like takeout, you may just make this meal part of your weekly staples!

Ingredients:
Veggie Lo Mein:
14-16 ounces vegan lo mein noodles or long noodles (cooked according to package directions)
4-6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 inch peeled ginger, grated
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
12 ounces sliced mushrooms,
1 cup sliced green onions (cut in 1-inch pieces)
1 cup leafy greens (choy sum, bok choy, spinach, kale, chard, etc.)

Sauce:
6 tablespoons soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, optional
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, optional
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or substitute your favorite sweetener)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or substitute apple cider vinegar)
1 ½ teaspoons tahini, optional
¼ – ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions:
Cook noodles: Start a large pot of water going and cook the noodles according to package directions. If the noodles are done before you’re done cooking the veggies, you can rinse them in warm water and leave them in the strainer. Cook veggies: While water boils, start cooking the veggies. Cook aromatics: In a large nonstick skillet, cook the garlic and ginger over medium high heat. I like to use a splash of avocado oil (or another high heat neutral cooking oil) to keep them from sticking, but you can use water or broth if you’re oil-free. Cook the aromatics for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the bell peppers and carrots. Stir and let saute for 1-2 minutes. Then add the snow peas and mushrooms. Note if using kale or chard, those can take longer to break down so you might want to add them now. Stir and allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add greens: When the mushrooms have lightly browned, add the green onions and the leafy greens. Stir and cook until the greens have just wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Make sauce: Make the vegan lo mein sauce by whisking together the soy sauces, sesame oil, tahini, rice vinegar, coconut sugar, and ground ginger in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour half of the sauce into the veggies when they are done. Combine: Add the noodles to the veggies, toss with tongs, and add the remainder of the sauce. Toss gently (or fold with a spatula) until everything is well mixed and coated.
Serve: Serve immediately with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and/or red pepper flakes and enjoy. Store: Refrigerate leftover veggie lo mein in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that gluten-free pasta may not hold up as well and you can use your discretion with that.

Tips for success:
– Don’t be tempted to add all your veggies at once. They have different cook times–so layering is important. Pay attention to how the veggies are cooking. If they are cooking too fast, lower the heat or speed along the process. Don’t overcook them.
– If your noodles are done before the veggies, rinse it in warm water in a strainer to keep it from sticking together. You might lose a tiny bit of flavor this way, but it’s better than sticky clumps of noodles.
– Feel free to customize the sauce. It’s your dish! A lot of veggie lo mein recipes feature mirin, so you could add that in place of a bit of the sugar or the rice vinegar and it would be delicious.
– Definitely go for toasted sesame oil as opposed to plain. It has a deeper, more nutty flavor perfect for this dish and many other Asian-inspired dishes and cuisines.
– For a sped-up but somewhat less flavorful edition, try a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables, regular old spaghetti, and a simplified sauce made from soy sauce and a sweetener like coconut sugar, brown sugar, or agave. It’s a little less developed but man does it come together quickly.

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