20-Minute Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What makes lo mein taste so good? ›

The defining feature of any lo mein dish is the sauce, so make sure you take the time to get it right. Using dark soy sauce will give the lo mein color and a bolder taste while adding light soy sauce will give the dish some extra saltiness and flavor without staining the noodles darker.

The biggest difference between chow mein and lo mein lies in the translations of their names: chow mein is fried, and lo mein is tossed. The experience is somewhat different between the two. Lo mein tends to be saucier and more toothsome, with a texture some describe as “slippery” because of the noodles' softness.

Give your lo mein a quick taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add more salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, or white pepper according to your preference. Plate your lo mein and serve with homemade chili oil or hot sauce on the side!

Soak your lo mein noodles in hot boiling water for 15-20 seconds just until loosened. Strain immediately. In a large skillet or large wok, on medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil. Add carrots, red bell pepper, snow peas, mushrooms and napa cabbage.

Lo mein noodles generally contain more sodium due to the sauces used, such as soy and oyster sauce. Spaghetti, especially when topped with a simple marinara sauce, might offer fewer calories and less sodium but typically has more carbohydrates.

The best kind of restaurant-style stir-fried lo mein is subtle in flavor, with plenty of wok hei, the smoky flavor that results from the powerful flame of a restaurant wok burner licking up and over the back of the wok, singeing the oil and noodles.

Lo Mein noodles are fresh yellow noodles (usually labelled "egg noodles") that are about 3mm / 1/8" thick, sold in the fridge section of grocery stores. Dried noodles - use 200g/8oz uncooked ramen noodles or other dried noodles.

This vegetable lo mein recipe is much healthier than takeout. One bowl is only 335 calories with 16 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. Plus, it's a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals from all the veggies.

The noodles are slightly crispier in chow mein, and the fried flavor permeates the whole dish. Lo mein translates as “tossed noodles” and are not fried but rather added after the vegetables cook for a while first. Thus, lo mein noodles are softer and more subtle, allowing the other ingredients to shine.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Cook and stir celery, carrots, onion, and green onions in hot oil until slightly tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spaghetti and soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

What do they put in Chinese food to make it taste better? ›

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that has been widely used for roughly 100 years ( 1 ). In addition to being naturally present in certain foods, it's a common food additive in Chinese recipes, canned vegetables and soups, and other processed goods.

Things go fast, and you don't want to overcook the noodles. Once done, remove the lo mein from the boiling water right away, and drain. Don't wait, or the noodles may become overcooked and mushy. Rinse your drained noodles under cold water after cooking.

No, in almost every case, you should not rinse pasta after it's cooked. It's true that rinsing noodles or pasta after cooking halts the cooking process. “This is also known as shocking,” Tiess says. But rinsing also removes the starch water after the noodles are strained, which is what helps adhere sauce to noodles.

How do you keep lo mein noodles from sticking? Keep stirring so that the noodles do not have a chance to come into contact. Drain when cooked and immediately immerse into ice chilled water. Then quickly blanch to reheat.

American Chinese lo mein is a stir fry noodle dish: thick noodles mixed with a soy sauce based sauce and toppings like beef, pork, chicken, or vegetables.

Adding soy sauce to the center of the wok left the noodles with a raw soy sauce flavor, while drizzling it around the hot edges of the wok created smoky flavors reminiscent of grilled meat.

Largely this is a matter of personal taste since both dishes can be made to your preference. If you prefer lightly sauced noodles with some crunch and vegetables with some snap, chow mein might be the way to go. If you like a more comforting noodle with richly flavored sauce, lo mein may be the better option.

These noodles have the chewy, slippery texture you love about take out. Next best is dried egg noodles, or vac packed “fresh” egg noodles. But really, you can also totally make Lo Mein with any noodles – thick, thin, fresh, dried, egg or rice – or ramen noodles, or even spaghetti or other long pasta.