Double Veggie Lo Mein
I order my veggie lo mein with extra veggies and it arrives to table with maybe an extra shred of cabbage. And that’s not at one restaurant. It appears to happen a lot. I place my order and always request more of said veggies. Maybe an extra broccoli floret or piece of green onion arrive and that’s it. With a big old tangle of noodles. My Novio and I exchange looks. What’s up with that?
And you know, I’ve tried ordering a plate of veggies along with the noodles with the intent of combining the two. It’s not the same. The sauces don’t seem to be compatible.
I love noodles.
But I love veggies too.
One solution. Next time you want double veggies with your noodles, go home.
Do it yourself. Grab some garlic and ginger.
We want our veggie:noodle ratio to be 2:1? Let’s just do it!
Oh, and my apologies if I misled you. This is by no means an authentic lo mein recipe. Simply a dish that satisfies me and is Asian-inspired when I’m craving something just like this.
DOUBLE VEGGIE LO MEIN
Ingredients:
6 oz. uncooked egg noodles (or spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or your choice of noodle- if long, broken in half) 2 T. vegetable oil (canola, safflower or grape seed) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small knob ginger (about 1″), either grated or cut into very small matchsticks 1 onion, thinly sliced half-circles 1 stalk celery, sliced, on the diagonal (not mandatory, but it looks nice) 1 medium or 2 small carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal (see above note) 1 cup broccoli, cut-up 1/2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced 2-3 c. shredded cabbage (Savoy, Napa or green- I used Savoy)Sauce:
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce 1 t. water 1 T. rice wine vinegar 1 t. sugar 1/2 t. cornstarch (optional) 1 t. toasted sesame oilOptional Toppings:
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal 2 T. cilantro leaves 1 T. roasted cashews 1 T. black sesame seedsThat’s what I used. Peanuts would also be good- as would regular sesame seeds.
More veggie possibilities: (Use some type of cabbage – it works well with the noodles)
chopped kale spinach red pepper strips baby corn different types of mushrooms Chinese broccoli snap peasDirections:
Cook noodles according to package directions.
Mix sauce ingredients except, sesame oil, in a small bowl. If you like it thick, add 1/2 t. of cornstarch and whisk in.
Heat a large pan and add oil. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Add all the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Cover and steam with sauce for 2-3 minutes or to your liking. Taste and adjust sauce ingredients to your liking. Add toasted sesame oil and toss.
Either toss noodles with veggies in pan or serve noodles in individual bowls, with the vegetables over them and your choice of toppings.
Makes 2 hefty main dish portions or 4 sides.
bb Note: Do you keep your little bottle of sesame oil in the fridge? It is a great idea to do this with all specialized oils; it keeps them from getting rancid quickly. So take that little bottle of sesame oil along with the walnut oil and put them in the fridge!
TIP: Whole Foods carries an Organic Soy Ginger Sauce (house brand) that’s lower in sodium than soy sauce, has a nice, thick consistency and has great flavor. Use it in place of the soy sauce and vinegar and add sesame oil at end of cooking.
bumbleberry breeze 
Perfect ratio 2:1 veggies to noodles. I will be trying this recipe out. My sister cooks up similar dishes with her eyes closed and her hands tied behind her back (kidding), but for me, I still need recipes – each and every time. Thanks for guiding!
Hope you enjoy it – Tell your sister fire code laws demand that she keep her eyes open at all times!Have a happy New Year- Love your Blog!
The feeling is mutual. I’m pretty sure you could give me cooking lessons. You seem to be from the natural camp, like my sis.