If you are craving Asian food and looking for a quick meal to toss together, lo mein is the perfect dish. It can be made with thin vermicelli style noodles, but my favorite noodles for the dish are wide, flat lo mein noodles. It’s quick and easy and can easily be made in 20 to 25 minutes. Lo mein can be a great vegetarian dinner or a great way to use a bit of leftover steak or chicken. You can thinly slice cooked meats and toss them in when you add your noodles and greens.
As you can see in these pictures, I do not cook lo mein in a wok. I don’t own a wok and if I did I probably would not know how to use it properly. If you have a large well seasoned cast iron skillet or a large nonstick pan, you can make beautiful lo mein. No wok required! This may not be a very authentic Asian recipe, but it is an incredibly delicious one.
This recipe makes 2-3 large individual portions or 4-5 small side dish portions.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces wide lo mein noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon chili paste or siracha
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 cups fresh cooking greens, I used fresh sword leaf lettuce. You could use fresh spinach or boc choy.
- 1 cup thinly sliced mixed vegetables; carrots, onion, bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon wild garlic bulbs or fresh garlic, thinly sliced
Directions
- Cook lo mein noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and set aside.
- To make sauce: combine water and cornstarch until dissolved, add rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and chili paste to the cornstarch slurry. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Thinly slice 1 cup of mixed vegetables and garlic cloves. For easy thin carrot slices use a potato peeler.
- Heat cast iron skillet or wok over medium high heat, then add olive oil and sesame oil to the hot pan.
- Add 1 cup vegetables and garlic cloves too hot skillet, stir frequently, cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are soft.
- Add cooked lo mein noodles and fresh greens. Continue stirring for 1 minute.
- Add sauce to the noodles and vegetables and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking while you are cooking.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Digging Food 