My quick and easy mushroom chow mein is the perfect weeknight dinner; it’s tasty and satisfying, plus it’s packed with B vitamins thanks to the nutrient-dense mushrooms, and can be served on its own, or alongside your favourite protein source. My version omits the oyster sauce, so it’s vegan and vegetarian friendly and great for those with seafood allergies. It all comes together in 20 minutes or less, so you’ll be enjoying these delicious savoury noodles before you know it!
FAQ
Chow mein is a Chinese dish consisting of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and often some meat or tofu. My vegan chow mein uses wheat noodles and starrs earthy mushrooms for an intense umami flavour. You can use any kind of noodles you like – egg noodles work well in this dish! Traditionally, oyster sauce is used to flavour the noodles, but I’ve replaced that here with hoisin sauce so the dish is safe for allergies and plant-based eaters.
First, the noodles are prepared by boiling in water before being added to a stir fry of mushrooms and spring onion. Next, the sauce is added and heated through in the hot wok. That’s it! How easy is that?
This dish is great on its own, but if you’re after a bit more protein you could serve it with Sui Mai (pork and prawn dumplings), some crispy fried tofu, Chinese-style chicken drumsticks, or you could add in some chopped chicken breast or tofu to the stir fry and incorporate that into the final dish for an extra bump of protein. There are so many options!
Ingredients for the Mushroom Chow Mein
Sesame Oil – I like the added flavour you get from stir-frying in sesame oil.
Mushrooms – you can use any mushrooms you like but for best results, use a variety including chestnut, oyster and shiitake! If those aren’t available you could just use chestnut or button mushrooms.
Spring Onion – it’s nice to add a bit of green to your dish, and spring onion serves this purpose while also providing more flavour.
Noodles – I’ve used udon noodles in my vegan chow mein to keep this recipe fully plant-based, but egg noodles work well. Udon noodles are also vegan and taste great in this recipe. Rice vermicelli noodles are also one of my favourites.
Sesame Seeds – every dish needs sprinkles! Toasted sesame seeds add some more flavour and make the finished dish look very pretty.
Ingredients for Mushroom Chow Mein Sauce
This sauce creates a perfect balance of sweet and salty that’s so moreish.
Hoisin Sauce – Often, chow mein includes oyster sauce to season the dish. I’ve swapped this in my recipe for hoisin sauce, it’s just as flavourful and delicious and helps to keep the dish plant-based.
Rice Wine – adds a slight tang to the sauce and helps to add a bit more sweetness to the sauce. Don’t get this mixed up with rice wine vinegar!
Soy Sauce – Dark soy sauce adds a beautiful, rich colour to the noodles, and of course, seasons the sauce.
Garlic – a minced garlic clove adds some more flavour, which complements the mushrooms so well.
Making the Mushroom Chow Mein
To start with, prepare the mushroom chow mein sauce so it can marinate together while you prepare the rest of the dish. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, rice wine, hoisin sauce, minced garlic and sesame seeds. Set aside for later.
Prepare your noodles according to package instructions. For my Yutaka thin Udon noodles, I boiled them in water for 8-10 minutes until soft. Drain your noodles and set them aside for later.
Get started on the stir fry. Get your wok nice and hot using the biggest burner you have. Add the sesame oil to the sides of the wok to coat the wok evenly.
Add your chopped mushrooms and stir fry for 5 minutes or so.. Cook them until they start to turn golden. You can now add the spring onion and fry for another couple of minutes.
Add the noodles to the wok along with the sauce you made earlier, toss to combine in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes to cook off the raw garlic.
That’s it! For best results, serve immediately. Sprinkle some more sesame seeds on top for a garnish. I like to add tofu and some steamed broccoli to this dish to boost the protein and fibre.
Storage
These noodles are best enjoyed freshly made, but they can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge in an air-tight container. To reheat, add them back into a hot wok and stir-fry for a few minutes until completely heated through.
They can be frozen, too, in an air-tight container. Defrost before adding it back into a hot pan. You may need to add a little water to loosen the noodles up if they are sticking together.
Meal Prep Instructions
This mushroom chow mein recipe is so quick and easy to make, making the sauce in advance won’t save you much time. To speed up the process you can do things simultaneously. While the noodles are boiling, begin stir-frying the mushrooms and onions. While that’s going on, you can quickly whisk the sauce together. The whole recipe can be made in around 15 minutes if you’re efficient!
Did you make this recipe? If so, leave a comment down below! If you have photos, tag me in them on Instagram #oneappletwopears and @oneappletwopears
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Quick and Easy Mushroom Chow Mein
Ingredients
For the Chow Mein
- 200 g Udon Noodles, dry
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 300 g Assorted Mushrooms
- 8-10 stalks Spring Onion
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Rice Wine
- 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar or Honey
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside for now.
Cook the Noodles
- Cook your noodles in water according to the package instructions. Thin Udon noodles should take around 10 minutes to cook.
Make the Stir Fry
- While waiting for the noodles to cook, begin cooking the stir fry.
- Heat the wok on the biggest burner you have. When the wok is very hot, add the cooking oil
- Add in the mushrooms and stir fry for around 5 minutes until any water has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown.
- Add the spring onion and stir fry for another minute or two.
Bring it all Together
- Now the noodles should have finished cooking, you can add them into the wok along with the mushrooms and onions.
- Pour the sauce around the sides of the pan and toss well to combine.
- Serve the noodles straight away – they are best enjoyed piping hot!