Veggie Lo Mein (PF Chang's Copycat Recipe) (2024)

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This copycat version of PF Chang’s veggie lo mein recipe includes lo mein noodles and mixed vegetables cooked in a deliciously sweet yet spicy sauce.

Veggie Lo Mein (PF Chang's Copycat Recipe) (1)

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PF Chang’s is the favorite restaurant of my husband and daughter and both of them always order the same thing: lo mein. Sometimes they get it with chicken, sometimes just veggies, but they are still pretty predictable. We go there for special occasions and as a treat from time to time but a couple of times a month I make their favorite stir fry at home and they are just as happy.

Of course, this is not PF Chang’s actual recipe. I wouldn’t even know where to start to get that! But it is my version and we think it’s a dead ringer. This is a budget-friendly stir fry to make for a crowd and from my experience, one that really impresses the teenage crowd!

My healthy veggie lo mein is for my vegetarian and vegan friends. It’s so quick and easy to make and will be ready to eat in just 20 minutes. It’s made with lo mein noodles and the frozen mixed vegetables of your choice. But the most delicious part is the lo mein sauce, which is sweet, spicy, and so good! It includes garlic, soy sauce, sriracha, ginger, sesame oil, and sugar. What a combo, right?

I hope you enjoy this easy veggie lo mein recipe as much as my family does! Make sure you check out some of my other Chinese recipes like Beef and Broccoli,Chicken With Fried Rice Easy Peasy, or Crockpot Cashew Chicken.

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Recipe Ingredients

  • Lo mein noodles (found in the Asian section of grocery stores).
  • Olive oil
  • Frozen mixed vegetables of your choice

Sauce

  • Minced garlic
  • Soy sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Sugar
  • Minced ginger
  • Sriracha

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make Veggie Lo Mein

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Begin by mixing up your sauce. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or stir together until blended and sugar is dissolved. Set this aside.

Hint: I usually double or triple this and put the rest in a jar in the fridge. Then I can just cook up some noodles and veggies for a quick meal later. This sauce easily keeps a few weeks in the fridge.

Boil lo mein noodles according to package directions and then allow to drain in a colander.

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Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

If you want to add chicken or beef to your dish, now is the time to cook it in this olive oil. Add bite-sized pieces of chicken, steak, or ground beef and cook until brown and no longer pink in the center.

Then, add frozen veggies and cook, stirring often, until heated through and tender.

If you’re not adding meat, just take out the sentence in italics and proceed with instructions.

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Turn off the heat and add the cooked noodles to the veggies in the skillet.

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Pour lo mein sauce into the skillet.

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Stir well to coat and that’s it!

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Enjoy your scrumptious vegetable lo mein!

Storage

  • Store lo mein noodle leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat either on the stovetop or in the microwave.
  • You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating as above.

Recipe Notes

  • You can easily substitute the sugar for brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey.
  • As mentioned, you can easily add meat to this vegetable lo mein recipe, like chicken, beef, shrimp, or even tofu.
  • Use whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you like, as long as it equals about 3 cups in total. Options include red bell pepper, carrot, Baby Bella or shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, broccoli, green beans, and snow peas. You may also want to add a leafy vegetable like shredded cabbage, baby spinach, or bok choy.
  • Garnish with chopped green onion or sesame seeds.
  • If you can’t find traditional lo mein noodles (thin egg noodles), you can use ramen noodles or spaghetti or linguini in a pinch.
  • For gluten-free lo mein, use rice noodles or gluten-free spaghetti noodles.
  • You can use either light or dark soy sauce, whatever you have on hand.

Here are more easy Asian-inspired supper recipes:

Chicken With Fried Rice

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Crock Pot Cashew Chicken

Beef and Broccoli

Rice Noodle Recipes

Veggie Lo Mein (PF Chang's Copycat Recipe) (12)

Veggie Lo Mein

This copycat version of PF Chang's veggie lo mein recipe includes lo mein noodles and mixed vegetables cooked in a deliciously sweet yet spicy sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: noodles

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 78kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces lo mein noodles
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bag frozen mixed veggies of your choice

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil this makes a huge difference
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sriracha. Set aside.

    1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 1 teaspoon sriracha

  • In a large pot of boiling water, cook the lo mein noodles according to package instructions. Drain well.

    8 ounces lo mein noodles

  • Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. If you want to add chicken or beef to your dish, now is the time to cook it in this olive oil. Add bite-sized pieces of chicken, steak, or ground beef and cook until brown and no longer pink in the center.Then, add frozen veggies and cook, stirring often, until heated through and tender.

    2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 bag frozen mixed veggies of your choice

  • Stir in the cooked noodles and sauce mixture, and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 78kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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This recipe is featured as part of Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!

Veggie Lo Mein (PF Chang's Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is lo mein sauce made of? ›

Most commonly, lo mein involves chicken, beef, pork, turkey, shrimp or tofu. Sauce components: Lo mein sauce is mainly composed of sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and a dash of sugar. If you like your noodles to have a little heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes.

What makes lo mein taste good? ›

Lo mein sauce

The sauce is what makes this dish so addictive. It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's super easy to make a batch of lo mein sauce and keep it in the fridge so you can easily make lo mein whenever the craving hits.

What is the difference between chow mein and lo mein recipe? ›

Chow mein: thin, dried noodles that are parboiled for 5-6 minutes, and fried alongside veggies and meat. Lo mein: fat, chewy noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, then added to stir-fry after veggies and meat is cooked.

What can you substitute for lo mein noodles? ›

Safe to say, you may not always have the right noodles on hand for when a craving strikes, but luckily enough, it's easy to swap them around, especially if it's lo mein that you're making. The best substitute for lo mein noodles are chow mein noodles because they are both essentially the same thing.

What is vegetable lo mein made of? ›

Lo mein is also made of various stir fried veggies, fresh garlic and ginger for lots of flavor, and a simple sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and sriracha for spice!

What is the brown sauce in Chinese food called? ›

There are many Chinese sauces that are brown just a few most common, soy sause, oyster sauce, sweet bean, Hoisin

What are the best noodles to use for lo mein? ›

You want to buy an egg noodle or pasta that's relatively thin and has some tooth. Some common names will be lo mein, chow mein, egg noodles or pancit noodles. Most markets have Japanese yaki soba noodles in the cold case, and those would work perfectly.

What gives lo mein its smoky flavor? ›

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.

How do you thicken lo mein sauce? ›

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

Which is better fried rice or lo mein? ›

So what's the healthier order, fried rice or lo mein? Short answer: lo mein. Yes, both dishes usually come slathered in sauce, but the rice offers the unfortunate double-whammy of being fried in oil first.

Can you substitute spaghetti for lo mein? ›

"If you can't find fresh lo mein noodles, you can use spaghetti," says Maroney. "This doesn't have the same elastic bite, but it will do just fine when you're in a pinch." Spaghetti is a pantry staple many people probably already have in their kitchen, making it a great go-to ingredient when needed.

What are the thin Chinese noodles called? ›

The term vermicelli encompasses a broad category of thin Asian noodles. The noodle must have a diameter of less than 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) to be classified as vermicelli. The most popular type of Asian vermicelli noodle is rice vermicelli.

What can I use instead of cornstarch for lo mein? ›

Arrowroot powder: Arrowroot powder is a starch that is often used as a cornstarch substitute. Use it in equal parts. Potato starch: Potato starch works well as a thickener for sauces and gravies.

Can you substitute rice noodles for lo mein noodles? ›

Same drill: boil, drain, toss in a neutral oil! If you're looking for a gluten-free alternative to lo mein noodles, your best bet is rice noodles that are suitable for stir-frying, like a pad Thai noodle.

What is the difference between Chinese noodles and lo mein noodles? ›

First, the main difference between the two is the type of wheat used to make them. Lo mein noodles are typically made from wheat flour, eggs, and water, whereas regular noodles can be made from a variety of grains, including wheat, rice, or mung beans. Second, the texture of the noodles is different.

What is the Chinese brown sauce made of? ›

Chicken Broth Version: Combine 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock), 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch) in a saucepan. Mix evenly and make sure there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and keep stirring during cooking.

What is Chinese chow mein sauce made of? ›

Combine soy sauce, light sesame oil, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth to make the signature sweet and savory sauce that makes chow mein taste authentic.

What does lo mein sauce taste like? ›

What does Lo Mein taste like? Lo Mein is slightly sweet and savory because garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and oyster sauce are tossed lightly with a sesame oil base during the cooking process.

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