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

How does lo mein get its flavor? ›

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 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 kind of 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 is the difference between chow mein and lo mein recipe? ›

Lo mein typically uses fresh noodles, while chow mein can be made with fresh or dried. Lo mein noodles are typically thick and chewy. Stir-fried noodles in chow mein are thinner and cooked to a golden crisp.

What is the sauce in lo mein made of? ›

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 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.

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

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.

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

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.

Can you use regular spaghetti noodles for lo mein? ›

15 Minute Lo Mein! Made with just soy sauce, sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, ramen noodles or spaghetti noodles, and any veggies or protein you like. SO YUMMY!

What is hoisin sauce used for? ›

Hoisin sauce is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used in Cantonese cuisine as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as dipping sauce. It is dark-coloured, sweet and salty. Although regional variants exist, hoisin sauce usually includes soybeans, fennel, red chili peppers, and garlic.

Can you substitute spaghetti noodles for lo mein noodles? ›

But it's nothing a nifty little trick won't fix, and all you need is some baking soda to do so. Adding a spoonful of baking soda to the pot of water that you boil the spaghetti in will trigger a chemical reaction that will give the pasta the tooth and bounce of Chinese egg noodles.

What are the crunchy Chinese noodles called? ›

Mein gon (面干 miàn-gān), informally referred to as crunchy noodles or crunchy chow mein, are a type of noodle-shaped cracker (or dried biscuit) used in American Chinese cuisine.

Which is healthier chow or lo mein? ›

From a nutritional standpoint, lo mein is better than chow mein, hands down. "Lo mein would be considered more nutritious because the noodles are not fried and there is less oil used in the cooking," Jaelin says. "Lo mein has less than half the calories and fat found in chow mein.

What is happy family Chinese food? ›

Happy Family is a dish that combines various meats with fresh vegetables in a light brown Chinese sauce. Typically the meat will be chicken, beef or pork as well as seafood - usually shrimp. This great combination of meats make it a favourite on the takeout menus as you get lots of protein within the one order.

How do you make lo mein less bland? ›

Experiment with spices: Spice up your lo mein noodles by adding spices like garlic powder, ginger, crushed red pepper flakes, or Chinese five-spice powder. These spices will add a layer of complexity and heat to your dish.

How do you add smoky flavor to Chinese food? ›

Carbon steel woks are known to impart a smoky, caramelized taste, but any wok works fine as long as the frying technique is right. To give your chow mein a smoky flavor, drizzle soy sauce around the edges of the wok as you fry the chow mein, making sure the surface is a little oily so the sauce won't burn.

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