Description
This quick chow mein recipe is easy to whip up and tossed with a seriously delicious stir-fry sauce. Feel free to add meat, seafood, tofu, and/or whatever extra veggies you might like.
Ingredients
Stir-Fry Ingredients:
- 6 ounces dried chow mein noodles*
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or olive oil)
- 4 cups sliced veggies (I used one bell pepper, one carrot, and 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage (I used Napa cabbage)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Sauce Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons shaoxing wine*
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- pinch of ground white pepper (or black pepper)
- optional: chili garlic sauce or Sriracha, to taste
Instructions
- Make the stir-fry sauce. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl (or shake them together in a covered mason jar) until combined. Set aside until ready to use.
- Par-boil the noodles. Cook the noodles in a large stock-pot of salted water until they are just a minute or so shy of al dente. (You want them to be nearly cooked, yet still have a bit of a chewy bite. They will finish cooking later in the sauté pan.) Transfer the noodles to a strainer, briefly rinse with lukewarm water and drain, then set aside until ready to add them to sauté pan below.
- Sauté the veggies. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over high heat. Add the veggies and white parts of the scallions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Add the cabbage, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is softened and the garlic is fragrant.
- Combine everything together. Add the cooked noodles to the sauté pan along with the sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, tossing the mixture occasionally, until the noodles are al dente.
- Season. Taste the chow mein and add extra soy sauce and/or white pepper, if needed. (I like my noodles quite salty and peppery so I usually add more of both.)
- Serve. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the green parts of the scallions, and enjoy!
Notes
Noodle options: I used traditional Chinese chow mein egg noodles for this recipe, which are usually labeled as “chow mein noodles,” “stir-fry noodles” or “lo mein noodles” in American grocery stores. (Look for the long noodles and avoid buying the short canned chow mein noodles like these, which have the same name but are used more as a salad topping.)
Shaoxing wine: Also sometimes labeled as “Chinese cooking wine,” this Chinese rice wine adds really great flavor to this dish and I highly recommend picking up a bottle if you regularly cook stir-fries. That said, if you do not have a bottle, you can sub in mirin, sherry, or a sweet white wine. Or, if you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can just add in some vegetable stock (or even a splash of apple juice) instead.
Make it spicy: If you would like to give these noodles some heat, which I highly recommend, just add your desired amount of chili garlic sauce or Sriracha to the stir-fry sauce.
