Vegan Takeaway Style Chow Mein
Chow mein is a Chinese takeaway classic favourite that I order every time. But did you know its super easy to make at home, it has hardly any ingredients and tastes just like the takeaway.
The key to the classic takeaway style flavour is the chow mein sauce- a combination of MSG, white pepper, sesame oil, and soy sauce. This combination is the exact reason takeaway Chinese noodles taste so good.
You can get everything you need at your local Chinese supermarket which tends to be cheaper than the big supermarkets too!
You can customise your chow mein with whatever protein or vegetables you love. Give this recipe a try next time you’re craving a Chinese takeaway but want the cheaper option.
Plain chow mein- I've made this recipe for a plain chow mein but chow mein can have anything added to it to make it more of a full meal. Any protein and/or vegetables can be added to make this your own.
What to eat chow mein with-
Why you will love this vegan chow mein recipe-
Easy- Cooking these noodles is just a matter of boiling, mixing the sauce and stif frying it all together, it has minimal ingredients and is a beginner dish to cook.
Quick- From start to finish these noodle should take no more than 20 minutes to cook making them a great option for a speedy dinner.
Fakeaway- Takeaway food can be pricey and contain added oils, salts and sugars which is not the best if you are wanting to save money and be more mindful of what you are consuming. These noodles are great because they taste just like takeaway food but cheaper and healthier.
Customiseable- There are many different flavour options with chow mein from plain to vegetables or protein. You can add whatever you like into your chow main making it a good customisable dish to your liking.
Vegan chow mein ingredients and substitutes-
- Vegan egg style noodles- Traditionally chow mein is often made with egg noodles but you can buy imitation egg noodles from Chinese supermarkets which are sometimes coloured yellow to look like egg noodles but happen to be vegan. Try to use a medium width noodle for this dish. If you don’t have access to a Chinese supermarket you can buy imitation egg noodles online also.
- Beansprouts- Beansprouts add a crunch element to the dish, if you prefer them to be less crunchy add them in a little earlier so they get cooked well. You can omit these if you’d like just the noodles.
- Sesame oil- Sesame oil is an oil made from sesame seeds that is not used to cook with but used as a flavouring so be sure to add this towards the end to stop the flavour from cooking out. Sesame oil has a toasted nutty flavour that really belongs in these noodles.
- Soy sauce- A mix of soy sauces are used in chow mein. Light soy sauce adds saltiness without being too rich where a splash of dark soy sauce adds the colour to the noodles giving them the colour chow mein is known by.
- MSG- MSG is used to bring out the savoury flavours in this dish and will take your average home cooked noodle dish right up to take away restaurant standard food. It is essential for that authentic Chinese flavour. You can buy MSG in all Chinese supermarkets or online. You can sub out for salt but the takeaway flavour will not be there 100%.
- White pepper- White pepper has a milder flavour than black pepper and is often used in Chinese food. This is also an important element of making your chow mein taste authentic.
How to make chow mein
- Boil the noodles and rinse in cold water
- Chop the onions thinly
- Fry the onions until soft
Top tip- Always be sure to rinse the noodles with cold water and leave soaking in cold water until ready to use. This will stop the cooking processing to make sure the noodles are not overcooked and also wash off all of the excess starch to stop them sticking together.
- Add the cooked noodles
- Add the dry seasonings
- Add the beansprouts
- Add the liquid seasonings
- Serve up and enjoy!
Vegan Takeaway Style Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 250 g Vegan egg style noodles
- 1 White onion
- 250 g Beansprouts
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp MSG
- ½ tsp White pepper
- ½ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Cook the noodles to packet instructions, rinse off with cold water then fill the pan with cold water and leave the noodles in there whilst you get started on the rest.
- Slice the onions thinly and fry until soft in an oiled frying pan.
- Turn the pan to high heat and add the noodles.
- Leave the noodles to get a slight char on the bottom before stirring.
- Add in the MSG, white pepper and salt and stir to coat the noodles.
- Now add in the bean sprouts and stir fry until cooked.
- Lastly add in the soy sauces and sesame oil to finish.
- Toss well to combine then serve.
Some other vegan Chinese takeaway style recipes from other bloggers that we love
Vegan Chinese Curry in 30 minutes and One Pot - Vegan Punks
Vegan black pepper tofu - Lazy Cat Kitchen
Love noodles? Here are some more noodles from The Plant Bowls
- Shanghai Style Spring Onion Biang Biang Noodles
- Tofu Katsu Curry Udon Noodles
- Vegan Thai Green Curry Noodles
One response to “Vegan Takeaway Style Chow Mein”
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Love this recipe, will be making Chinese food at home on weekends now 🙂
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