This bright and colourful Chinese vegetable chow mein is so quick to make and you can adapt it to whatever vegetables you have to hand.
Chow mein simply means friend noodles, and when we are following a low calorie diet, we love the idea of a bit of fried food. This is such a cheerful dish – the vegetables are lightly cooked so they are vibrant and beautiful. To finish, the light coating of sauce makes everything taste delicious. It takes just 20 minutes to make – perfect if you’re hungry right now. Swap the vegetables for what you have to hand – you can add ribbons of courgette, shredded cabbage or Brussels sprouts. If you can’t find oyster mushrooms, regular white ones or chestnut mushrooms taste great too. You can even toss in some leftover cooked beef strips or shredded chicken. For more quick, easy and healthy options check out our low calorie lunch ideas.
Ingredients
- 2tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
- 125g packet oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
- 125g packet tenderstem broccoli, cut into pieces
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1tbsp soy sauce
- 1tbsp rice vinegar
- 1-2tbsp oyster sauce
- 300g straight-to-wok noodles
- 1 lime, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the veg and cook for 2-3 mins. Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar and oyster sauce. Add the noodles to the pan and heat through.
Serve immediately with some lime squeezed over the top.
Top tips for making Chinese vegetable chow mein
As you might expect, oyster sauce is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans because it is made from oysters. You can substitute it this dish by using an extra tablespoon of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar to mimic the sweetness, or a tablespoon of hoisin sauce. 'Hoisin' means seafood sauce but it does not actually contain any seafood ingredients. This chow mein is best made and eaten on the same day for the freshest flavour but leftovers can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one day.
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