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Yep, pasta can be good for you! You only need 20 minutes to toss together this Vegetable Lo Mein for a healthy side dish or a satisfying entree. It’s one of those easy vegetarian recipes that even meat-lovers adore — and it’s perfect for your busy weeknights!
I often serve this Vegetable Lo Mein as a side dish to accompany an Asian meal; however, it is also a great vegetarian main course option. The kids love the mild sauce that coats these noodles and they will eat just about anything that I mix into the bowl.
If you have a house full of meat-loving boys (like I do), then you can certainly add a few cups of cooked, diced chicken, grilled salmon, ground beef, or shrimp to this dish. But thanks to the filling vegetables, the protein from the edamame, and the nutritious whole grains in the pasta, you really won’t need anything more.
As I was taking these updated photos, Spence was following me around and insisted that he help me “clean up” when I was done. When he was carrying one of the bowls into the kitchen, I caught him munching on the broccoli and smiling (as though he was getting away with something). I wasn’t about to let him know that some Vegetable Lo Mein at 10:00 a.m. is a perfectly acceptable mid-morning snack!
This nutritious and delicious dinner gets the official Stamp of Approval from even the choosiest toddlers. Enjoy, friends!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti or soba noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil or avocado oil
- 2 cups frozen baby broccoli florets
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup frozen shelled edamame or peas
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable broth or chicken broth if not vegetarian
- 3 Tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, return to pot, and coat with sesame oil.
- While pasta is cooking, heat canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, and red pepper and cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, edamame, and carrot. Stir for an additional 1 minute while mixture continues to cook.
- In small bowl, whisk together broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and oyster sauce. Add soy sauce mixture and pasta to skillet and stir for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until everything is heated through.
Hi there! I want to try this recipe, but do you think it would change the taste too much if I omit the oyster sauce? Thank you!
Hi, Corissa! The oyster sauce has a really good, unique flavor. It doesn’t taste like oysters, and it doesn’t taste fishy. It also adds a nice thicker texture. If you choose not to use it, you can substitute for an equal amount of soy sauce (which will be a bit more watery) or a thicker option like Hoisin sauce. Hope that helps!
I love thus recipe! It’s so easy and it looks so good and healthy. I also have a house full of boys so I can’t what to try this on them lol!
Thanks, Amy! 🙂