Vegan Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu

Say goodbye to takeout! With slurpable noodles and stir-fried veggies in a flavor-packed sauce, this easy vegan lo mein will be your new favorite weeknight dinner. 

I’ve eaten a lot of lo mein (not to be confused with chow mein) in my day. It was one of my favorite dishes to get at Chinese restaurants during my early vegetarian years!

I never thought I could make homemade vegetable lo mein that was nearly as tasty as the stuff from restaurants. I was wrong! It took several attempts, but I’ve finally perfected my very own veggie lo mein recipe.

Guys, this vegan lo mein is delicious, and it’s super easy to make. So give it a try this week!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Dried lo mein noodles. Check your ingredients before you buy! Lots of lo mein noodles are made with eggs. I find that most of the frozen ones are, which is why the recipe calls for dried noodles. If you can’t find vegan lo mein noodles you can substitute ramen noodles or even spaghetti.
• Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed. Feel free to use low sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content of the dish.
• Brown sugar. Be sure to buy organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
• Hoisin sauce. Look for this in the international foods section of your supermarket.
• Sesame oil. This should also be in the international foods section, not far from the sesame oil.
• Vegetable oil. Feel free to substitute any neutral high-heat oil, such as canola, avocado, or peanut oil.
• Tofu. I recommend using super firm tofu. It’s easy to work with, has a great texture, and doesn’t require pressing. You can substitute with extra-firm tofu if you’d like, but you’ll need to press it.
• White button mushrooms. Substitute with another variety of fresh mushrooms, such as cremini or shiitake, if you’d like.
• Garlic.
• Ginger.
• Scallions.
• Carrots.
• Baby corn. Fresh baby corn works best, but you can use canned if fresh isn’t available.

How to Make Vegan Lo Mein

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

• Prep everything before you start cooking. Chop the veggies, mix the sauce, and boil the noodles according to the package instructions. You’ll want all this stuff ready to go when you need it!

• Pan fry your tofu in a bit of oil using this technique to get a nice crispy coating on the outside. Take it out of the skillet and plate it when it’s done.

• Brown the mushrooms in the skillet by cooking them for a few minutes on each side. Resist the temptation to constantly flip and/or stir your mushrooms. They need to sit on the hot surface for a few minutes in order to brown. Transfer them to the plate with the tofu when they’re done.

• Add some more oil to the skillet if it seems dry, then add your aromatics: minced garlic, grated ginger, and the white parts of your scallions. Cook them for a minute, until they become very fragrant, being super careful not to burn them.
• Turn the heat up and add your carrots and baby corn to the skillet. Stir-fry them for a few minutes, until they just begin to soften.

• Push the veggies to the side, turn the heat down a bit, and pour your sauce into the skillet. Let it start bubbling. Be super careful during this step, as the cooking surface will pe very hot at this point and the sauce can sputter!
• Add your noodles to the skillet, along with the cooked tofu and mushrooms. I like using tongs to combine the vegetable lo mein, but a fork will also work. Let everything cook for a couple of minutes, until the ingredients are nice and hot throughout.

• Take your skillet of vegan lo mein off of the burner and add in the green parts of your scallions.

Variations

• Skip the tofu for an all-veggie lo mein, or replace it with some tempeh or seitan.
• Switch up the veggies with your favorites! Snow peas, broccoli, and baby bok choy would all be great choices.
• For gluten-free vegan lo mein, replace the lo mein noodles with vegan gluten-free spaghetti, use gluten-free hoisin sauce, and gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover vegan lo mein will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

More Vegan Chinese Recipes

Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

Vegan Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu

Say goodbye to takeout! With slurpable noodles and stir-fried veggies in a flavor-packed sauce, this easy vegan lo mein will be your new favorite weeknight dinner. 

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 3
  tablespoons
  soy sauce
• 2
  tablespoons
  organic brown sugar
• 2
  tablespoons
  hoisin sauce
• 1
  teaspoon
  toasted sesame oil

For the Lo Mein

• 3
  tablespoons
  vegetable oil,
  divided
• 1
  (14 ounce or 400 gram) package
  super firm tofu,
  cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8
  ounces
  white button mushrooms,
  cleaned and sliced
• 3
  garlic cloves,
  minced
• 1 ½
  teaspoons
  freshly grated ginger
• 4
  scallions,
  white and green parts separated, whites finely chopped, greens cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½
  cups
  julienne cut carrots
• 1 ½
  cups
  fresh baby corn,
  cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them according to the package directions, just until al dente.

2. Drain the noodles into a colander and rinse them with cold water. Return them to the pot.

3. Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

4. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until the pieces are browned on multiple sides.

5. Transfer the tofu to a plate.

6. Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms in an even layer. Cook the tofu for 5 minutes, flip and cook 5 minutes more, until browned on both sides.

7. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

8. Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.

9. Raise the heat to high and add the carrots and baby corn. Stir-fry just until the veggies are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.

10. Lower the heat to medium and add the sauce to the skillet. Let it bubble for a few seconds. Return the mushrooms and tofu to the skillet, and add the noodles and sauce. Cook, gently flipping, until the noodles are heated throughout and the sauce reduces a bit, about 2 minutes.

11. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the green parts of the scallions.

12. Divide the lo mein onto plates and serve with additional soy sauce.

Recipe Notes

If your noodles stick together after cooking, give them another quick rinse in cold water and drain them well before adding them to the skillet.

For an extra kick, add some sriracha or sambal oelek to the sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu

Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups (¼ of recipe))

Calories 489
Calories from Fat 159

% Daily Value*

Fat 17.7g27%

Saturated Fat 3.2g16%

Sodium 1032mg43%

Potassium 716mg20%

Carbohydrates 69.5g23%

Fiber 5.9g24%

Sugar 12.6g14%

Protein 18.6g37%

Calcium 180mg18%

Iron 5.6mg31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.