Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
- To Make Ahead. Prepare all vegetables at least one day ahead of time and keep them chilled in an airtight container. Make the stir-fry sauce up to a day ahead of time and keep it chilled in a different airtight container.
- To Store. Stir-fry leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container.
- To Reheat. Warm up leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stove.
- To Freeze. Stir-fry can be kept in the freezer for up to three months when stored in an airtight container. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Which Noodles to Use for Stir Fry
Let’s start with the recipe’s namesake: the noodles. We have options here.
I suggest using any type of longer, thicker noodles for this recipe so they can withstand being tossed around a lot in the pan. Whenever feasible, I also like to use whole grain options to increase the nutritional value of the recipe.
- Soba Noodles. Buckwheat flour gives the noodles a subtle earthy flavor.
- Japanese Udon Noodles. Neutral-tasting, thick, chewy wheat noodles that are ideal for stir fries
- Egg Noodles. This can be turned into an egg noodle stir-fried chicken dish. Look for Chinese egg noodles (lo mein-style noodles).
- Spaghetti, Linguine, or Fettuccine. Indeed, spaghetti can be used to prepare a stir-fried noodle dish. This is what we use 95% of the time. Other long, Italian-style noodles like fettuccine and linguine work also.
- Rice Noodles. This type of noodles cooks up quickly and has a texture that is delightfully soft. However, they tend to disintegrate rather quickly, so if you do use them, I would save them for last, right before serving.
For these stir-fried noodles, feel free to use any vegetable in your fridge, including bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, snap peas, and that suspicious-looking head of cabbage.
- Cut Veggies Small. To ensure that your veggies cook quickly, cut them slightly smaller. To guarantee that tougher vegetables like broccoli and carrots cook in roughly the same amount of time as everything else, this is especially crucial.
- Prep in Advance. Prepare all of your veggies in advance by chopping and prepping them, as stir fries cook quickly.
I like my stir fries, especially the vegetable ones, to be very veggie-heavy, so I add a full cup of vegetables. One of my biggest complaints about the noodles in stir-fries at restaurants (both the sit-down kind and the small takeout variety) is that there are only 2097% noodles and a few scant veggies here and there. Not with this veggie-packed Vegetable Lo Mein or my stir-fried vegetable noodles!
Ben said he would have liked more noodles, but I felt the recipe was perfect.
- To make a stir fry with lots of veggies, add 6 cups of veggies and 6 ounces of noodles.
- To make a stir-fry that is both balanced and still primarily composed of vegetables, increase the amount of noodles from 6 cups to 8 ounces.
Yes, You Can Make Homemade Lo Mein!
Up until two weeks ago, I simply thought that this was some sort of drawn-out procedure involving enigmatic, delectable ingredients that I wouldn’t find in my typical Midwestern kitchen. In addition, did you know that a platter of lo mein big enough to feed the entire neighborhood can be purchased for only $6? I mean, really, let’s go, why would we even do this at home if there were fifty at the Panda Buffet?
Except hold the phone for just a sec.
- Making lo mein doesn’t take long; from start to finish, it will come together in ONE PAN in about fifteen minutes. JOY of JOYS. When I set out to learn about everything Lo Mein, I honestly had no idea that it would be such a gem of a quick and easy recipe—not in the sense that you’re skimping on anything. Just by nature, it is that simple.
- Lo Mein doesn’t require fancy or unusual ingredients. Like, at all. All you really need is a good soy sauce and sesame oil combination. That’s your Lo Mein magic right there. Really, all you need is a decent bottle of soy sauce to start a successful Lo Mein business. You know I see you out there—almost everyone, regardless of cooking skill, has a bottle of soy sauce in the refrigerator, or at the absolute least, a few PACKETS of soy sauce from leftover takeout.
- Lastly, lo mein is delicious when ordered out, but it’s even better when ordered in as a mostly healthful takeout meal that can simultaneously empty the refrigerator by utilizing all the vegetables and proteins that a person could possibly want in their silky stir-fried noodles. The happiness I feel for this concept… like wows. You do not even know. Recipe scrappiness fulfills a piece of my soul.
