For a healthier version of chow mein, bulk up your noodles with a nutrient boost of fresh vegetables!

I’ve been a bit obsessed with veggie-loading my food lately.

First, there was this Tuscan Bean Soup which contains nothing short of 70 pounds of squash, carrots, and kale. Then came the Rigatoni Mediterranean Casserole, chock full of nutrient-rich tomatoes, mushrooms and zuchinni.

Now, I’m loading down some ultimate comfort food with as many veggies as I can fit in a pan. Or wok.

There are few cravings in this life that hit us harder than a craving for Chinese food. What IS that? You’re just going about your day, minding your own business, when BAM! It hits you. You have to hit up the Chinese restaurant up the street.

Maybe it’s the way they pour really, really strong drinks. Or maybe it’s because you secretly like to play keno. Most likely it’s because you’re craving the heaven that is Americanized Chinese food.

Nobody combines grease and salt like a generic Chinese food restaurant, am I right?

Sometimes, I just have to give in to this craving. The husband and I actually love to go to Golden Dynasty up the street, perch up in the bar with some stiff whiskey-cokes, and maybe even play a little video poker while we’re there. We order the Golden Dynasty Special which is $7.95 and is enough to feed both of us. When we really want to throw caution to the wind, we also get a side of Crab Puffs because, um, they are delicious.

All of this behavior is obviously not great for us. Basically we’re drinking, gambling, and eating greasy MSG-laden food. America!

Alright, in all seriousness, I love to cook at home and we really don’t eat out all that often. One of my favorite ways to make new recipes is to re-create my favorites from the restaurants we frequent. You can never have too much chow mein, and this recipe really hits the gotta-have-chinese-food spot.

I’m not making any claims about the authenticity of this recipe in any way, shape, or form. This is definitely not a classical Chinese dish, but it will absolutely become one of your go-to recipes!

I love to make this recipe in my favorite wok (see link below), but you could use a large non-stick skillet if that’s what you have.

Anolon Advanced Hard-Anodized Nonstick 14-Inch Covered Wok, Gray

List Price:$92.99

Price:$92.99

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I like using yakisoba noodles in this recipe because they have a nice texture, plus they keep for a long time in your fridge so it’s easy to keep them on hand. I love to make this whenever we are trying to use up whatever random vegetables we have left in the fridge!

Adding all those lovely vegetables makes you feel a little bit better about gobbling up a big bowl full of noodles!

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Here’s the Recipe!

Veggie Loaded Chow Mein

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

For a healthier version of chow mein, bulk up your noodles with a nutrient boost of fresh vegetables!

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Ingredients

• 11.2 oz. yakisoba noodles (I use two 5.6 ounce packages* of yakisoba noodles, seasoning packets discarded)
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 2 teaspoons sesame or vegetable oil
• 4 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 2 cups shredded green or purple cabbage
• 4 scallions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Follow the package instructions to warm and separate the yakisoba noodles.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), garlic, brown sugar, water, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Set aside.
3. Heat the sesame (or vegetable) oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and saute for 90 seconds per side, until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Add the broccoli and carrots to the pan along with 1/4 cup of water. Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium, and let the vegetables steam for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the mushrooms to the pan along with the prepared noodles. Toss well.
5. Pour the whisked sauce into the pan and toss the noodles to coat. Let the sauce come to a boil before turning the heat off. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds (if desired).

Notes

*The kind I buy comes in a bag containing three 5.6 ounce packages - check the produce section!

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 257 Total Fat 5g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 3g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 898mg Carbohydrates 47g Fiber 8g Sugar 7g Protein 12g

Nutrition information has been auto-calculated for your convenience.

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