Vegetable Chow Mein Noodle Soup Recipe

Chow mein, a classic Chinese staple and takeout favorite, is probably circled on the Chinese restaurant menu you keep stuffed in your kitchen drawer. It's a dish we can't pass up; it's noodle goodness at its finest. The name chow mein stems from the words for stir-fried (chow) and noodles (mein) and can be prepared with crispy or soft noodles along with vegetables and sometimes meat. This spinoff brings together the savory flavors and textures of traditional chow mein but is brothy and served in a bowl. Loaded with veggies — broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and red pepper — this soup is a nourishing side dish for a variety of entrees.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I gravitate toward Asian food because it is usually very plant forward, and this soup adds quite a few veggies to the mix. It's a quick and easy soup to throw together and lasts well all week in the fridge." Before you reach for your phone to order takeout, give this recipe a try.

To make this recipe, you'll need quite a few produce items, so start there and grab garlic, carrots, red bell pepper, cabbage, broccoli, bean sprouts, and scallions. For the Chinese flavors, you'll need sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, sriracha, and salt. If you can't find the Shaoxing wine, you can substitute with dry sherry, mirin, or a mixture of rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar. Then, pick up some vegetable broth and chow mein noodles.

Add the oil to a large soup pot and bring the heat to medium.

Add the garlic, carrots, and red pepper, and saute for 8 minutes.

Add the cabbage, broccoli, broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, sriracha, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cook on medium for 8 minutes.

Add the noodles, 3 cups water, and bean sprouts. Cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, or until the noodles are done.

Top with scallions, and serve.

There are many ways to add protein to this soup. If you want to keep it vegetarian, tofu is easy to add. Just cube super-firm or extra-firm tofu and add it in at the end, when you add the noodles. Tempeh, the name for fermented soybeans, can also be added. You'll want to crumble it with your hands and add it to the soup in step two, when you are cooking the garlic, carrots, and red pepper. Another vegetarian option is shelled edamame. They typically come frozen, so you can toss them in along with the noodles and they will thaw quickly. Finally, cooked brown or green lentils will offer a good amount of protein and can be added at the end to just heat through.

For non-vegetarian options, you can add chicken or beef by cooking it in the soup pot before moving into the recipe. Or, if the meat is already cooked, you can add it to the finished soup.

Chow mein noodles are typically made from wheat, water, and eggs and may need to be avoided for dietary restrictions. Or, you just might want to use what you have on hand. There are many other options that work just fine. If you want a similar chewy texture, fresh udon noodles that are typically sold near tofu in the grocery store are a great option. Lo mein noodles are very similar, as well, and swap in nicely. Soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat, have a similar texture to chow mein noodles with a slightly nutty taste and can be added to the soup. Ramen noodles can be used, although they are thinner.

If you are looking for a gluten-free option, rice noodles are the best choice. There are plenty of thickness choices, and you can pick any variation. Lastly, if you have spaghetti or linguine, feel free to use those. Even though they are not typically used in Chinese cooking, they will still give you that noodle feel.