DinnerCountVeggie Lo Mein
This is a meatless noodle dinner full of vegetables. Carrots, bell pepper, and snap peas cook quickly in a hot skillet and stay crisp. Then the noodles go in with a sauce of soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, and a little brown sugar. Spaghetti works if the store is out of lo mein noodles. Dinner needs one pot for the noodles and one skillet for the rest.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- Lo mein or spaghetti¾ lb
- Bell pepper1 each
- Carrots2 each
- Sugar snap peas6 oz
- Soy sauce¼ cup
- Hoisin sauce3 tbsp
- Sesame oil2 tsp
- Garlic clove2 cloves
- Brown sugar2 tsp
- Vegetable oil1 tbsp
How Much to Make for 2, 4, 6, or 8
For 2 people, you’ll need ½ lb lo mein or spaghetti, ½ bell pepper, and 3 oz sugar snap peas.
For 4 people, you’ll need ¾ lb lo mein or spaghetti, 1 bell pepper, and 6 oz sugar snap peas.
For 6 people, you’ll need 1¼ lb lo mein or spaghetti, 1½ bell peppers, and 9 oz sugar snap peas.
For 8 people, you’ll need 1½ lb lo mein or spaghetti, 2 bell peppers, and 12 oz sugar snap peas.
| Ingredient | For 2 | For 4 | For 6 | For 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lo mein or spaghetti | ½ lb | ¾ lb | 1¼ lb | 1½ lb |
| Bell pepper | ½ each | 1 each | 1½ each | 2 each |
| Carrots | 1 each | 2 each | 3 each | 4 each |
| Sugar snap peas | 3 oz | 6 oz | 9 oz | 12 oz |
| Soy sauce | 2 tbsp | ¼ cup | 6 tbsp | ½ cup |
| Hoisin sauce | 1½ tbsp | 3 tbsp | 4½ tbsp | 6 tbsp |
| Sesame oil | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| Garlic clove | 1 clove | 2 cloves | 3 cloves | 4 cloves |
| Brown sugar | 1 tsp | 2 tsp | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp + 1 tsp |
| Vegetable oil | 1½ tsp | 1 tbsp | 1½ tbsp | 2 tbsp |
The amounts are rounded to what you can measure at home. Pounds are rounded to the nearest quarter or third, cups to the marks on a measuring cup, and spoons to real measuring spoons. An egg stays whole. Because of the rounding, some amounts are the same at two sizes.
- For 2: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 2 adult portions, which is roughly 0.5 times the recipe. This is less than the recipe assumes. The same 12-inch skillet works (a 10-inch one is better if you have it). Small amounts cook faster, so check early.
- For 6: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 6 adult portions, which is roughly 1.5 times the recipe. This calls for a 12-inch skillet. At about 1.5× the recipe, cook it in two batches, because a pan that is too full cooks unevenly. Then finish it in a 6-quart pot or a Dutch oven, because the skillet won’t hold all of it.
- For 8: This recipe is written for 4 adult-size portions. You are cooking about 8 adult portions, which is roughly 2 times the recipe. This calls for a 12-inch skillet. At about 2× the recipe, cook it in two batches, because a pan that is too full cooks unevenly. Then finish it in a 6-quart pot or a Dutch oven, because the skillet won’t hold all of it.
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Steps
- Fill a large pot about ⅔ full of water, cover it, and bring it to a boil over high heat. While the water heats, whisk the soy sauce, the hoisin sauce, the brown sugar, and most of the sesame oil together in a small bowl. Keep the rest of the sesame oil for the noodles. Finely chop the garlic.
- Keep going while the water heats. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips and the carrots into thin coins. Pull the string off each sugar snap pea if it has one.
- When the water boils, add the noodles and cook them for 1 minute less than the package says, stirring once or twice. While the noodles cook, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute, until it is hot but not smoking. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the bell pepper, the snap peas, and the garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. The vegetables are done when they are bright and still a little crisp. Check the noodles as the vegetables cook. The noodles are done when they are tender with a little bite left. Save a ladle or two of the cooking water, then drain the noodles and toss them with the rest of the sesame oil so the strands do not stick together. They finish cooking in the sauce, and noodles that are already soft turn to mush there.
- Add the noodles and the sauce to the skillet and toss for about a minute. Add a splash of the cooking water if the noodles look dry. The lo mein is ready when every strand is glossy and coated in sauce. Serve it right away.
Good to Know
- Contains Wheat, Soy, Sesame. This comes from the ingredient names, so it is not a complete list. The ingredient names do not show what is inside a jar, a mix, or a sauce, and formulas change. For an allergy or intolerance, read the package every time, and never decide from this line.
