Craving a takeaway classic without the cost or compromise? This Quick & Easy Vegan Chow Mein delivers bold flavours, chewy noodles and vibrant veggies—all for just £1.55 or less per portion!
Ready in 35 minutes, it’s a budget-friendly delight that’s part of my 3 Healthy Meals for £3 a Day series. Trust me, this homemade version will have you ditching the takeaway menu for good!
Ingredient Cost Breakdown
Chow Mein Sauce
2 TBSP reduced salt soy sauce (30 ml) (Tesco) – 15p
2 TBSP toasted sesame oil (30 ml) (Tesco) – 31p
1 TBSP sweet chilli sauce (15 ml) (Sweet Dragon) – 8p
1 tsp malt vinegar (5 ml) (Tesco) – 1p
Stir Fry
140g / 5 oz extra firm plain tofu (Tofoo) – £1.15
½ medium brown onion (60g) (Tesco) – 6p
1 small carrot (60g) (Tesco) – 4p
6 small mushrooms (100g) (Tesco) – 30p
32g / ¼ cup raw cashews (Tesco) – 32p
70g / 1 cup red cabbage (Tesco) – 8p
140g / 5 oz vegan chow mein noodles / or spaghetti (Lucky Boat, 60p / Tesco, 18p)
Total cost: £3.10 / £2.68
Cost per portion: £1.55 / £1.34
Prices listed are for November 2024. I mostly used Tesco prices as that’s where I do my main grocery shop at the moment.
The Good Stuff
✨ Tofu is rich in plant-based protein, healthy fats, fibre, and essential nutrients like iron, calcium, and B vitamins, supporting muscle health and heart health. It also contains special compounds called isoflavones that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and also support hormone balance.
✨ Onions are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and fibre supporting the immune system, heart health and offering anti-inflammatory benefits.
✨ Carrots are rich in beta-carotene (which converts to vitamin A), fibre, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants, supporting eye health, immune function, and heart health.
✨ Red cabbage is rich in vitamins C and K, fibre, and antioxidants such as anthocyanins, supporting immune function, bone health, digestion, and providing anti-inflammatory and heart-protective benefits.
✨ Cashews provide heart-healthy fats, protein, fibre, and essential minerals like magnesium, copper, zinc and iron, which support heart health, bone strength, and immune function.
✨ Wheat noodles are a good source of complex carbs, and also contain useful amounts of protein, fibre and essential nutrients like B vitamins, iron and magnesium which support metabolism and energy production.
Tops Tips
Where to find vegan-friendly chow mein noodles?
Chow mein noodles can contain egg, so be sure to check the ingredient label. I use Lucky Boat No.1 Thick Chow Mein Noodles which are available from Asian supermarkets and online. (I buy mine from Banthon Oriental Supermarket in Bath).
You may even find it cost-effective to bulk buy noodles and share them with friends or housemates! I recently found a 4kg box on offer at Amazon UK for £14.50, which works out at just 36p per 100g. The noodles have a long shelf life and will keep for at least a year.
If you can’t find vegan chow mein noodles, you can substitute with another wheat noodle. Chinese supermarkets have lots of options, plus wholewheat noodles can be found in most of the larger UK supermarkets.
One easy, budget-friendly option is to use spaghetti! If you boil the spaghetti in water with a little bicarbonate of soda, I find it transforms the flavour of the spaghetti, making it taste a lot more like chow mein noodles!
How to make a vegan chow mein sauce?
Traditional chow mein sauce isn’t vegan-friendly as it contains oyster sauce and meat broth. I use four simple ingredients that I always have on hand to create a sauce with the same savoury depth: toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, and vinegar. If using unsweetened chilli sauce, add a teaspoon of sugar or syrup for balance.
Stir fry veggies
I choose to use onion, carrots, mushrooms and red cabbage in this Chow Mein. These add a great variety of savoury flavours and textures, as well as being rich in vitamins, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Stored in the fridge, the onions, carrots and red cabbage will last a few weeks, so they make a great budget-friendly option that you can use in many different meals. Feel free to add your favourite veggies into this Chow Mein dish though. It’s highly versatile!
Gluten-free options
For a gluten-free alternative to wheat noodles, try 100% buckwheat noodles. Brands such as Clearspring and King Soba are available from health food shops and online. Swap the soy sauce for tamari, and the malt vinegar for cider or rice vinegar.
Recipe Card
Quick & Easy Vegan Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 140 g / 5 oz vegan-friendly chow mein wheat noodles*
Vegan Chow Mein Sauce
- 2 TBSP reduced salt soy sauce
- 2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
- 2 TBSP water
- 1 TBSP sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar [cider, malt or rice all work well]
Stir Fry
- 1 TBSP oil [I use olive]
- 140 g / 5 oz extra firm tofu drained and cubed
- ½ medium brown onion (60g) finely sliced
- 1 small carrot (60g) sliced into matchsticks
- 6 small mushrooms (100g) sliced
- 32 g / ¼ cup raw cashews
- 70 g / 1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced into ribbons**
Instructions
- Prepare a large pan of boiling water. Add the noodles, then remove from the heat. As they start to soften, use a fork to unravel them. Cover with a lid, and leave for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. When al-dente (firm to the bite), tip into a colander and rinse under the cold water tap to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, sesame oil, water, sweet chilli sauce, and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat 1 TBSP oil in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes and toss to coat in the oil. Leave to cook for a couple of minutes or so, until browned on the underside, then flip the cubes over. When browned on the second side, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and stir fry until it starts to brown (add a splash more oil, if needed). Add the carrot, mushrooms, cabbage and cashews, and stir fry until the mushrooms have released their liquid and browned.
- Return the tofu to the pan and pour in half of the sauce. Stir fry for a few minutes, then add the noodles and remaining sauce. Stir thoroughly to ensure the noodles are fully coated in the sauce, then continue stir frying until the noodles are heated through.
- Portion into bowls, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Breakdown
N.B. The above values are estimates and for illustration purposes only. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the specific ingredients used. The % Reference Intake (RI) will also vary depending on your age, gender, height, BMI, level of activity and other personal variables.
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If you make this Vegan Chow Mein, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations. Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I’d love to see them! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
With love,
