Make this easy lo mein at home and customize to your heart's content

Lo mein is a super popular noodle dish that you’ll find both at restaurants and made at home. In Cantonese, lo mein means “mixed noodles”. In Mandarin, it’s pronounced “lao mian” and translates exactly the same. Essentially, it’s egg noodles mixed with sauce – somewhat similar to chow mein, but not quite.

In truth, it can mean a variety of different kind of noodle dishes, much like how you can order spaghetti in a variety of ways. In North America, we tend to associate lo mein with the American Chinese take out style of noodles: somewhat thick egg noodles stir fried and tossed with a soy based sauce, vegetables, and proteins.

Technically there are two kinds of lo mein, Cantonese Hong Kong style and American Chinese take out style. Both are a mixed stir fried noodle dish.

Cantonese lo mein is a kind of deconstructed soup noodle: thin and chewy egg noodles served on a plate with toppings and a bowl of soup on the side. The sauce for the noodles isn’t mixed in. Instead, you’re supposed to stir it into the noodles yourself. “Lo” means to mix or stir. Mein, of course, means noodles.
American Chinese lo mein is a stir fry noodle dish: thick noodles mixed with a soy sauce based sauce and toppings like beef, pork, chicken, or vegetables.

Both are delicious!

Ingredients

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 lb lo mein noodles or spaghetti prepared, see notes
1 tbsp oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup mushrooms sliced, crimini preferred
1 small carrot julienned
1 cup snow peas
2-3 cup spinach baby spinach preferred
green onions thinly sliced, to finish, as needed

Instructions

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar and ground ginger. Set aside.
Heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until slighly golden.
Turn up the heat to medium high and add the mushrooms, cooking and tossing occasionally, until soft.
Add the carrots and snow peas and toss for 1-2 minutes, until tender crisp.
Mix in the noodles, spinach, and sauce. Toss until well combined. Taste and season with salt, if desired. Sprinkle on the green onions and enjoy immediately.