'Chicken' Lo Mein

'Chicken' Lo Mein

This is one of those recipes we genuinely make on a weeknight when we want something that feels like a proper takeaway but comes together in 20 minutes flat. The vegan chicken soaks up that sticky, savory marinade of soy, hoisin and shaoxing wine and the whole thing just tastes deeply satisfying in a way that's hard to explain until you try it. You've got silky noodles, crunchy veg, tender mushrooms and that glossy sauce coating every single strand. Honestly, once you've made this you'll be questioning why you ever ordered in.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Wok
  • Mixing bowls (2)
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Tongs

Ingredients

  • 5cm ginger fresh - or ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • ½ onion
  • 1 carrot small
  • 2 spring onions - ends removed
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 clove garlic cloves
  • 250g plant-based 'chicken'
  • 100g Shiitake mushrooms
  • 60ml vegetable broth
  • 300g plant-based egg noodles - We used 'Straight to wok' brand noodles
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • 6 baby corn
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar

Method

1

Make the marinade

  • Peel and grate the garlic and ginger and add them to a mixing bowl
  • Add both the soy sauces, hoisin sauce, shaoxing rice wine, sugar and sesame oil to the bowl and mix well to combine.
  • Add the vegan chicken to the bowl and stir well to coat
  • Cut the mushrooms into bite sized pieces, add them to the bowl and stir to coat
2

Prepare the vegetables

  • Halve, trim, core and slice the pepper
  • Cut the corn into discs
  • Peel and finely slice the onion
  • Peel, trim and julienne the carrot
  • Peel, trim and finely slice the spring onions at an angle
3

Make a simple sauce

  • Pour the marinade juices into a separate bowl
  • Add the vegetable stock, cornflour and stir to combine
4

Time to cook

  • Boil the kettle
  • Warm the wok on the stove over a high heat
  • Add the sesame oil and vegetable oil to the wok and warm for 5 seconds
  • Add the mushrooms and vegan chicken to the wok and stir for 1 minute with two wooden spoons
  • Add the vegetables and to the wok and stir for 2 minutes - make sure everything is moving constantly to prevent burning
  • Add the reserved sauce and toss (or stir) for 30 seconds
5

Prep the noodles and serve

  •  Put the noodles in a mixing bowl
  • Cover with boiling water from the kettle
  • Use tongs to transfer the noodles to the wok (give the noodles a quick and careful shake to shake off any excess water before adding to the pan)
  • Toss the noodles in the wok to combine all the elements of the dish
  • Transfer the noodles to serving bowls
  • Garnish with spring onions and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Don't skip the shaoxing wine: It's the ingredient that makes this taste genuinely restaurant-quality. You can find it in most supermarkets now or any Asian grocery store, and it's worth it. Trust us on this one.
  • Swap the vegan chicken: We love this with king oyster mushrooms torn into strips if you can't get hold of vegan chicken, or even firm tofu pressed and cubed works brilliantly and soaks up the marinade like a dream.
  • Cook on high heat: This is a fast, hot cook so get your pan or wok properly screaming before you add anything. That's what gives you the texture and flavour you're after rather than everything just steaming together.

Why This Works

The trick here is marinating the vegan chicken and mushrooms together before anything hits the wok. That combo of light and dark soy with hoisin builds a proper layered savouriness, and the shaoxing wine gives it that authentic Chinese restaurant depth you just can't fake. High heat and moving quickly once you start cooking is what gets you that slightly charred, wok-kissed finish rather than a soggy stir fry.