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1 5-MIN UTE SAL AD BAR

VEGETABLE LO MEIN
$6.33 RECIPE / $3.17 SERVING

BUDGET BYTES » RECIPES » GLOBALLY INSPIRED RECIPES » EAST ASIAN INSPIRED RECIPES » 15-MINUTE
SALAD BAR VEGETABLE LO MEIN

JUMP TO RECIPE  GROCERY LIST  FAVORITES

Are you ready for the easiest of easy stir fry dinners? This Salad Bar Vegetable Lo Mein is the
perfect no-brainer dinner for when you can’t be bothered to even think about cooking, or for
beginners who are still building their skills and confidence in the kitchen. Is this the most
authentic, complex, and delicious lo mein recipe out there? Nope. This one is super scaled
back and designed to be the best mix of easy, convenient, and satisfying. It has fresh crisp
vegetables, comforting noodles, and an easy salty sauce that will remind you of your favorite
take out.
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WHY TH E “ SAL AD BAR ” LO M EI N?

Salad bars aren’t just for making salads. They’re a great way to get a medley of vegetables
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when you only need a handful or two and buying one of each vegetable would just be
waaaaay too much. Get a pinch of this, a pinch of that, and only what you need without
having a refrigerator full of leftovers waiting to wilt. I’ve used this technique for pizza
toppings for years, but it’s also a great option for quick stir fry dinners, like vegetable lo
mein. Just be aware of the cost per pound and keep those portions in check to avoid going
way over budget!

WHAT ELSE CAN I ADD TO M Y LO M EIN?

I chose an easy mix of mushrooms, bell peppers, cabbage, and green onion for my vegetable
lo mein, but there are so many other great things you can add! Here are a few ideas of
things you can add from your fridge or the salad bar. And remember, the heavier the item,
the more your salad bar cost will be, so stick to lighter ingredients.

Vegetables: spinach, snow peas, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or
red onion.
Proteins: cubed tofu, chicken, shrimp, scrambled eggs. (Sauté these in the skillet until
cooked through, before adding the vegetables.)
Make it Spicy: Add 1 Tbsp sriracha or chili garlic sauce to the stir fry sauce for a spicy kick
Toppings: chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, fresh green onion

*Note: I strongly suggest including either green onion or red onion in your vegetable mix,
since I did not add any garlic to my stir fry sauce. Having an aromatic in the mix really helps
round out the flavor of this stir fry.

WHAT KIND OF NOO DLES S HO ULD I U SE?

Traditionally lo mein noodles are a wheat and egg pasta, so if you can find that or something
close to it, that would be a win. If you can make it to an Asian market you can definitely get
some awesome noodles for a very low price.

The most budget-friendly and easily accessible option is to use just regular spaghetti
noodles. There’s no shame in that game. I had a little more room in my budget this time
around, so I went for some udon noodles that I found in the International aisle (see the
package in the step by step photos). I like these noodles because they’re a bit softer than
spaghetti and they tend to soak up that salty sauce a little better, but they did increase the
total cost of this dish by a good 30%. 
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SALAD BAR VEGETABLE LO

MEIN
When you need dinner to be fast, easy, and satisfying, this
Salad Bar Vegetable Lo Mein is your answer. It's as simple
and satisfying as it gets!
TOTAL COST: $6.33 recipe / $3.17 serving
AUTHOR: Adapted from I Am A Food Blog
COOK TIME: 15 mins
PRINT RECIPE 
TOTAL TIME: 15 mins
GROCERY LIST 
SERVINGS: 2
FAVORITES

INGREDIENTS

6 oz. noodles ($1.86) 4.79 from 14 votes

 3 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.18)
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1 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.11)
1 tsp sugar ($0.02)
1 tsp water ($0.00)
2 Tbsp high heat cooking oil* ($0.08)
3 cups mixed salad bar vegetables ($4.08)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain in colander. While
the noodles are cooking, stir together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and
water.
2. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is very
hot and shimmering (it should not be smoking), add the vegetables and stir fry for
only about one minute, or just until the edges of the softer vegetables just begin to
wilt. 
3. Add the cooked and drained noodles and the prepared sauce. Continue to stir and
cook until the pasta has absorbed most of the sauce and no more liquid pools on
the bottom of the skillet (about 2 minutes). The vegetables will soften further
during this time. Serve immediately.

NOTES
*Use any high heat cooking oil or fat of your choice. Don't skimp on the amount of oil
used, as using a full 2 Tbsp helps coat the noodles and gives this a more realistic take-
out flavor and mouthfeel.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!

NUTRITION

Serving: 1 Serving・ Calories: 313.4 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 29.15 g ・ Protein: 9.75 g ・

Fat: 17.4 g ・ Sodium: 1731.1 mg ・ Fiber: 4.2 g
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclaimer here.

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products we use and love. As an
Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Because there’s nothing better than a plate full of noodles!
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HOW TO MAKE VEGETABLE LO M EI N – STEP BY

STEP PHOTOS

These are the noodles I used, which are an awesome texture and soak up the sauce nicely,
but did make this dish quite a bit more expensive than it *needs* to be. Regular spaghetti
noodles work just fine when you’re on a stricter budget. If you have an Asian market near by,
you can most definitely get good noodles for a very low cost. Whichever noodles you choose,
cook them according to the package directions and then drain them in a colander.
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While the noodles are cooking, make the super simplified stir fry sauce. Stir together 3 Tbsp
soy sauce, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp water. If you want to make it spicy,
you can add 1 Tbsp sriracha or chili garlic sauce. NOTE: make sure to get *toasted* sesame
oil, not regular sesame oil. The toasted variety has a much stronger, nuttier flavor. You can
tell the difference by the color. Toasted sesame oil is a dark brown color, untoasted is a light
straw color. Here is more information on the difference between the two.
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These are the vegetables I grabbed from the salad bar. You’ll need about 3 cups total. Stick
to lighter vegetables (lower water content vegetables) like the mushrooms, cabbage, and
green onion to keep costs low. Bell pepper are a bit heavier, but I kept those limited. Make
sure to include some sort of onion to help round out the flavor in the stir fry.
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Heat 2 Tbsp high heat cooking oil (of your choice) in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Don’t skimp on the oil here because this really helps give the flavor and mouthfeel that you
get from take out.
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Once the oil is very hot and shimmering, add the vegetables and stir fry them very briefly,
like only one minute. Just until the edges of the softer vegetables begin to wilt. The
vegetables will cook more after you add the noodles.
 

Add the cooked and drained noodles and the prepared stir fry sauce.
 

Continue to stir and cook until the noodles absorb the sauce and no more liquid pools on
the bottom of the skillet (only about 2 minutes more). And that’s it! Your Salad Bar Vegetable
Lo Mein is DONE. Dig in my friend.
 

POSTED ON NOVEMBER 18, 2018 IN EAST ASIAN INSPIRED 24 COMMENTS »

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24 COMMENTS ON “ 1 5- MINUTE SAL AD BAR VEG ETA B LE LO
MEIN” 

« Older Comments

MO —
04.19.21 @ 1:45 AM REPLY

Quick, easy and delicious. Thanks Beth!

JENNA —
02.07.21 @ 11:48 PM REPLY

This was delicious and easy and will become a new staple for sure! :)

JULIA —
12.06.20 @ 10:39 PM REPLY

This was so easy and delicious! I doubled the sauce, as some others suggested. I
browned up some chicken first, removed it from the skillet, and sauteed the veg
(used some cabbage, sweet onion, & red bell pepper). I did add a little hoisin, and
finished it with some minced cilantro & mint, and squeezed lime over to make it sort
of Thai-ish. The hubby had seconds!

MEREDITH —
10.03.20 @ 7:46 AM REPLY

What is the best high-heat cooking oil to use for this recipe?

BETH - BUDGET BYTES —

10.04.20 @ 9:07 AM REPLY

I don’t remember which one I had on hand when I photographed this, but you
can use any of the following: avocado oil (refined), almond oil, corn oil, canola
oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sesame oil (not toasted), or
sunflower oil. :)
 

MANGOMAMA —
08.11.20 @ 5:10 PM REPLY

Great recipe,! I used low sodium soy sauce and added a bit of hoison sauce and Thai
garlic chili sauce…and did use udon noodles. Thank you, Beth!

ANN-MARIE HAZEN —
06.12.20 @ 7:58 PM REPLY

Easy recipe to follow and great idea with the salad bar veggies, but in my opinion it
was just way too salty. If I make this recipe again I will try it with reduced sodium soy
sauce for sure. Other than the saltiness it was delish!

« Older Comments

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