RECIPE: Vegetable Chow Fun

Photo courtesy of Carrie Bachman “Vegetable Chow Fun” recipe excerpt from the book Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More, published by Rock Point. Text © 2022 by Maggie Zhu. Vegetable Chow Fun YIELD 4 servings PREP 20 minutes COOK 10 minutes This is […]

Click here to view original web page at www.wpr.org

"Vegetable Chow Fun" recipe excerpt from the book Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More, published by Rock Point. Text © 2022 by Maggie Zhu.

Vegetable Chow Fun

YIELD 4 servings PREP 20 minutes COOK 10 minutes

This is my all-time favorite chow fun because I like to overload the noodles with vegetables so that there are as many veggies as noodles in the dish. To make the plant-based noodle sauce extra rich, I use a lot of aromatics. The mushrooms are important because they release savory juices that get soaked up by the noodles.

Noodles

• 7 ounces (200 g) dried wide rice noodles
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce 1 teaspoon sugar

Stir-Fry

• 1/2 head broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
• 4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 medium carrot, sliced into thin rounds
• 12 white button mushrooms (10 ounces, or 280 g), sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 4 scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch-long (4 cm) pieces
• 2 cups (180 g) bean sprouts
• 2 Asian long red peppers (or1 Anaheim pepper for a less spicy dish), sliced into thin rounds

1. To make the noodles: Soak or cook the noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. To test for doneness, you should be able to wrap a noodle around your finger without it breaking; the noodle should still feel a bit tough. Rinse with cold water and strain. Add the sesame oil to the noodles and toss a few times.
2. To make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the wine, light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
3. To make the stir-fry: In a large skillet, heat 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of water over medium heat until simmering. Add the broccoli and cook, covered, until the broccoli turns al dente, 11⁄2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Wipe the pan clean with paper towels.
4. In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook and stir for 1 minute, until the mushrooms start to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook and stir for about 30 seconds to release the fragrance. Add the noodles and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil over them. Toss a few times so that the noodles are coated with oil. Add the cooked broccoli and pour in the sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce is mostly absorbed.
5. Add the scallions, bean sprouts, and peppers and cook and stir until the vegetables are just wilted, 1 minute or so. If the noodles are still a bit tough, add a splash of water and stir-fry until the water is fully absorbed.
6. Transfer to a large serving plate and serve hot.
   
   
   N O T E : The wide rice noodles have a meaty, chewy texture that I prefer, but if you can only find thin ones, they will work as well. For the best result, I recommend soaking the noodles in hot water instead of boiling them. It takes a little longer, but they are less likely to overcook and become mushy in the stir-fry.