Faster than take-out! Our Instant Pot vegetable lo mein is the perfect substitution for restaurant lo mein. Best of all, it’s done in less than 30 minutes!

Kim and I love Asian inspired dishes! From Southwest egg rolls to fried rice, we can’t get enough. However, it’s not something we order all the time.

Fortunately, Kim and I have recipes that satisfy those cravings. They’re easy, quick to prepare, and faster than picking up take-out.

This lo mein recipe is loaded with our favorite vegetables, like mushrooms, onions, and carrots.

A blue and white plate with a serving of vegetable lo mein. — Dishes like these are perfect for a quick dinner. Less than 30-minutes to prepare from start to finish.

What is vegetable lo mein?

Vegetable lo mein is a Asian inspired American take-out dish featuring lo mein noodles tossed in a savory sauce.

Usually, the sauce is flavored with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar.

Our Instant Pot Vegetable Lo Mein recipe features onions, mushrooms, minced garlic, and vegetable broth. Making it a vegetarian dish, as well.

If you like this dish, then try our homemade egg rolls, ramen noodle salad, and homemade fried rice recipes!

A close-up view of the veggie lo mein on a plate. — We topped our vegetable lo mein with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

How to make Instant Pot Vegetable Lo Mein?

To start, grab a small mixing bowl and a whisk. Combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set it aside.

Soy sauce and other ingredients in a measuring cup. — Make the sauce first and then set it aside. You won’t need it until the last step.

Next, put the stainless steel liner into your pressure cooker and turn on the machine.

Set it to the saute function. Once it’s hot, add cooking oil, mushrooms, and onions.

Now, let them saute for a few minutes. When the veggies start to soften, toss in the garlic and let everything saute for another 30-seconds.

Mushrooms and onions sauteing in the Instant Pot. — Go ahead and saute the mushrooms and onions in the machine before adding the noodles.

Then, turn off the machine and pour in the broth. After that, add the uncooked noodles.

Place the lid on the cooker and lock it into place. Make sure the valve is set to sealed.

Afterward, set the timer for 3-minutes on high pressure/manual cook. As soon as the timer goes off, carefully (using a kitchen towel) open the seal to preform a quick release.

Noodles and broth added to the sauteed veggies. — Don’t have lo mein noodles, then use spaghetti or fettuccine noodles. But, you may have to adjust the cook time.

At this point, you may have extra liquid in the machine. Drain the noodles and return them to the liner.

Otherwise, you’ ll end up with a bland, under seasoned lo mein noodle soup. Not very appetizing.

The noodles have been cooked and excess broth drained. — Make sure to drain the noodles. Otherwise, you’ll have lo mein soup for dinner.

Last, pour in the soy sauce mixture and carrots. Turn the machine back on to saute and let everything cook for few minutes.

Once the carrots are soft, turn off the machine and serve the vegetarian lo mein.

Carrots and the soy sauce mixture have been added to the pot. — Roasted pork or diced grilled chicken can be added to the finished lo mein.

That’s it, the Instant Pot vegetable lo mein is done! Kim and I hope you enjoy this recipe and wish you all the best 🙂

Vegetable lo mein served on a plate and topped with sliced green onions. — Serve this lo mein with egg rolls or fried wonton strips!

Instant Pot Vegetable Lo Mein

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 12

Come to Pressure and Quick Release: 7

Total Time: 29

Servings: 4 Servings

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Equipment

Ingredients

For the Sauce

⅓ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

For the Lo Mein

1 tablespoon cooking oil vegetable, canola, etc.
½ cup white onion sliced
½ cup mushrooms sliced
1 garlic cloves minced
8 ounces lo mein noodles *See notes
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
1 cup carrots matchstick
¼ cup green onions sliced for garnish
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
⅓ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Turn on the Instant Pot using the “saute” function. When the screen displays “Hot,” add the remaining cooking oil, onion, mushrooms, and salt (optional) to the stainless steel insert. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot.
1 tablespoon cooking oil
½ cup white onion
½ cup mushrooms
1 garlic cloves
Add the noodles and the broth, ensuring that the noodles are submerged in liquid. Close the lid, set the valve to “sealing,” and press the manual (pressure cook) button. Adjust the time to 3 minutes. After the time is up, open the valve for a quick release of pressure. Drain any remaining liquid before moving to the next step.
8 ounces lo mein noodles
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
After draining the excess liquid, return the noodles to the stainless steel insert. Add the sauce and the carrots. Turn the Instant Pot back to saute and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, just long enough to incorporate the sauce into the noodles and soften the carrots.
1 cup carrots
Serve hot and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
¼ cup green onions
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Notes

The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients and a serving size of 2 ounces of the vegetable lo mein. Actual calories will vary. The homemade lo mein can be stored in a sealed container, in your fridge, for up to 3 days.

*We used Simply Asia brand Lo Mein Noodles, and cooked them for half the time listed on the box. If you substitute a different brand or type of noodle, we suggest cooking them for half the time listed on the package or less time if you prefer the noodles al dente.

Nutrition