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.
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 and homemade fried rice recipes!
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.
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 sesame 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 🙂
Ingredients
Lo Mein
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Cup Onion (sliced)
- 1/2 Cup Mushrooms (4 ounces, sliced)
- 1 Large Garlic Clove (minced)
- 8 Ounces Lo Mein Noodles (*See notes)
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth (or water)
Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 Cup Carrots (matchstick)
- 1/4 Cup Green Onions (sliced for garnish)
- 4 Teaspoons Sesame Seeds (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.
- Turn on the Instant Pot using the “saute” function. When the screen displays “Hot,” add the remaining sesame 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve hot and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.