Best for: Noodles with the griddle’s crisp edges.
Chow mein simply means fried noodles, and the flat-top griddle is the best home tool for them: a wide, even surface where the noodles crisp in patches while the vegetables stay bright. This is the vegetable version — cabbage, carrot, sprouts, and scallions in a light soy glaze — written with eggless wheat noodles, so it is vegan as it stands.
Griddle: Flat-top griddle or large cast-iron griddle over direct high heat on the grill; 475°F. Equipment: Griddle, two wide spatulas, large pot for the noodles.
Ingredients
12 minutes. Total: 27 minutes.
- 12 oz dried eggless Chinese wheat noodles (or thin spaghetti)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or water)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 2 cups mung bean sprouts
- 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
Directions
Boil the noodles 1 minute short of the package directions, drain, and rinse briefly under cool water so they stop cooking. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil so they do not clump.
Whisk the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and sesame oil into the sauce. Heat the griddle on the grill to 475°F.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the cabbage and carrot for 2–3 minutes, until softened at the edges but still crisp. Push to the cooler side.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and spread the noodles out in a wide layer. Let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes so the bottoms crisp in patches, then toss.
Add the garlic, scallions, and bean sprouts and toss for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over everything and toss for 1–2 minutes, until glossy and evenly coated.
Season with the salt, toss once more, and serve straight off the griddle.
Grilling tip: The undisturbed two minutes is where chow mein gets its character — constant tossing gives you steamed noodles, not fried ones.
