Name: Vegetable Mei Fun
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5 ounces dried thin rice noodles; 2 tablespoons oil ((divided)); 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms ((see notes for dried)); 3 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1 medium onion ((sliced)); 2 medium carrots ((shredded)); 1 ½ cups shredded cabbage; 2 scallions ((julienned)); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 tablespoon oyster sauce; 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder ((or ½ teaspoon of salt)); 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/8 teaspoon MSG ((optional))

Jump to Recipe

Last week, I posted my recipe for shrimp mei fun, but this week, I wanted to share a version made with only veggies! The recipe is more or less the same but with the addition of shiitake mushrooms. I also used vermicelli noodles this time because my wife said people would be more likely to make it. XD.

What is mei fun?

Mei fun is a Chinese stir-fried noodle dish. It's typically made with thin rice noodles (vermicelli), but I actually prefer using thicker/wider noodles. However, I decided to use vermicelli today because my wife said more people would make it. And all I want is for people to try my delicious recipes :).

The most common vegetables I see in this dish are cabbage, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and onions. You could really use any vegetable you want though. In the past, I've also used beansprouts and bell peppers.

sliced scallions, minced garlic, sliced onions, sliced shiitake mushrooms, shredded cabbage, and julienned carrots on cutting board.

What noodles to use?

Like I said earlier, you can use any type of dried rice noodle. Vermeclli is traditional. Here is a picture of the noodles I'm using:

Soaking the noodles

When rice noodles are used for stir-fry, they need to be soaked in cold or warm water first. There should be instructions on the packaging for how long to soak them for. But typically, they need about 10-15 minutes. Wider noodles would need slightly longer, up to 30 minutes.

dried rice noodles soaking in pot of water.

Cooking process

PRO TIP: Before starting, I highly recommend using a nonstick pan for this recipe. In my experience, rice noodles will stick to anything that isn't nonstick. I've tried making it in the wok, and they always end up sticking, and the noodles break apart.

shiitake mushrooms being cooked in pan. — Mushrooms should be cooked first because they have a lot of moisture in them.

vegetables cooking in pan. — Other veggies can be cooked together for a few minutes until they're soft.

soaked noodles, sauce, and scallions added to pan. — Add the soaked noodles directly to the pan. Stir-fry with the sauce and scallions. If the noodles are still hard, just add a few tablespoons of water and cook until they soften.

Vegetable Mei Fun

Vegetable mei fun is an easy weeknight dish you can make in 45 minutes. I highly recommend making this in a nonstick pan as rice noodles tend to stick to anything that isn't nonstick.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

5 ounces dried thin rice noodles
2 tablespoons oil (divided)
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms (see notes for dried)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 medium carrots (shredded)
1 ½ cups shredded cabbage
2 scallions (julienned)

For the sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (or ½ teaspoon of salt)
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon MSG (optional)

Instructions

Soak the noodles in cold water for 10-15 minutes or follow the instructions on the packaging.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large nonstick pan over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the mushrooms for 3 minutes until most of their moisture is evaporated.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
Add the garlic, onions, carrots, and cabbage and cook for 3 minutes, making sure to toss constantly so that steam can escape.
Transfer the soaked noodles directly from the water to the pan. Add the sauce and scallions and cook for 1 minute until everything is evenly coated. Taste test a small piece of noodle. If the noodle is still raw, add a few tablespoons of water and cook until it's absorbed. Enjoy!

Notes

Shiitake mushrooms: You can also used dried shiitake mushrooms for this. Rehydrate them in cold water for at least 8 hours, then cut off and discard the stems. Squeeze out the excess water and then slice into thin pieces.

Social