This mushroom chow fun is a plant-based take on a classic Cantonese noodle dish. Chow fun refers to stir-fried wide rice noodles, usually cooked over high heat to create the distinct smokiness known as wok hei. In mushroom chow fun, king oyster mushrooms replace the traditional beef. The mushrooms absorb the sauces, brown in the wok, and bring a meaty texture that suits the dish well.

The recipe comes from Yang Liu and Katharina Pinczolits’ cookbook Vegan Chinese Food. It uses fresh wide rice noodles, soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, garlic, bean sprouts, and Chinese chives. Everything cooks quickly in a hot wok, creating a fast, flavorful dish that feels true to its Cantonese roots. The noodles stay soft and chewy, the mushrooms develop a savory crust, and the vegetables add freshness.

Read more: Comforting Curried Veggies

This is popular street food in Guangzhou and appears everywhere from restaurants to food stalls. It makes an easy weeknight meal and works well for anyone who enjoys stir-fried noodle dishes. Serve it straight from the wok while the noodles are still glossy and hot.

Making mushroom chow fun

King oyster mushrooms replace beef in this mushroom chow fun made with wide rice noodles and vegan ingredients for a filling meal.

mushroom chow fun with bean sprouts, oyster mushrooms, and dark soy sauce

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Cook Time5

Prep Time30

Servings

Ingredients

300 g (10 ½ oz) fresh wide rice noodles or 200 g (7 oz) dried wide rice noodles
60 ml (2 fl oz/ ¼ cup) soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce
½ teaspoon salt
3 king oyster mushrooms thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
120 ml (4 fl oz) canola (rapeseed) oil
1 red shallot thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves chopped
100 g (3 ½ oz) bean sprouts
100 g (3 ½ oz) yellow or green
Chinese chives cut into 3 cm (1¼ in) lengths
1 spring onion (scallion), cut into 3 cm (1¼ in) lengths

Instructions

If you are using dried noodles, soak them first in lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
Combine 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the vegan oyster sauce and the salt in a bowl and add the mushrooms. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.
In another bowl, mix together the remaining soy sauce and vegan oyster sauce, the dark soy sauce and the sugar.
Heat a wok over a medium–high heat and, once hot, add half of the oil. Drain any marinade that the mushrooms have not absorbed and add the mushroom to the wok. Pan-fry until a bit brown and cooked on both sides, then remove.
Switch to the highest heat and add the rest of the oil, the shallot and garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the mushroom slices and stir for 15 seconds, then add the drained noodles and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the noodles are a bit softer. Then add the sauce, using chopsticks to quickly mix everything together. Toss the wok and stir constantly, being careful not to break the noodles.
When the noodles are almost cooked, add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 15–30 seconds then add the garlic chives and stir-fry for another 15–30 seconds. Finish with the spring onion and serve.

Extracted from Vegan Chinese Food by Yang Liu and Katharina Pinczolits (Hardie Grant Books, £24) Photography by Katharina Pinczolits