20-Minute Vegan Cabbage Lo Mein with Mushrooms and Edamame
Quick vegan lo mein with spaghetti, crisp cabbage, browned mushrooms and edamame tossed in a garlicky soy-ginger-maple sauce. Dinner in about 20 minutes.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Serves
- 4

20-Minute Vegan Cabbage Lo Mein with Mushrooms and Edamame is a vegan dinner recipe made with spaghetti or linguine, frozen shelled edamame, neutral oil. It takes 20 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 406 calories, 16 g of protein and 8 g of fiber.
Regular spaghetti stands in for lo mein noodles, and the frozen edamame cooks in the same pot for its last two minutes, so you only drain once. Brown the mushrooms in a hot, uncrowded pan before anything else goes in. That browning carries most of the savory flavor. The cabbage only needs a quick sear so it stays a little crunchy, and a splash of starchy pasta water helps the soy-maple sauce coat every strand instead of pooling in the pan.
Ingredients
- 8 oz227 gspaghetti or linguine
- 1 cup155 gfrozen shelled edamame
- 1½ tbsp21 gneutral oil, such as canola or peanut
- 8 oz227 gcremini mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cups356 ggreen cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 large79 gcarrot, cut into matchsticks
- 4 60 ggreen onions, whites and greens sliced separately
- 3 cloves9 ggarlic, minced
- 1 tbsp6 gfresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp3 gsesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Sauce
- 3 tbsp48 glow-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp20 gmaple syrup
- 1 tbsp14 gtoasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp5 grice vinegar
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
- 1 tsp6.3 gsriracha, for heat (optional)
Kit: large pot, large skillet or wok, colander, small bowl
Tips
- Use the biggest pan you have. If the mushrooms are crowded, they steam instead of browning, so cook them in two batches in a smaller skillet.
- Slightly undercook the pasta. It finishes softening as you toss it in the sauce.
- A bag of coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots) can replace the cabbage and carrot to cut prep time.
Swap ideas
- Shiitake mushrooms instead of cremini
- Deeper, meatier flavor. Remove the tough stems before slicing.
- Tamari instead of soy sauce, with gluten-free spaghetti or rice noodles
- Makes the dish gluten-free. Rice noodles are softer, so toss them gently.
- Cubed, pan-fried firm tofu instead of edamame
- Swaps the edamame's bite for a crisp-edged, more substantial protein.
- Brown sugar instead of maple syrup
- Similar sweetness with a slight molasses note, closer to takeout flavor.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
406kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 1.3 g 7%
- Sugars
- 10.6 g
- Sodium
- 702 mg 31%
- Potassium
- 886 mg 19%
- Calcium
- 114 mg 9%
- Iron
- 3.9 mg 22%
- Vitamin C
- 40 mg 44%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.06 µg 3%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Pasta, dry, enriched, Edamame, frozen, prepared, Oil, canola, Mushrooms, brown, italian, or crimini, raw, Cabbage, raw, Carrots, raw, Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, Garlic, raw, Ginger root, raw, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Syrups, maple, Oil, sesame, salad or cooking, RICE VINEGAR (Branded, Mizkan America, Inc.) - unseasoned; 0 kcal, 0 g protein, carbs, sugar, fat and 0 mg sodium per 15 ml serving, Spices, pepper, black
Method
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. While it heats, whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black pepper and sriracha (if using) in a small bowl. Prep the vegetables.
Cook the pasta until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package time. Add the frozen edamame for the last 2 minutes. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
Meanwhile, heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Spread the mushrooms in an even layer and leave them alone for 2 minutes, then stir and cook until browned and their liquid has cooked off, 3–4 minutes more.
Add the cabbage, carrot and green onion whites. Stir-fry until the cabbage wilts and picks up a few golden spots but still has some crunch, 2–3 minutes.
Push the vegetables to the sides, add the garlic and ginger to the center, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Don't let the garlic brown.
Add the drained pasta and edamame, pour in the sauce and 2–3 tablespoons of the pasta water, and toss with tongs for 1–2 minutes, until the noodles are glossy and evenly brown. Add a little more pasta water if it looks dry.
Taste and add a splash more soy sauce if needed. Serve topped with the green onion greens and sesame seeds.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet with 1–2 tablespoons of water, or in the microwave, until steaming. The cabbage softens on standing but still tastes good. Freezing isn't recommended.
Questions
- How much protein is in 20-minute vegan cabbage lo mein with mushrooms and edamame?
- Each of the 4 servings has 16 g of protein, 8 g of fiber and 406 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is 20-minute vegan cabbage lo mein with mushrooms and edamame vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does 20-minute vegan cabbage lo mein with mushrooms and edamame take to make?
- 8 minutes of prep and 12 minutes of cooking, so 20 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make 20-minute vegan cabbage lo mein with mushrooms and edamame ahead?
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet with 1–2 tablespoons of water, or in the microwave, until steaming. The cabbage softens on standing but still tastes good. Freezing isn't recommended.
- What can I substitute in 20-minute vegan cabbage lo mein with mushrooms and edamame?
- Shiitake mushrooms instead of cremini — deeper, meatier flavor. remove the tough stems before slicing.. Tamari instead of soy sauce, with gluten-free spaghetti or rice noodles — makes the dish gluten-free. rice noodles are softer, so toss them gently.. Cubed, pan-fried firm tofu instead of edamame — swaps the edamame's bite for a crisp-edged, more substantial protein.. Brown sugar instead of maple syrup — similar sweetness with a slight molasses note, closer to takeout flavor..
- Does 20-minute vegan cabbage lo mein with mushrooms and edamame contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 9, 2026 ·Chinese-American