Gardein’s plant-based be’f tips (formerly Beefless Tips) is one of the most versatile vegan products on the market. I’ve used it in recipes ranging from Beef Stroganoff to Beef and Mushrooms Berkeley, and have begun experimenting with it in Asian dishes. Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein is a classic staple in Chinese restaurants, but you can make it yourself in less time than ordering take out, and at a fraction of the cost. I was inspired to create this after returning home from a trip with only onions, celery, peppers, and broccoli still in good enough condition to use for dinner.
I put a large pot of water on to boil, and gathered my ingredients. I made my sauce first (stirring together low-sodium tamari, mirin, toasted sesame oil, garlic, minced ginger, black pepper and Gochugaru Korean Chile Flakes in a medium bowl), and then put in the Gardein plant-based be’f tips, which had been defrosting for about 30 minutes. This allows the be’f tips to marinate in the sauce while you prep your veggies.
A quick word may be in order about Gochugaru, which I have been substituting for the ubiquitous Italian red pepper flakes to add a bit of heat and spiciness to dishes. On an impulse about six months ago, I brought a bottle of Mother in Law’s Gochugaru Korean Chile Flakes from Thrive Market, and immediately loved the subtle smokey sweetness that they added – along with pronounced heat – to my recipes. If you don’t have Gochugaru on your spice shelf, or aren’t willing to spend the six bucks to try it, feel free to use another type of red pepper flakes in the sauce.
Once the veggies were prepped, I added oil to my hot wok, and sautéed sliced onions, followed by celery chunks, and red, yellow, and orange bell pepper strips, allowing each veggie about 3 minutes or so in the wok before the next addition.
I then added the broccoli, which was cut into small flowerettes for quick cooking, along with about 3 Tablespoons of water or vegetable stock. After about two more minutes, I added the be’f tips and all the sauce.
Timing is important when you’re stir frying, so after cooking the be’f tips about 5 minutes, I put the brown rice noodles into the boiling salted water (since they only take about 5-6 minutes to cook), while I continued to hover over my wok.
Just as an aside, one of the other things I love about making my own food (instead of relying on restaurants) is having control over the quality of ingredients. So, while you can use traditional Lo Mein noodles that are made using eggs and white flour, I decided to use Lotus Foods’ Organic Brown Pad Thai Rice Noodles (which I also got at Thrive Market), so that I could keep this recipe vegan.
Except for taking the be’f tips out of the freezer about 30 minutes before I wanted to begin cooking, I clocked myself at a smidge under 30 minutes to make my Vegan Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein. I hope you decide to try it the next time you’re tempted to order take out!
- 1 9 ounce package of Gardein plant-based be'f tips
- ½ cup San-J reduced sodium tamari soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons mirin (or 2 Tablespoons brown sugar if you don't have mirin)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon Gochugaru Korean Chile Flakes (or red pepper flakes)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil or canola oil
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper
- 1 small stalk broccoli (yielding about 1½ cups of small flowerettes)
- 3 Tablespoons water or organic vegetable stock
- 1 8 ounce package of Lotus Foods Organic Brown Pad Thai Rice Noodles (or Lo Mein noodles or egg noodles, which means that the recipe will no longer be vegan)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- Take the Gardein plant-based be'f tips out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you want to begin cooking.
- In a medium bowl, combine the tamari, mirin, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, Gochugaru flakes, and black pepper, then add the partially thawed be'f tips and let marinate.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and then add the oil. Heat until the oil shimmers slightly. Stir fry the onion for about 3 minutes, followied by the celery, and then the peppers. Add the broccoli last, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the water or vegetable broth and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (about another two minutes).
- Turn down the heat to medium and add the marinating be'f tips and all the sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes and then put the noodles into the pot of boiling salted water.
- Continue cooking the be'f tips and veggies while the noodles cook. Cook the noodles about 5-6 minutes or according to package directions. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water before draining the cooked noodles into a colander.
- Add the cooked noodles into the wok, and cook for another minute or so. Thin with a bit of the noodle cooking water if you think it needs a bit more liquid. Add the lime juice and sprinkle the top with scallions.
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