Add the vegetable oil to a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden. Remove the garlic from the oil immediately and set it aside.
For the noodles:
Fill a pot with water and boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Strain them and set them aside.
For the noodles, vegetables, and shrimp:
Set the heat to medium. Pour the sesame oil into a large pan. Add the zucchini and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Add the red and yellow bell peppers to the pan and cook them for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Remove them from the heat and set them aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook them for 4 minutes. Finally, add the diced carrots and cook them for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from pan and set them aside.
Add vegetable oil to the pan and set the heat to high. Add the garlic and ginger; stir well and let them cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant. Add the shrimp and let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until pinkish and completely opaque—season them with salt to taste. Remove the shrimp from the heat and set them aside.
For the sauce:
Return the pan to the burner. Add the water, light brown sugar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch to the pan. Whisk to combine and let it simmer over medium-low heat while constantly whisking. Continue to cook the sauce for 8 to 12 minutes or until just starting to thicken.
Toss the veggies and shrimp into the pan and stir until incorporated. Using tongs, add the noodles and gently combine them into the mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
Place the noodles in serving bowls. Top them with the crispy garlic, sesame seeds, and green onions.
Noodles: You can use lo mein noodles or regular egg noodles. Cook them according to the directions on the package.
Shrimp: This recipe uses large raw shrimp - don't use cocktail shrimp. You can also try this with grilled chicken, tofu, thinly sliced steak, or diced pork to change it up.
Vegetables: I use a combination of bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini, but to speed things up, you can use store-bought frozen stir-fry veggie mixes. They are a great option to help you cut down on prep time.
Oyster Sauce and Soy Sauce: If you can't find oyster sauce, hoisin sauce is a good swap. For the soy sauce, I usually go with a low-sodium soy sauce, but I also like using Tamari.
Use kitchen tongs to gently stir and mix the noodles, veggies, shrimp, and sauce in the pan.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: easy shrimp lo mein, homemade shrimp lo mein, seafood lo mein, shrimp lo mein