Vegetarian Egg Fu Yung
Before we start, let’s just address the huge elephant in the room: this vegetarian egg fu yung isn’t exactly beautiful. I’d actually go so far as to say it’s a little bit ugly (there’s only so much I can do with a pretty plate and a few sesame seeds).
But, just as I don’t judge people on their appearance, I don’t judge ugly food either. In fact, ugly food often ends up being the most delicious – brown stews, brown casseroles, brown soups… and brown egg fu yung. It’s all welcome here, as long as it tastes amazing – and this vegetarian egg fu yung definitely tastes amazing!
What is egg fu yung?
Egg fu yung (or egg foo young, or basically any other spelling variation you can think of) is a Chinese egg dish made with all sorts of ingredients – it sometimes has meat or seafood, but this vegetarian egg fu yung is just packed with veggies (the eggs give it plenty of protein anyway!). It can come in a few different forms – sometimes it’s more of a structured omelette, and other times it’s more like scrambled egg. My local Chinese take away when I lived up in Liverpool made their egg fu yung like this, and it was the best, so that’s how I’ve made it ever since.
I’m actually a bit hesitant to use the word ‘omelette’ when talking about egg fu yung, because that makes it sound a bit boring really, and egg fu yung is so much more than just a Chinese omelette. It has so much flavour, even with just a few simple ingredients, and it’s one of my favourite Chinese dishes, without a doubt.
How do I make vegetarian egg fu yung?
Egg fu yung is so easy to make – just fry up your veggies, then add a few eggs and a dash of soy sauce. It sounds simple, and it is, but the effect is honestly so, so tasty.
When I first started making egg fu yung, I made it much more complicated than it needed to be – it involved a mixing bowl (?), and wiping the pan out with kitchen roll before adding more oil (??). But I’ve evidently become more lazy in my old age, because I’ve cut out every unnecessary step, and it’s now no more complex than making a simple stir fry.
What veggies can I put in my vegetarian egg fu yung?
Anything you like! I like to use red and green peppers, because I feel it needs the pop of colour to mitigate the ugliness a little. I also used mushrooms, onions, and beansprouts – lots of different textures and flavours. The beansprouts in particular are really lovely, and add to the Chinese vibe, so I’d recommend those! But you can use whatever you fancy really. Egg fu yung is a great fridge clearer – I’d happily use just about any vegetable that needs eating up.
Serve your vegetarian egg fu yung with some rice, a few spring rolls, and some sweet and sour sauce for dipping, and you’ve got an amazing vegetarian Chinese feast!
Other Homemade Chinese Take Aways
Vegetarian Egg Fu Yung
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Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 bell peppers, sliced or diced (I used red and green)
- 1 onion, sliced or diced
- ~ 6 medium mushrooms, sliced or diced
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 100 g (~ 1 cup) beansprouts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Black pepper
- To serve (optional): fresh coriander (cilantro), sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan or wok, and add all the vegetables. Stir fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until fairly soft but still with a bit of bite.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the eggs, soy sauce, and plenty of black pepper. Mix thoroughly until the vegetables are well coated in the egg.
- Cook over a medium-low heat without stirring for a couple of minutes, then gently begin to turn over large spoonfuls. Ideally you don’t want to end up with scrambled eggs (though it’s okay if parts end up like that!) – try to keep the egg mixture in larger chunks that you can turn over with a spoon. Continue until the egg is fully cooked.
- Serve the egg fu yung topped with fresh coriander and sesame seeds if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
This heap of eggs and vegetables looks and tastes nothing like egg
foo yung- call it a stir fry dish- but pancakes it is not! For the same ingredients, mix the eggs and vegetables, oil a pan, and scoop 1/3
or 1/4th of mixture into heated pan, cook until firm, flip, cook side
2, until golden; remove and cover with foil,and continue to make the rest of the pancakes. Serve with a sauce and rice, and it’s a
much more attractive and delicious meal. The real egg foo yung!
Hi Ellen, I never said it was pancakes? This version is just like the egg fu yung I get from my local Chinese restaurant here in the UK (and also the same as the ones I’ve had from other Chinese restaurants in other parts of the country). I think the American version is more like a pancake, but that’s not what this claims to be.