Sweet and sour shrimp & kale chow mein

This chow mein recipe is basically chow mein noodles tossed in a sweet and sour sauce with garlic shrimp and kale. The kale is totally optional but I can’t recommend it enough. It adds a nice texture to the soft noodles and is so good and very healthy. The benefits of kale are endless. Chow mein is traditionally a Chinese cuisines stir-fried with vegetables and/or meat. This Chinese takeout-inspired recipe is my second favorite right after General Tso’s chicken. Make this sweet and sour chow mein on a cold weekend to get all the cozy feels.

The shrimp is super easy to make and ready in under 5 minutes. Please note that I used uncooked shrimp-not to be confused with cooked shrimp. Cooked shrimp tends to be pinkish in color, but what you need is the grey looking shrimp which is uncooked. Clean and remove the shells from the shrimp before making this recipe. It’s very garlicky and tasty so it compliments the sweetness of the sauce really well. I like to boil the noodles after the sauce is almost cooked through. This is because it is just easier to toss freshly cooked noodles in sauce than after it cools down and clumps together.

Sweet and sour sauce sounds like a handful to make. But honestly, it is just brown sugar, ketchup and cornstarch. Cornstarch is used to thicken up the sauce. If you cant find cornstarch you can use all-purpose flour here (this substitution doesn’t apply in other cases like frying). You can find chow mein noodles at most Asian supermarkets but also check the pasta aisles at regular grocery stores.

Sweet and sour shrimp & kale chow mein

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Servings: 6 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 35

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Noodles

300g chow mein 

1L (4 cups) water to boil 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons oil

 

Shrimp

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

90g uncooked shrimp, thawed and shells removed  

 

Sweet and sour sauce

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons white/apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 bunch fresh kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh chives or green onion, sliced

Instructions

Making the sweet and sour shrimp and kale sauce

1. Whisk the brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, lemon juice until smooth in a bowl.
2. Once you have cleaned the shrimp, pat it dry and season with garlic, ginger, salt and chili powder. 
3. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat and use it to fry the seasoned shrimp for about 4 minutes.  The color of the shrimp should turn from grey to pink.
4. Take the shrimp out of the saucepan and add more oil. 
5. Fry the onions and garlic cloves until browned. 
6. Add the kale and sauté for about 3 minutes till it starts to wilt.
7. Add the mixture from step 1 to the saucepan and lower the heat. After 20 minutes the sauce will have thickened up. 
8. Stir in the dill, cilantro/parsley, chives/green onions, cooked shrimp and turn off the heat after 5 minutes. 

Boiling the noodles

1. Bring the liter of water to a boil in a very steep saucepan. A wok would be great.
2. Place the chow mein into the boiling water for 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and oil. 
3. When the noodles are quite soft, drain the hot water and run the the chow mein under cold water in a colander.
4. Toss the chow mein with the cooked sweet and sour sauce and serve warm with extra chopped herbs and sesame seeds.