This is what 2.4 kilograms of home-grown pink oyster mushrooms becomes when it meets a hot wok, some noodles, and whatever else happens to be ready in the garden. The stir-fry I am sharing here is less of a precise recipe and more of a framework — the mushrooms are the star, and everything else supports them. What goes alongside will depend on what you have growing, but the core technique stays the same: sear the mushrooms hard, keep the vegetables crunchy, and bring it together with a simple sauce at the last moment.
The version photographed here uses green beans, purple sprouting broccoli, spring onions, garlic, wild garlic (ramsons), and fresh parsley — all from the garden. But you could just as easily use pak choi, tenderstem broccoli, sugar snap peas, or asparagus. The mushrooms do not mind what you pair them with. They just want a hot wok and a bit of soy sauce.
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
- 200-300g fresh pink oyster mushrooms (home-grown from your bucket)
- 2-3 nests of egg noodles (or rice noodles for gluten-free)
- 150g green beans, trimmed and halved
- 150g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed into florets
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3-4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
- A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (home-grown)
- A handful of wild garlic / ramsons, shredded (if in season — optional)
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- Chilli sauce or flakes to taste
To finish
- Black sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil (for the wok)
Method
1. Prep Everything First
This is a stir-fry. Once the wok is hot, you will not have time to chop anything. Get everything prepped and within arm's reach before you turn the heat on.
Tear (do not chop) the mushrooms into large, bite-sized pieces. Tearing creates rough, irregular edges that catch more heat in the wok and give you better browning and texture than clean knife cuts. Trim and halve the green beans. Break the PSB into florets. Chop the garlic, slice the spring onions, shred the wild garlic, and roughly chop the parsley.
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl so you can add them all at once later.
2. Cook the Noodles
Cook the noodle nests according to the packet instructions. Drain and toss with a tiny drizzle of sesame oil to stop them sticking. Set aside.
3. Sear the Mushrooms
Get your wok screaming hot over the highest heat you have. Add the vegetable oil, then immediately add the mushrooms. Spread them out in a single layer and leave them alone for 2-3 minutes. Do not stir, do not shake, do not fiddle. You want a hard sear — golden, slightly caramelised edges. This is where most of the flavour comes from.
4. Add the Vegetables
Once the mushrooms have a good sear, add the green beans and purple sprouting broccoli. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes — you want them tender-crisp, not soft. They should still have a bit of bite.
5. Aromatics and Noodles
Push the vegetables to the sides of the wok and add the garlic, spring onions, and wild garlic to the centre. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant — garlic burns fast, so keep it moving.
Add the cooked noodles and pour over the sauce. Toss everything together over high heat for a minute or two until the noodles are heated through and coated in the sauce.
6. Finish and Serve
Kill the heat. Add a final drizzle of sesame oil, scatter over the fresh parsley and black sesame seeds, and serve immediately. This is not a dish that improves with waiting — eat it while the noodles are glossy and the vegetables are still crunchy.
Variations
- Add tofu: Press and cube firm tofu, fry until golden before adding the mushrooms
- Use rice noodles: For a gluten-free version, swap egg noodles for flat rice noodles
- Spice it up: Add sliced fresh chilli or a spoonful of gochujang to the sauce
- Winter version: Swap the green beans for cavolo nero or pak choi when those are in season instead
Storage
Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1-2 days, though the noodles will soften. Reheat in a hot wok or pan rather than a microwave — you want to re-crisp the vegetables and mushrooms, not steam them. Honestly though, this is best eaten fresh. Make the amount you will eat in one sitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use other mushrooms instead of pink oysters?
Absolutely. Grey or blue oyster mushrooms, king oysters, or even chestnut mushrooms will all work well in this stir-fry. The cooking method is the same — the key is getting a hard sear on the mushrooms before adding the sauce. Pink oysters just happen to be the most visually spectacular option, and they have a particularly delicate, slightly sweet flavour that pairs brilliantly with the ginger and soy.
Is this stir-fry vegan?
It can be very easily. The base recipe is naturally vegan as long as you check your noodles (egg noodles are not vegan, but many supermarket noodle nests are egg-free — check the label) and use soy sauce rather than oyster sauce. If you want to add oyster sauce for depth, several vegan versions are available made from mushroom extract.
Can I prep everything in advance?
Yes, and you should — that is how stir-fries work best. Tear or slice the mushrooms, chop all the vegetables and aromatics, and have your sauce mixed and ready to go before you heat the wok. Once cooking starts, everything happens fast and there is no time to be reaching for ingredients. The prepped ingredients will keep in the fridge for several hours, so you can do it all in the afternoon for an evening meal.
Cooking this? Grow it