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Vegetarian, East Asian

Egg foo young with vegetables and rice

Egg foo young is small Chinese style omelets filled with bean sprouts, mushrooms, and onion, topped with a brown soy sauce and served with rice. This recipe serves 4, takes 35 minutes, is rated easy, and costs €1.70 per serving. The key is cooking the omelets a ladleful at a time in hot oil so they puff up without browning too much.

Tonight, golden little omelets packed with bean sprouts and mushrooms, draped in a brown sauce that melts right into the rice.

Egg foo young with vegetables and rice
Total time
35 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.70
Calories per person
500 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall, Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Egg foo young turns a basic omelet into something else entirely. Beaten with crunchy vegetables then ladled into hot oil, it puffs up and browns at the edges while staying soft in the middle. The brown soy sauce, thickened with cornstarch, gets poured over right before serving, sliding over the rice and flavoring every bite without making it soggy.

This is a weeknight dish that comes together fast, perfect for using up vegetables sitting in the fridge when nobody wants to spend an hour at the stove. Kids tend to like the little golden omelets, especially if you serve the sauce on the side for anyone who wants less of it. It also works well for an easy Sunday dinner that doesn't need much planning.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Eggs 8

Fruits and vegetables

  • Bean sprouts 200 g
  • Button mushrooms 150 g
  • Onion 1
  • Scallions 3

Pantry

  • Vegetable broth 20 cl
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Eggs, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Slice the onion, mushrooms, and scallions. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper.

    Save a little raw scallion for garnish at the end.

  2. Cook the rice in a pot of salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Keep it covered so it stays soft.

  3. Saute the onion and mushrooms for 4 minutes, add the bean sprouts for 1 minute, then mix everything into the beaten eggs. 5 min

    Let the filling cool for 1 minute, otherwise it starts cooking the eggs before they hit the pan.

  4. Cook small omelets, one ladleful at a time, in hot oil, 2 minutes per side, and keep them warm. 10 min

    Use the same ladle each time so the omelets come out the same size.

  5. Bring the broth to a boil with the soy sauce, sugar, and diluted cornstarch until it thickens. Pour over the omelets and serve with the rice. 3 min

    The sauce should coat the back of a spoon, it thickens further as it cools.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the bean sprouts well and let the filling cool slightly before mixing it into the beaten eggs, otherwise excess water makes the omelets soggy.
  • Don't crowd the pan, cook the omelets one at a time so they hold their shape and brown evenly.
  • Make the sauce while the last omelets are cooking, it thickens fast and doesn't hold well for long without losing texture.

The variations

  • Swap the button mushrooms for sliced shiitake mushrooms for a deeper flavor.
  • Add small cubes of firm tofu sauteed with the onion for more protein, the dish stays vegetarian.
  • For a quicker version with kids in mind, cook one large omelet in a big skillet instead of several small ones, then cut it into wedges.

What to serve it with

  • Plain steamed rice
  • Clear broth as a starter
  • Hot green tea

Storage

The omelets and sauce keep for 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, stored separately from the rice. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave, loosening the sauce with a splash of water. This dish doesn't freeze well, cooked eggs turn rubbery once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you substitute the bean sprouts?

Yes, finely shredded white cabbage or fresh mung bean sprouts work just as well. Keep the same crunchy texture to balance the dish.

Can you prep the filling ahead of time?

You can slice the vegetables and saute them the day before, then store them in the fridge. Mix them into the beaten eggs only right before cooking the omelets.

How do you keep the omelets from breaking when you flip them?

Use a wide spatula and wait until the edges are set before flipping. A well heated nonstick pan also makes the job much easier.

What type of rice works best here?

A classic long grain white rice works perfectly and soaks up the sauce well. Jasmine rice also works if you prefer a more fragrant grain.

How long does it take to make egg foo young with vegetables and rice?

Count 35 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in egg foo young with vegetables and rice?

About 500 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does egg foo young with vegetables and rice cost?

About €1.70 per serving, or €6.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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