Chop Suey Recipe
This Filipino chop suey recipe is quick, simple and goes perfectly well with steamed rice. A stir-fry of an assortment of vegetables, meat, and rich thick sauce!
A vegetable dish that is so inviting even picky eaters won’t be able to refuse. The aroma alone will bring everybody running to the dinner table. That is why this is my go to vegetable recipe when I want my children to eat their veggies!
Origins of Chop Suey?
There is an ever-present debate on the origin of the chop suey recipe. One of the most accepted story is that it came from the early Chinese settlers who came to the U.S. That is why chop suey is generally considered as a Chinese-American dish.
Another tale of the dish’s birth happened during the gold rush in San Francisco when a group of late-night miners demanded food at a Chinese restaurant. With the kitchen almost closed and low in ingredients, the owner put together a dish from scraps of orders early in the night and actually pulled it off! Hmmm, reminds me of the Puttanesca Pasta story.
As a Filipino vegetable dish.
It has been a well-loved stir-fry of the Filipinos for generations. Given that it’s delicious and healthy, it can also be economical depending on what ingredients you use. It can be vegetarian or add some protein like beef, pork, chicken and shrimps. Make it extravagant worthy of special occasions by adding mushrooms and chicken liver. But unlike the American chop suey, noodles are usually not found in the dish and is served with rice.
What goes in?
There are no strict rules when making Filipino chop suey, personally, I like it with a rich and thick sauce. Here are some ideas to what vegetables and proteins you can put together to cook your stir-fry.
How to serve and store?
Tips for an amiable experience
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Chop Suey Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large red onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 180 g chicken breast (cut into strips)
- 200 g shrimps (un-shelled, deveined (save shells for stock))
- 2 cups shrimp stock
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 medium carrot (sliced crosswise into thin pieces)
- 2 cups cauliflower
- 1 pc red bell pepper (sliced into squares)
- 2 cups broccoli (save stem and cut into strips)
- 3 bunch bok choy
- 1/2 medium-sized cabbage
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water (slurry or thickening agent)
- 1 cup quail eggs (hard boiled)
Instructions
- Hard boil quail eggs and peel off shells when cool to touch. Set aside. Boil shrimp shells in 2 cups water then discard shells and save stock for later use.1 cup quail eggs
- Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat, Tip in shrimps and cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove shrimps from wok and set aside.3 tbsp vegetable oil, 200 g shrimps
- Sauté onion until translucent then sauté garlic until fragrant. Add chicken strips and cook until light brown in color.1 large red onion, 3 cloves garlic, 180 g chicken breast
- Pour, oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper and shrimp stock. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes over medium heat.2 cups shrimp stock, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Add carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli stem. Mix then cover with a lid and let simmer for 5 minutes.1 medium carrot, 2 cups cauliflower
- Add broccoli and red bell peppers, mix then cover with a lid and let simmer for 5 or until tender and crisp.2 cups broccoli, 1 pc red bell pepper
- Add bok choy and cabbage then stir to incorporate. Add slurry (thickening agent) and stir until sauce thickens.3 bunch bok choy, 1/2 medium-sized cabbage, 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water
- Cover with lid and simmer for another 5 minutes or until cabbage is limp. Add the cooked shrimps and hard boiled quail eggs and mix to incorporate.
- Transfer chop suey in a serving dish and serve while warm with rice. Bon appetit!
