Chop Suey epitomizes American Chinese cuisine. Both Chop Suey and Chow Mein are stir-fry dishes. Chow Mein is an authentic Chinese dish, while Chop Suey is totally Americanized. In preparing Chow Mein we typically mix the stir-fried ingredients in with our noodles (or rice), but Chop Suey is served on its own or with rice, perhaps, on the side. So, as today is National Chop Suey Day, feel free to use leftover or fresh proteins and any assortment of veggies that you would like.
Super Simple Chop Suey
Serve over or with rice, if desired.
Marinade: 1 T each: tamari (soy sauce) & oyster sauce
1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp cornstarch
Sauce: ¼ c each: tamari (soy sauce) & water
2 T each: oyster sauce & rice vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 tsp monkfruit (or other sweetener)
1 T cornstarch
Stir-Fry:
2-3 T canola, peanut, sunflower or other high smoke point oil (or as needed)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 lb protein: pork, beef, chicken, or combo cut in thin strips
2-3 c crisp raw veggies, such as sliced sweet onion, sliced/chopped cabbage, diagonally-sliced celery, sliced carrots
2-3 c softer raw veggies, such as thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced zucchini, thinly sliced red bell pepper
1-2 c specialty veggies, such as sliced (or whole) baby corn, sliced water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, trimmed snow pea pods
Garnishes:
Thinly sliced chives
Crispy fried Chow Mein noodles
Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over sliced protein in large, zip-top plastic bag. Let sit for 10-15 min, turning the bag over once. Meanwhile, whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside. Heat 2 T oil over med-high to high heat (450°) in wok or large skillet; stir-fry meat just till barely done. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm. Adding a bit more oil as needed, stir-fry crisp veggies 2-3 min; add softer veggies and stir-fry 2-3 more minutes. Then add specialty veggies and stir-fry 1-2 min, before returning the protein to the pan. Add the sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes to thicken and coat ingredients. Serve hot with or over rice, garnished as you prefer.
