Chop suey most often refers to a stir fried noodle dish, but I like my version of chop suey with a bit of gravy. I guess my brain refuses to separate spaghetti noodles from sauce, so my chop suey is saucy. That’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Saucy Chop Suey? 🙂
Anyhow, my recipe is made with slices of pork, shrimp, and a variety of veggies — I like adding carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, and onions. My mom adds celery in hers, but that’s one vegetable I am not too keen on, so it stays out in my version.
Add your favorite ingredients to make it your own. Give it a try and let me know how you like it. 🙂
CHOP SUEY
This recipe makes enough to feed a family of four, plus enough leftover for a couple of packed lunches the next day.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds lean pork, sliced into 1-inch long strips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 cups cabbage, sliced into 4×1-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 pounds raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1/4 cup soy paste (or regular soy sauce will do)
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 box spaghetti noodles, cooked per package directions
Directions:
1. Using a wok or large pan, cook the pork with the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the pork from burning and sticking to the pan.
2. Add the carrots; stir to mix then cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Mix in the cabbage and onions; cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Stir to combine then cook for a minute or two.
5. Add the shrimp, soy paste, bouillon cubes, and 1/4 cup of water (set the remaining water aside). Stir then cook for about 3 minutes; the shrimp should begin to turn pink.
6. Turn the heat to high. Mix the remaining water with the cornstarch; stir until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Cook for a minute over high heat; the mixture should start to thicken.
7. Turn the heat to low. Add the cooked spaghetti noodles to the pan. It’s easier if you use a pair of tongs to mix the pork mixture with the noodles. Once the noodles have heated through, remove from the heat and serve.
Enjoy!