Easy Chop Suey Recipe

Ingredients

• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)vegetable oil
• 2 clovesgarlic, minced
• 225 g (1 cup)pork belly, or chicken, sliced into thin strips
• 225 g (1 cup)prawns
• 16 g (2 tablespoons), dissolved in 240 ml (1 cup) watercornflour
• 45–60 ml (3–4 tablespoons)oyster sauce
• 1.25 ml (1/4 teaspoon)ground pepper
• 100 g (1 cup)cauliflower florets
• 90 g (1 cup)broccoli florets
• 1 mediumcarrot, sliced diagonally
• 100 g (1 cup)sugar snap peas, or mangetout
• 1 smallbell pepper, cut into diagonal cubes
• 1 bunchpak choi, cut into smaller pieces
• 1 mediumred onion, cut into 4
• 3–4mushrooms, each cut into 3–4 slices
• 5baby corn, each cut diagonally into 2
• As neededsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the meat

   Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic until softened, then add the pork belly and cook, stirring regularly, until cooked on all sides. Add the prawns and cook in the same way.

2. 2

   Make the sauce

   Pour in the cornflour mixture, oyster sauce and ground pepper, then bring it to the boil. Adding the sauce before the vegetables helps keep them crisp and avoids overcooking. Remove the prawns from the wok.

3. 3

   Cook first vegetables

   Add the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and sugar snap peas. Cover and cook for about 2–3 minutes.

4. 4

   Finish the stir-fry

   Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until tender-crisp and the sauce has thickened. Return the prawns to the wok and add salt if needed. Serve hot.

What is chop suey?

Chop suey is a stir-fried dish of mixed vegetables, often cooked with meat and served in a savoury sauce. Its history is associated with Chinese cooking and Chinese diaspora cuisines, with many regional versions rather than one fixed ingredient list.

This version combines pork belly and prawns with a generous range of vegetables. Adding the sauce before the vegetables gives them a short cooking time, helping them stay bright and crisp.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 340 calories, 13g protein, 15g carbs, 27g fat.

The carbohydrate comes mainly from the vegetables and cornflour, while the oil and pork belly contribute much of the fat. Pork and prawns provide the protein. For a more balanced plate, serve it with a measured portion of rice and plenty of the vegetable mixture.

Choosing the ingredients

Pork belly: its fat adds richness to the sauce, while thin strips cook quickly. Chicken is the stated alternative if you prefer a leaner-tasting meat.

Prawns: cook them with the pork, then lift them out before the vegetables go in. Returning them at the end helps prevent them becoming overcooked.

Vegetables: the mix brings different colours and textures, from firm cauliflower and broccoli to tender pak choi. Cut them to broadly similar sizes so they cook evenly.

Getting the sauce right

Cornflour: dissolve it fully in the water before adding it to the hot wok to help avoid lumps. Bring the mixture to the boil as directed so it thickens.

Oyster sauce: it seasons the liquid and gives it savoury depth. Taste before adding salt, as the sauce may already provide enough seasoning.

Keeping vegetables crisp

First batch: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and sugar snap peas go in under a lid for 2–3 minutes. This brief covered cook softens the firmer vegetables without keeping them in the wok for long.

Final batch: add the remaining vegetables and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Stop when they are tender-crisp rather than soft, since they will continue to warm in the hot sauce.

Timing and doneness

The recipe takes 20 minutes in total, so prepare and cut the vegetables before heating the wok. Once cooking starts, the stages move quickly.

Look for a thickened, glossy sauce and vegetables that still have some bite. The pork should be cooked through, and the prawns should be opaque before they are set aside.

Serving ideas

Serve the chop suey hot, while the vegetables are still crisp and the sauce is loose enough to coat them. Steamed rice is a straightforward accompaniment that soaks up the savoury sauce.

For a lighter-feeling plate, serve a smaller amount of rice alongside a generous portion of the vegetable mixture. A simple bowl of rice also makes the meal more filling.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the vegetables before you start cooking so they can be added in quick succession.
• Dissolve the cornflour in the water thoroughly before pouring it into the wok.
• Use a wok or large frying pan with enough room to stir the vegetables without crushing them.
• Lift the prawns out before adding the vegetables, then return them just before serving.
• Taste the sauce before adding salt because oyster sauce is already savoury.

Variations

• Use chicken: replace the pork belly with thin strips of chicken as suggested in the ingredients.
• Swap the peas: use mangetout instead of sugar snap peas.
• Adjust the vegetables: use the same listed mix but cut the pieces to similar sizes for even cooking.
• Serve with rice: add steamed rice alongside to make the meal more substantial.
• Change the mushrooms: use your preferred variety, keeping the slices small enough to cook quickly.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding vegetables too early: follow the two batches so the firmer vegetables get a head start.
• Overcooking the prawns: take them out before cooking the vegetables and return them at the end.
• Lumpy sauce: dissolve the cornflour completely in the water before adding it to the wok.
• Soft vegetables: keep to the stated cooking times and stop when they are tender-crisp.
• Salting too soon: taste after adding the oyster sauce, then season only if needed.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a frying pan until piping hot, stirring gently; the vegetables may soften further. Avoid reheating more than once.

Frequently asked questions