Vegetarian Chop Suey

This Vegetarian Chop Suey recipe is a great way to serve a simple, flavorful and nutritious dish to your loved ones. It's made with a mix of vegetables, fried tofu balls and a thick sauce which makes an amazing tasty lunch or dinner!

Need more Vegetable dishes to cook? Try my famous Pinakbet (Stir Fry Vegetables), Stir Fry Okra, or my Adobong Kangkong (Stir Fry Water Spinach).

Jump to:

• What is Vegetarian Chop Suey?
• Health Benefits of Broccoli
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• Top Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Vegetarian Chop Suey

What is Vegetarian Chop Suey?

Vegetarian Chop Suey is an easy, healthy, and tasty vegetable stir-fry recipe. It's great for lunch or dinner during family gatherings, parties, or even on a regular day.

This dish usually includes a mix of vegetables like bean sprouts, celery, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, and cabbage. It can also have one or more meats like pork, chicken liver, or shrimp, along with vegetable or chicken broth, and a sauce thickened with starch.

This recipe is perfect for using any leftover vegetables you have and making something delicious. The name "chop suey" comes from a Cantonese phrase that means "miscellaneous leftovers." It's thought that Chinese immigrants in the United States made this dish with their own leftovers from China.

Health Benefits of Broccoli

• Reduces the risk of cancer
• Improves bone health
• Boosts immune health
• Improves skin health
• Aids digestion

Ingredients

Listed below are all the ingredients you will need:

• vegetable oil 
• tofu balls or regular tofu
• cloves garlic
• onions
• cauliflower florets 
• broccoli florets 
• carrots
• baby corn 
• red bell pepper
• cabbage
• vegetable stock 
• oyster mushroom sauce 
• salt and pepper
• cornstarch mix
• quail eggs (optional)

Instructions

In a large frying pan over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Add the tofu balls and fry until light golden brown for 5-6 minutes, then move to the side of the pan:

Lower the heat, then add minced garlic, onion, and sauté until caramelized, about 2 minutes:

Increase the heat and add the cauliflower, broccoli florets, carrots, baby corn, red bell pepper,  cabbage and stir fry on high heat while stirring constantly:

Add the vegetable stock, oyster mushroom sauce and continue cooking for another minute. Then, season with salt and pepper and add the cornstarch mixture and quail eggs, cook for another minute:

It is best to serve this chop suey recipe with steamed rice.

Substitutions

• Protein: Instead of using firm tofu balls, try using tempeh, soy curls, or tofu puffs for different textures and flavors.
• Sauce: If you don't have oyster mushroom sauce, you can use tamari, soy sauce, or Chinese cooking wine as alternatives.
• Extra Crunch: Add water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, or baby bok choy to give your dish some extra crunchiness.

Variations

• Flavor Boost: Add a splash of sesame oil or rice vinegar for a different flavor profile.
• American-Chinese Twist: Add fried noodles or serve over crispy chow mein for an American-Chinese dish version.

Storage

• Store any extra food in sealed containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• If you want to keep it longer, you can freeze it in containers that are safe for the freezer for up to 2 months. Just remember to thaw it in the fridge before heating it up again.

Top Tips

• Don't cook the veggies for too long or they'll get mushy.
• Adding veggies with different colors makes your dish look nicer. Try baby corn, green beans, or red and green bell peppers.
• You can add more or less soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, salt, and pepper to make it taste just right.
• Start by cooking veggies like carrots and broccoli because they take longer. Add cabbage, bok choy, or other leafy veggies last if you want them to stay crispy.

Frequently Asked Questions