I can’t believe it’s taken me all this time to do this recipe. Chop Suey was a FAVORITE food in my house growing up. I’d be stoked whenever I came home from school and my gramma had it simmering on the stove. It’s the perfect fall food, all warm and delicious.
Chop Suey
You need:
2 lbs pork
1 cup chopped onions
2 1/2 cup celery, cut up
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 cup water
1-5oz can sliced water chestnuts
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Bean sprouts (optional)
Snow peas (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
Chop the celery into bite sized pieces.
Slice onions lengthwise.
Cube pork. Warm a pan with oil, then brown pork in the pan.
Once the pork is brown, add chopped onions, celery, soy sauce, water chestnuts and two cups of water. Simmer covered for 45 minutes.
If you want to add snow peas and bean sprouts, do it now. I just added a handful of each. Then simmer for another ten minutes.
My gram always added cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit. Mix together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water, then add it to the chop suey. Mix it up, then simmer another five minutes.
Mmmm, chop suey.
Chop suey is best if eaten with rice or noodles, or you can eat it with a shovel, like I did when I was a kid.
Mike and Annie were very excited to try it.
My two lefties…
Mike LOVED it. And …the important thing is that Annie tried it. It just left more for me and Mike!
Enjoy!
- 2 lbs pork
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2½ cup celery, cut up
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cup water
- 1-5oz can sliced water chestnuts
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- Bean sprouts (optional)
- Snow peas (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Chop the celery into bite sized pieces and slice onions lengthwise.
- Cube pork. Warm a pan with oil, then brown pork in the pan.
- Once the pork is brown, add chopped onions, celery, soy sauce, water chestnuts and two cups of water. Simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- OPTIONAL add a handful of snow peas and bean sprouts, simmer for another ten minutes.
- Mix together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and ¼ cup of water, then add it to the chop suey. Simmer another five minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice or noodles
Liz says:
I love how Annie’s doing the thumbs up before she gets it in her mouth, and then afterward she like “what the hell is this?” Too cute.
KaraB says:
I noticed that too! So cute!
Skye says:
How sweet to make recipes that have happy childhood memories. Annie’s face is too precious! I don’t remember another recipe you’ve posted that she didn’t like- is this the first one? If so, that’s impressive. I pretty much only ate bread and cheese- and, thankfully, most fruits and vegetables- until elementary school!
Heather says:
There have definitely been some things I knew she wouldn’t like, so I didn’t have her do the taste test. I wasn’t going to have her taste this but she insisted. It was pretty funny.
linda says:
This looks soooo good! I will make this as soon as we get back from elk hunting in Wyoming. Think I might add sliced carrots for color and I love carrots.
designhermomma says:
See, I thought you were being super adventurous and all with your “chop suey”, because for some reason I thought it was a pile of raw fermented meat.
why did I think that?
Tara says:
Thank you for sharing, this looks yummy!
Jos says:
Haaa I love the thumbs-up Mike with Annie making the “wtf is this?” face. Honestly, I think if your 2 year old had liked chop suey, I would have given up as a giant mom failure. Can’t believe how Annie is so adorably grown up looking all of a sudden!
Kelly Driscoll says:
Yummm!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Jen says:
When is Mike going to cook?
Mike says:
Here’s one from me! http://thespohrsaremultiplying.com/recipes/mikes-vegetable-chicken/
Jen says:
Excellent!
Lamb says:
Sooo…no cooking since January, Mike?
Mike says:
I’ve only done that one cooking post, but we split the cooking 50/50 here. In fact I’m cooking us all breakfast right now!
Heather says:
Eh, it’s more like 90/10. Mike does all the cooking, I do the microwaving!
kris (lowercase) says:
i make one very much like this but i use chicken or beef stock instead of water and for some unknown reason a tablespoon of molasses..
amy says:
when the Chinese make it, they add chicken stock and molasses. see my note below.
Colleen from MN says:
Add some red peppers for color!
Jess says:
Yay! So happy you are posting more recipes. Can’t wait to try this!
Dawn says:
I’m so glad that you posted a new recipe. I love to cook, and assuming no one has lied to me, I’m a very good cook. I love to see you trying and your little princess sitting down to home cooked meals. I have wonderful memories of my mother cooking and I hope my kids will too. : )
BTW: I think I’ll try this meal.
Angie says:
LOVE when you post recipes. I have made a couple things you posted, the macaroons and the green chile casserole, maybe more, I can’t remember and I’ll probably try this one because it looks delicious, but I just love these posts and how you do the step by step pictures. Makes my Saturdays when I open the blog the check and actually see one there.
MissyK says:
This looks SO good! Definitely going to have to try this. I love how Annie seems to at least be willing to try everything. My youngest son (now 20) practically lived on mac & cheese around this age. Absolutely refused to touch anything that looked like it might be remotely healthy. Gave me fits! LOL. So GO ANNIE! (and mom & dad for instilling in her the willingness to try.)
Cinthia says:
I thnk it’s awesome that Mike and Annie are lefties (lefties of the world, unite!)! Chop suey is something that is eaten all over Costa Rica as a “Chinese” dish, but it is more of a noodle dish than a meat & veggie plate. I think I like your version much better (with a side of Jasmine rice, maybe?)!
JustAMom says:
I love the picture of Annie & Mike gettting ready to eat – TWINS!!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Your spaghetti sauce has become a huge hit in this house – I’ve got a freezer full right now!
Angela says:
I made this last night, delish!
Mallory says:
Thanks for the recipe! This was amazingly good for how simple it is. I think it will make it into the rotation frequently!
Auntie_M says:
Looks fantastic (despite that awesome look of negativity on Annie’s face!!!)
Irejne says:
I am so happy to have found this recipe. I,also can remember coming home from school and the wonderful odor of chop suey cooking. Delicious! Thank you
NoNoNannette says:
I use less celery I’m not a big fan of it, but I did add match stick slice Carrots, Bean sprouts Snow peas
Thanks for the recipe Yummmgood =^..^=
amy says:
I’d recommend adding a couple of tablespoons of molasses for more authentic flavor. cook it about 1/2 hr to get the flavors to meld after you add the molasses.
mary yokiel says:
looks like a terrific recipe, will try it soon