My love for vegetables started with my mom’s chopsuey. While Chinese in origin, chopsuey has been lovingly adopted in Filipino households, especially in my childhood home since I request for it so often.
The medley of vegetables are coated with a thickened sauce of chicken broth laced with fish sauce and soy sauce. The result is a satisfying hit of meaty umami flavor you wouldn’t usually expect from a dish that’s 90% vegetables. The below recipe is bare bones and what my mom usually makes, but if on hand, I would happily add green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, quail eggs and even fried tofu cubes. It all comes down to how you like your chopsuey!
Use my mom’s chopsuey recipe as a guide and tailor it to your tastes by varying the quantities and types of vegetables according to your preference. Serve with steaming white rice, or even over noodles.
Mom’s Chopsuey
- 1 cabbage, (chopped )
- 1 carrot, (sliced into thin disks or matchsticks)
- 1 bell pepper (capsicum), (chopped)
- 300 g chicken pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, (minced)
- ½ onion, (chopped)
- oil, (for sauteing)
- salt & pepper, (to taste)
- fish sauce and/or soy sauce, (to taste)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour), (dissolved in ¼ cup water)
Heat oil and saute garlic and onion until fragrant.
Add the chicken and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt, then saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add about ¼ cup water if your pan is too dry. Cover with the lid and let simmer for around 4-5 minutes or until your carrots are at desired softness.
Add cabbage. Cover and simmer until cabbage is cooked, around 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and stir. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Season with fish sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
Looking for your next recipe? This One-Pot Bolognese recipe is a breeze to cook and also packed with vegetables in a meaty tomato sauce.
Anne Cortz 
Leave a comment