best american chop suey noodles
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| best american chop suey noodles |
chop suey noodles : Chop suey is not a traditional Chinese dish. In fact, if you were to ask for it in China, you‘d get more than a few dirty looks. This dish was actually credited to the then Chinese ambassador to the United States, Li Hung Chang, in 1896.
When Li Hung Chang arrived in New York, the newspapers followed his every move with admiration and curiosity. The president at the time was the uncharismatic Grover Cleveland, so having such an exotic visitor come to the United States wearing brightly colored silk garments and refusing to eat any of our food, was humbling and gave the press something to talk about.
It’s rumored that Chang left behind this recipe, but I’d bet money the truth is that someone took note of what he was eating and made chop suey as a hybrid of whatever Americanized Asian food Chang could find during his stay. Over a hundred years later, this dish has lost a lot of its fame, but for generations it was an economical dinner full of vegetables that was notoriously popular with children (if the ladies’ magazines from 1920 through the 1960s are to be believed).
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
$1.58 PER SERVING
Ingredients for chop suey noodles recipe
- ½ to 1 cup vegetable broth or vegan chicken broth (we recommend Better Than Bouillon)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha or Thai chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup tofu or vegan chicken (we recommend Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips or Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)
- 1 (13-ounce) package chow mein or udon noodles
- 1 to 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup snap pea pods
- ½ cup mung bean sprouts (optional)
- 1 (5-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 green onion, diced
How to make chop suey noodles ?
In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the broth, the soy sauce, agave nectar, Sriracha, and cornstarch. Add the tofu to the marinade and let it sit for 15 minutes. (If you’re using Beyond Meat, add the additional ½ cup broth.)
While the tofu marinates, prepare the noodles following the directions on the package.
In a wok or your deepest cast-iron skillet, heat 1 to 3 tablespoons of sesame oil over high heat. How much oil you need depends on how big your wok or skillet is.
Once the oil is hot, carefully toss the tofu in and cook, flipping the tofu occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly. Once the tofu has crispy edges, remove from the heat and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan.
Toss the garlic, onion, celery, mushrooms, snap peas, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts into the hot pan and cook until they become tender.
Add the noodles and tofu to the vegetables. Pour any extra marinade/sauce over the top and continue to cook while mixing and flipping occasionally to make sure it cooks evenly.
Serve hot, with a pinch of green onions over the top.
You can use the rest of your bottle of agave nectar to make:
Virgin Crêpes Suzette here
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Cilantro Dressing
Tofu, Green Beans, and Cashews
Strawberry Salad
