Easy Vegan Chop Suey with Colorful Vegetables and Rice Noodles

Chop suey is a stir-fried vegetable dish rooted in Chinese-American cooking. The name translates roughly as "mixed pieces" and describes the method perfectly: vegetables and noodles are cut into bite-sized pieces and quickly cooked in a wok or large pan. The dish is believed to have been created by Chinese immigrants in the United States in the 19th century.

The two are often confused but differ in one key way: in chow mein the noodles are stir-fried together with the vegetables and sauce in the pan from the start. In chop suey the noodles are cooked separately and folded in at the end, and the sauce tends to be slightly thicker and starchier. This recipe follows the chop suey method: cook the noodles first, stir-fry the vegetables, then toss everything together in the sauce.

The classics are bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli and bean sprouts – exactly as in this recipe. The dish is very flexible, though: spring onions, peas, bok choy, leek or snap peas all work beautifully. The key is to cut everything into similarly sized pieces so the vegetables cook evenly and stay nicely crisp-tender.

Yes – you can wash and chop all the vegetables a day ahead and keep them in the fridge, and the sauce can be mixed in advance too. Ideally, stir-fry the dish just before serving so the vegetables stay crisp and the noodles don't absorb all the sauce. Reheated it still tastes great; the texture will just be a little softer.

Chop suey can be frozen, though the vegetables will be a little softer once thawed. Cool the dish completely first, then portion it and freeze for up to 3 months. Tip: freeze the noodles and vegetables separately to keep the noodles from turning mushy. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat and add a splash of water or broth if needed.