Chop Suey Soup (Chai Boey) is a much anticipated dish prepared after the Chinese New Year feast consisting of roast pork, mustard greens, and leftovers.
The Chinese New Year festivities would not be complete without this much awaited dish called Chai Boey which literally means leftovers. This is a tangy dish of mustard greens boiled with leftover meats and vegetables. We fondly call it Chop Suey in our family. There is no specific recipe and the taste may differ slightly each time. It depends on what is leftover from the feasts of the previous days.
Although we call this soup Chop Suey, do not mistake this for the US stir fry dish. The idea however, is similar in that a mix of ingredients are used. Chop Suey in the USe is cooked with meats, celery, cabbage, bean sprouts, and noodles in a starch-thickened sauce typically served with rice. Chai Boey on the other hand is a tangy and spicy soup.
Leftovers In Chop Suey Soup (Chai Boey)
While some families will dump in all their leftovers, Mom is more selective in what she puts into this soup. Siew Yoke (Roast Pork Belly) is a must as it provides the fat to moisten the mustard greens. The only other leftover she will include is the Jiu Hu Char from which my Warm Jicama and Cabbage Salad is based on. Instead of shrimps, Jiu Hu Char has pork, cuttlefish, and mushrooms in it.
If you do not have leftover roast pork belly, please check out my quick and easy Pan Fried Crispy Pork Belly. You can prepare this quick version crispy pork belly in 40 minutes and it is perfect for this Chai Boey.
Mustard Greens
Pickled mustard greens (kiam chai) are sold in plastic packages. They also come in cans. Tamarind slices are a little more difficult to find here but you can substitute it with tamarind paste or concentrate or even lime juice.
You can easily find mustard greens or Gai Choy at the Asian grocery stores here int he US. These leafy green vegetables have a peppery taste and can stand up to boiling without breaking down too much.
Easy Recipe
This recipe is very forgiving and the ingredients listed here are more of a guide. Please adjust accordingly. If you cannot get some of the ingredients, please refer to the notes at the end of this post. I have cook this successfully with various substitutions.
Tools Used in Making This Chop Suey Soup (Chai Boey)
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Cuisinart Professional Stainless Saucepan with Cover, 3-Quart, Stainless Steel
Chef Craft Stainless Steel Ladle
Chop Suey Soup (Chai Boey)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb roast pork belly (cut into bite-sized pieces) (450g)
- 1 medium onion (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pkt pickled mustard greens / kiam chai (sliced)
- 6 dried chilies (soaked in warm water)
- 4 to 5 slices assam gelugor (tamarind slices)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 large stalk Chinese mustard greens (sliced)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot. Add crackly roast pork belly, onion, and garlic. Fry until onion and garlic are lightly brown, about 3 minutes.
- Pour about 10 cups (2.4 liters) of water into the pot. Add pickled mustard greens, dried chilies, and assam gelugor (tamarind slices).
- When it comes to a boil, add salt, dark soy sauce and as much mustard greens as the pot can accommodate. Put the lid on and allow vegetables to cook down.
- Add remaining mustard leaves and tomatoes.
- Reduce heat and allow it to simmer for about 1½ to 2 hours.
Notes
Delicious on its own or with a steaming bowl of white rice.
Update: February 1, 2020
I usually do not have leftover Siew Yoke (Roast Pork Belly) and Jiu Hu Char (Stir Fry Jicama with Cuttlefish) from our previous Chinese New Year Feasts unless I plan for it. For this past Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner, I made an extra large piece of siew yoke and extra jiu hu char which I managed to save a little bit of both for this big pot of Chai Boey. I also threw in a few remaining pieces of Chinese Five-Spice Roast Chicken.
This Chai Boey tasted just like the one Mom usually makes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and it was super delicious! It tasted even better the next day but there was no more after that. We all wished there was more.
Anncoo says
I love Chop Suey with mustard green very much. Yours looks so delicious that I wish I can have a bowl right now 🙂
Margaret Murphy Tripp says
Looks really good!
Belinda @zomppa says
What I’m drooling over is that awesome cracklin pork! My fav…
lequan says
You know what Biren? I don’t eat pork, but when my Grandma made this dish, I couldn’t resist to have a few bowls. I left out the pork meat of course but the flavor of the soup was amazing, even though I knew there was pork in there. Your version looks wonderfully delicious. Oh you’re making me crave for this now.
Biren says
You can certainly flavor the soup with other kinds of meat. It is a really versatile dish with no hard and fast rules and yes, it is delicious. It tastes even better the next day. 🙂
denise @ bread expectations says
Hey LeQuan – leftover roast duck!!!! LOL
Mary says
I know grom just glancing at your soup that I would love it. It’s full of ingredsients I love and would well well on my table. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings…Mary
Victoria says
This definitely isn’t like the chop suey I used to have in the cafeteria at school, haha! I think this stew looks great, I’d like to taste it!
tigerfish says
I am with LeQuan. Don’t really eat pork now but the flavor of the soup is totally irresistible. I can drink lots.
Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron says
My mom used to make this and i really like it especially eating a hot rice! This brings back my good ol’ memory.
rebecca says
looks lovely and love that you have a recipe for leftovers 🙂
Monet says
Hi Biren! I have had chop suey several times, but now I’m eager to try this more traditional Chai Boey! Thank you for sharing another great recipe with me. You never let me down! I hope you have a weekend of love and relaxation. We all need it, I think!
Joanne says
This sounds and looks way better than the US chop suey! I love that you made it in soup form!
Pachecopatty says
Hi Biren,
Your bowl of soup looks like a satisfying bowl of comfort food to be enjoyed on a relaxing weekend with family or friends. I hope you’re relaxing this weekend, best wishes, Patty
Nithu says
Nice and refreshing. Nice recipe.
zerrin says
Sounds so flavorful! Would love to try it!
denise @ bread expectations says
Mmmm..MmmmmM!!! Tangy is right – my mouth is puckering in anticipation just reading the recipe LOL I LOVE this!! We sometimes make a serani/peranakan version after Christmas day with roast pork, ham or bacon bones, a whole head of garlic, ginger, tua chye, kiam chye and sour plums then wallop with rice and sambal belacan. Se-dap!!! I learned this from my grandma, who learned it from her Peranakan stepmother. My family very chap chye 😉
Nutmeg Nanny says
Delicious! I remember when I was in elementary school they served “chop suey” and it looked nothing like yours. Your recipe looks delicious….my schools recipe…not so much.
Elin says
Everyone over here cook this dish after all the leftovers from the reunion dinner…I love it too. Yours looks great and I am salivating just looking at it 🙂
Have a nice day, Biren,
Elin
Cheah says
Leftover or whatever, this is one dish I’ll never let go when I see it being served. Yours is so mouth-watering right now!
kitchen flavours says
Wow! My favourite! Love, love, this dish! The spicier and sour it is, the more ‘kick’ there is! I could eat two bowls of this on its own. The roasted pork adds the yumminess to this all-time favourite. I would usually have this at the ‘bak-kut-teh’ stalls. Have not made this in ages! Yours look really delicious!
Jeannie says
I was drooling over this dish when my boss walked in and I have to quickly close it lol! Your chai boey definitely do not look like leftovers! Yummy!
Magic of Spice says
I keep loosing my comments 🙁 I will try again…
I do not eat meat but I love everything else here and love that the broth is more soup like…delicious 🙂
Cynthia chua George says
Looking at this dish makes me think of uncle barney’s chop suey. I remembers those days when he would make this in a gigantic stockpot!! Yum!
Biren says
I try to reserve just a little bit of the crackly pork to make this every year. Yes, I remember those gigantic pots for bak kut teh, porridge, and chop suey. Do check out my bak kut teh post http://www.rotinrice.com/2012/01/bak-kut-teh-pork-ribs-tea/. I was so excited the last time I went to the Asian grocery store as I discovered I may be able to get the individual herbs here. Will try mixing my own one of these days. 🙂
superbadkitty says
Hey, your photos are torturing meeeeeee! Lol! Thanks for the step-by-step. Looks fantastic, will try your recipe this weekend.
Biren says
You are welcome! Enjoy…
Eve says
It was brilliant. Thank you for the Chai Boey recipe.
Linda says
You are welcome!