Vegetable Chop Suey Recipe with Jicama and Black Beans

Vegetable Chop Suey with Jicama and Black Beans is a quick vegetable stir fry made with crisp vegetables and a light savoury sauce. This version includes jicama for added texture and uses black beans as a simple plant-based, soy-free protein option. It is an easy, flexible dish that comes together easily and can be served with rice or noodles.

There is something special about coming across an ingredient you grew up with when you least expect it, especially when you already have a dish in mind.

This vegetable chop suey recipe came together that way, with an unexpected find that quickly turned into a familiar way of cooking.

Living in different places often brings new discoveries in the kitchen. New vegetables, new flavours, new ways of cooking. But sometimes, it is the familiar ones that feel the most surprising when they appear far from home.

Last week, I came across some beautiful jicamas here in Montreal. I had never seen them available locally before, and it caught me completely off guard. Just days earlier, someone had asked for a jicama recipe on YouTube. I had assumed I would need to search for it in an Asian grocery store, but there they were at a nearby Loblaws.

I did not hesitate.

In Mauritius, jicama is known as “patate chinois” or Chinese potato. We often eat it simply, raw with salt and crushed chillies, or pickled. It is one of those foods that does not need much to be satisfying.

If you have never tried jicama, it is mildly sweet, crisp and refreshing, similar to water chestnuts. It has a clean, almost watery crunch that works well both raw and cooked.

What Is Vegetable Chop Suey?

Vegetable chop suey is a vegetable stir fry made with a mix of vegetables that are quickly cooked and brought together in a savoury sauce.

There are many variations, depending on where it is made. Some versions are more sauce-heavy, while others focus on keeping the vegetables crisp and lightly cooked.

About This Vegetable Chop Suey

This version is inspired by the Mauritian style, where the focus is on keeping the vegetables crisp and lightly cooked.

Here, I use jicama for texture and black beans for protein. The black beans work surprisingly well and offer a good alternative if you prefer to keep the dish soy-free instead of using tofu or tempeh.

The dish is also made without oil, although you can add some when sautéing if you prefer.

Preparing the Jicama

Jicama is very easy to prepare.

Peel it as you would a potato, though the skin usually comes off even more easily by lifting and pulling it away. Once peeled, slice or cut it into small pieces.

In this recipe, only half of a large jicama is used. The rest is perfect for snacking, simply sliced with a sprinkle of salt.

Can You Use Jicama in Stir Fry?

Jicama works really well in a vegetable stir fry like this chop suey.

Even after cooking, it keeps that crisp, slightly juicy texture, which adds a nice contrast to the softer vegetables in the pan. It does not have a strong flavour of its own, so it takes on the sauce while still bringing something fresh to the dish.

If you have not cooked with jicama before, this is an easy way to start. It fits right in alongside ingredients like water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, especially in dishes where texture matters just as much as flavour.

Substitutions and Variations

If jicama is not available, you can use:

• Water chestnuts
• Bamboo shoots
• Or a combination of both

For protein, you can swap the black beans with:

• Tofu
• Tempeh

How to Make Vegetable Chop Suey Without Soy

If you are avoiding soy, this recipe adapts quite easily.

The black beans already replace tofu or tempeh, so the main thing to adjust is the sauce. You can use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce, or simply rely on a lightly seasoned vegetable broth with a bit of extra salt to bring everything into balance.

It will be a little different in flavour, but still just as satisfying, with the same kind of savoury base that makes this dish work.

A Note on Cooking and Serving

If you are not serving the dish immediately, it helps to keep the sauce and vegetables separate.

When ready to serve, reheat them together. This prevents the vegetables from overcooking and helps maintain their texture and colour.

Step-by-Step Video

Watch the recipe video for the full process:

Ingredients for Vegetable Chop Suey

This vegetable chop suey recipe uses a mix of vegetables that cook at slightly different speeds, which helps build both texture and flavour in the dish.

Jicama adds a fresh crunch, while carrots and broccoli bring a bit more substance. Bok choy, snow peas and mushrooms round things out, and the pineapple adds a touch of sweetness that works well with the savoury sauce.

For protein, I used black beans here. It is a simple swap that works well if you are not using tofu or tempeh.

The sauce itself is made with a few pantry ingredients. Ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar and a little sweetness come together into something that is both savoury and slightly tangy. A bit of potato starch is used at the end to thicken it so it coats the vegetables nicely.

How to Make Vegetable Chop Suey

Start by rehydrating the shiitake mushrooms. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer on medium temperature for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. Drain and set aside.

While the mushrooms cook, prepare the vegetables.

Peel and slice the jicama into pieces about 5 mm thick and around 2 inches long. Cut the remaining vegetables, including carrots, bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, shiitake mushrooms and pineapple.

In a wok, on medium-high heat, add the minced ginger and garlic if using. Let them heat for 1 minute until ginger starts to sizzle and is fragrant.

Add the shiitake mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add a little water if required.

Add the carrots and cook while stirring occasionally for another 3 minutes. Add a little water or vegetable broth as required to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.

Next add the broccoli, onions if using, and the jicama. Toss and continue to steam-fry for another 2 minutes. The vegetables should be only partially cooked at this stage.

Add the black beans and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat, remove everything from the pan and set aside.

Making the Sauce

In the same wok (with the heat still turned off), add ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup or sugar and chili flakes.

In a separate jug, mix the potato starch with 1 cup of water or vegetable broth until fully dissolved. Add this to the wok.

Turn the heat to medium-high and stir continuously as the sauce thickens. Once it becomes translucent, reduce the heat and adjust with a little water if needed.

Add the pineapple and simmer for about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings like pepper, salt or more soy sauce.

Bringing Everything Together

Add the snow peas, followed by the precooked vegetables and beans. Stir to coat everything in the sauce.

If needed, add more diluted potato starch to reach your desired consistency.

Note: Never add the starch powder directly into the sauce. It will instantly clump up and will be impossible to smoothly blend into the sauce.

Finally, add the bok choy and bean sprouts. Turn off the heat and let them wilt in the residual heat.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve hot over steamed rice
• Or with noodles for a fuller meal
• Add chilli oil or extra crushed chillies for heat

Final Notes

This is a flexible dish that comes together quickly once everything is prepared. The sauce can also be made ahead, making it practical for busy days or when cooking for guests.

If you enjoyed this chop suey recipe, you might also like this Szechuan Vegetables and Tofu and this takeout style Chinese Vegetable Curry.

Print Pin

Vegetable Chop Suey with Jicama & Black Beans

An easy tasty vegetable chop suey recipe with jicama (chinese yam) and black beans.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Chinese, Mauritian

Keyword chop suey, vegan chop suey, vegetable chop suey

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 4

Author Teenuja Dahari – veganlovlie.com

Ingredients

• 10 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
• 250 g jicama, [8.8 oz, 1/2 large]
• 90 g carrots, [3 oz., 2 small] sliced into circles of about 5 mm or 1/4-inch thick
• 3 small bok choy, [125 g, 4.4 oz]
• 70 g snow peas (mange-tout), [2.5 oz, about 27 pods], stringed and cut in half across the width
• 90 g broccoli, [1 cup, 3 oz], cut into small florets
• 230 g fresh (or canned) pineapple, [1 1/2 cup, 8.1 oz] , cut into small pieces or triangles
• 200 g cooked black beans, [1 cup, 7 oz], boiled or canned
• 70 g beansprouts, [1 cup, 2.5 oz]
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, if using, finely chopped or minced
• 1 small onion, if using, sliced
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 – 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or use this soyfree alternative
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, or 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
• 3 – 4 tablespoons potato starch, I used a mix of 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
• Water or vegetable broth as required for steam-frying, you may also use oil if you wish

Instructions

• Start by rehydrating the shiitake mushrooms. In a saucepan, cover the shiitake with some water and simmer on medium temperature for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. You may cover the pan to keep them softer. Once soft, drain the liquid and set aside.
• While shiitake are simmering, prepare the other ingredients.
• Peel the jicama then cut into small pieces. I cut mine into rectangular slices of about 5 mm or 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches in length.
• Proceed to preparing and cutting the rest of the vegetables/fruit — carrots, bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, shiitake mushrooms and pineapple.
• Start to saute the vegetables.
• In a wok, on medium-high heat, add the minced ginger and garlic (if using). Allow to heat for 1 minute until ginger starts to sizzle. Then add in the shiitake mushrooms. Stir and saute for about 2 minutes, add a little water if required.
• Add in the carrots and cook while stirring occasionally for another 3 minutes. Add a little water or vegetable broth as required to prevent the vegetables from sticking to the pan.
• Next add the broccoli, onions (if using) followed by the jicama. Toss and continue to steam-fry for another 2 minutes. We are only partly cooking the vegetables at this stage as they will cook further later on in the sauce.
• Add the black beans and cook for another minute. Then turn off the heat, remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
• Now make the sauce. In the same wok (with the heat still turned off), add 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, the rice vinegar, maple syrup or sugar and chili flakes.
• In a small measuring jug, mix the potato starch with 1 cup of water or vegetable broth. Stir well with a fork to completely dilute the starch into the water. Add this solution into the wok. Now turn on the heat to a medium-high and allow the mixture to heat up. Once it starts to thicken, you can lower the heat and continue to stir until it loses the milkiness and becomes translucent. You will need to continuously stir and add a little water if needed as the mixture thickens.
• Add the pineapple pieces to the sauce and let it simmer while stirring for about 2 minutes. At this point, you can taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings like pepper, salt or more soy sauce.
• Now add the snow peas to the sauce followed by the precooked vegetables and beans. Stir these into the sauce and add a little water or vegetable broth to add more sauce.
• Then you can also add more of the potato starch solution (like one more tablespoon diluted in some water) to thicken the sauce to the desired consistency. (Never add the powder directly into the sauce as it will instantly clump up with the heat and will be impossible to smoothly blend into the sauce).
• Lastly add the bok choy and the beansprouts. These don’t require a lot of cooking and you can turn off the heat and allow them to wilt with the heat of the sauce itself.
• Serve over rice or noodles.

Video

Notes

Link to original recipe – Vegetable Chop Suey – https://veganlovlie.com/vegetable-chop-suey-with-jicama-chinese/

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