Samoan Chop Suey with Pisupo (Easy Corned Beef Sapasui)

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25 minutes | Total: 40 minutes | Serves: 4–6
Best For: family dinners, serving with rice, budget meals

A Simple Samoan Classic Made the Way Our Families Cook It — with Pisupo

This version of Samoan Chop Suey with pisupo is the true homestyle dish many families know well — simple ingredients, savoury soy sauce, soft vermicelli noodles, and corned beef that melts into the sauce as it cooks. No fancy sauces. No complicated steps. Just honest food made the way our families have always cooked it.

Using pisupo keeps this recipe affordable and familiar, while still delivering that deeply comforting flavour that pairs perfectly with rice. It’s a reminder of how our parents cooked — stretching ingredients, cooking from the heart, and feeding everyone at the table.

Ingredients for Chop Suey with Pisupo (Samoan Style)

• 1 can pisupo (corned beef)

• 1 onion, sliced

• 3–4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2–4 tablespoons dark mushroom soy sauce (to taste)

• 1 packet vermicelli noodles (soaked in warm water)

• 1–2 cups water (enough to simmer and create sauce)

Optional Add-Ins:

• Fresh ginger, grated

• Frozen mixed vegetables (optional — and often teased about in our community)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cook the pisupo.
   Heat a pot or wide pan over medium heat. Add the pisupo and gently break it up. Let it cook for a few minutes so it softens and releases flavour.

2. Add aromatics.
   Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant.

3. Add soy sauce.
   Pour in the dark mushroom soy sauce and mix well to coat the pisupo evenly.

4. Add water.
   Pour in enough water to create a light sauce base.

5. Add noodles immediately.
   Add the softened vermicelli noodles straight after adding the water.

6. Simmer.
   Let everything cook together for a few minutes so the noodles absorb the sauce and flavour.

7. Adjust colour and taste.
   Add more soy sauce if needed to reach your preferred flavour and the classic deep-brown chop suey colour.

8. Rest.
   Turn off the heat and allow the noodles to continue soaking — this helps them soften further and absorb more flavour.

9. Serve.
   Taste again and adjust seasoning if needed before serving, usually with rice.

Helpful Tips

• Use dark mushroom soy sauce for the most authentic flavour and colour.

• Pisupo is already salty, so taste before adding extra seasoning.

• Noodles soften quickly — don’t overcook them.

• Resting the dish after cooking deepens the flavour.

Why This Recipe Works

• Truly authentic to Samoan home cooking

• Budget-friendly and pantry-based

• Simple ingredients with big flavour

• Familiar, comforting, and made to be shared

Explore More Family-Friendly Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also love:

• Sapasui (Simple Samoan-Style Chop Suey Recipe)

• Falai Pisupo (Samoan Corned Beef Stir-Fry)

• Alaisa Fa’apopo (Samoan Coconut Rice)