Chef-tested recipe
Glossy glass noodles with tender beef, onion, ginger, garlic and soy
Sapasui is Samoa’s much-loved adaptation of chop suey, built around bean-thread noodles that absorb a dark, savoury broth. Versions differ from family to family, but beef, onion, garlic, ginger and soy are familiar foundations. It is commonly prepared in generous quantities for gatherings and reheats well for practical meal prep.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 mins
- Cook Time
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 55 mins
- Cuisine
- Samoan
- Course
- Main dish
- Cooking Method
- Soaking, stir-frying and simmering
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best Served With
- Steamed rice, boiled taro, green bananas cooked in coconut milk, breadfruit, or a simple cucumber salad.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide heavy pot or large wok with lidpaid link
- Large bowlpaid link
- Kitchen scissorspaid link
- Tongs or two wooden spoonspaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the sapasui
- Dried mung-bean glass noodlespaid link: 500 g
- Beef chuck or blade: 800 g, cut into thin strips
- Brown onions: 350 g, sliced
- Garlic: 35 g, finely chopped
- Fresh ginger: 40 g, finely grated
- Carrots: 300 g, cut into thin batons
- Green beanspaid link: 250 g, cut into 4 cm pieces
- Neutral cooking oilpaid link: 60 ml
- Naturally brewed light soy saucepaid link: 150 ml
- Dark soy saucepaid link: 30 ml
- Unsalted beef stock: 1 litre
- Light brown sugarpaid link: 20 g
- Freshly ground black pepper: 5 g
- Scallions: 100 g, sliced
Preparation Overview
Cover the glass noodles with room-temperature water for 10 minutes until flexible but not fully soft. Drain well and cut them into manageable lengths with kitchen scissors. Slice the beef across the grain and prepare all vegetables before heating the pot.
Method
Heat half the oil in a wide heavy pot over high heat. Brown the beef in three batches, then transfer to a bowl.
Add the remaining oil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook onion for 5 minutes, then add garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
Return the beef. Add carrots, green beans, both soy sauces, stock, sugar and pepper. Bring to a lively simmer.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the beef is tender and the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the drained noodles and turn them repeatedly through the broth.
Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until the noodles are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid.
Fold through scallions. Rest for 5 minutes, then loosen the noodles before portioning.
Beginner Technique Notes
Soak rather than boil the noodles at the start. They finish cooking in the seasoned broth and absorb its flavour.
Cut long noodles with scissors after soaking so the finished sapasui is easier to mix and portion.
Use a wide pot. A narrow vessel makes the noodles clump and the bottom cook faster than the top.
Tips and Variations
Some Samoan households use chicken or pork instead of beef; keep the same total meat weight.
For a darker colour, add a little more dark soy rather than excessive light soy, which can make the dish too salty.
Reserve 150 ml stock when meal prepping and stir it into the noodles during reheating.
Do not overfill the dish with vegetables; the glossy noodles should remain central.
Serving Ideas
- Pile the glossy noodles on a wide communal platter and distribute the beef and vegetables evenly across the top.
Storage
Cool promptly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze in individual portions for up to 2 months. Reheat with a splash of stock or water, stirring gently until thoroughly hot.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains soy. Most soy sauce contains wheat and gluten; use certified gluten-free tamari if necessary and verify the stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What noodles are used for sapasui?
Bean-thread or mung-bean glass noodles are traditional and absorb the dark broth particularly well.
Is sapasui the same as Chinese chop suey?
It developed from Chinese influence but became a distinct Samoan gathering dish with its own family variations.
Why are my noodles dry?
They absorbed the broth before becoming tender. Add hot stock in small amounts and continue turning gently.
Can sapasui be made ahead?
Yes. Undercook the noodles by 1 minute and reserve some stock for reheating.
