When I was in college, I lived off of Chayote Squash and Egg Stir Fry, or Su Su Xào Trứng. I loved how crisp and refreshing the chayote squash was with its subtle natural sweetness. Adding scrambled eggs adds an easy protein that doesn't take too long to cook.
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Chayote squash is a common ingredient in Asian and Latin American cuisines. It has a refreshing, mild taste that's reminiscent of apple and cucumber. I've seen it used in place of apple in low-carb recipes, but I've always eaten it as a savory stir-fry dish.
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🥚 Ingredients
When picking out a chayote squash, pick ones that are evenly green all the way around, without any yellow or brown spots.
You will need:
- chayote squash
- eggs
- minced shallot
- minced garlic
- fish sauce
- salt
- black pepper
- cooking oil
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel the skin off of the squash. Slice the chayote squash into thin matchsticks, about ¼ inch thick.
Season the eggs with fish sauce and beat them lightly with a fork.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and scramble the eggs until they're just set. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Add more oil to the pan and sauté the garlic and shallots until the garlic has browned and softened.
Add the chopped chayote to the shallots and season with salt, pepper and fish sauce. Fry the chayote until it is fork-tender. You want it to be soft but not mushy.
Add the scrambled egg back into the chayote squash and break it up. Stir the egg and squash together to combine. Don't overmix it, as you still want big chunks of egg.
Hint: The thinner you slice the chayote, the quicker it will cook and the softer it will be. If you prefer a firmer chayote, cut them thicker.
💭 Substitutions
- Chayote: If you can't find chayote, you can also use zucchini. It will cook faster and release more liquid than the chayote, but it will still be a very tasty dish! You don't need to peel the skin off a zucchini. Just slice it up into medallions or spears.
- Fish sauce: If you want to make this dish vegetarian, you can substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce or vegan fish sauce.
- Eggs: If you want this recipe to be vegan, you can use a vegan egg substitute like Just Egg.
📚 Variations
- Pork: Instead of su su xào trứng, make su su xào ba rọi, a more luxurious version of this dish. Use some thinly sliced pork belly instead of eggs. You can season the pork with fish sauce, minced shallot and garlic instead of sautéing the shallot separately. Cook the pork first, then add the chayote.
🍳 Equipment
Because you're cooking with eggs, make sure to use a pan you know is nonstick.
🍚 Serving suggestions
This dish is a great vegetable course in a typical Vietnamese family meal. A family meal usually consists of rice (cơm), a vegetable dish (rau), a main protein, (món mặn), and a soup (canh).
For example, a Vietnamese family meal using recipes from this blog might include:
- Rice
- Rau: Vietnamese Chayote Squash and Egg Stir Fry (Su Su Xào Trứng)
- Món Mặn: Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Belly and Eggs (Thịt Kho Trứng)
- Canh: Vietnamese Tofu Soup with Tomatoes and Chives (Canh Hẹ Đậu Dủ Cà Chua)
🥡 How to store or make in advance
Store this chayote squash and egg stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. This dish does not freeze well.
✏️ Top tip
Don't overcook the eggs! They will continue to cook when you stir them back into the squash. Take the eggs off of the heat when they are cooked just under how you usually like to eat them.
👪 Serving size
This recipe comfortably serves 4 on its own, and 6 if served as a side dish alongside other dishes.
Chayote Squash and Egg Stir Fry (Su Su Xào Trứng)
Ingredients
- 2 chayote squashes
- 3 eggs
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce divided
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil divided
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel the skin off of the squash. Slice the chayote squash into thin matchsticks, about ¼ inch thick.
- Season the eggs with 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce and beat them lightly with a fork.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat and scramble the eggs until they're just set. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and sauté the garlic and shallots until the garlic has browned and softened.
- Add the chopped chayote to the shallots and season with salt, pepper and a second tablespoon of fish sauce. Fry the chayote until it is fork-tender. You want it to be soft but not mushy.
- Add the scrambled egg back into the chayote squash and break it up. Stir the egg and squash together to combine. Don't overmix it, as you still want big chunks of egg.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition facts as an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
🦺 Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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Melanie V. says
My only recommendation is to cut the amount of fish sauce in the egg to 1/2 TBS. It’s on the salty side, but other than that the flavors are pretty balanced.
Suzanne Nuyen says
Thanks Melanie! That's a good tip. Fish sauces can be saltier or less salty depending on the brand and how long the jar has been open. I recommend always starting small and tasting as you go.
Connie Z. says
I made the chayote and egg stir fry yesterday for the first time with shaved beef added and soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Though it looks relatively simple, my husband and I were surprised as how tasty it was! Next time, I plan to make it without the shaved beef and with fish sauce and am excited to see how it turns out. Thank you for the recipe :)!
Suzanne Nuyen says
So glad you liked it Connie! I often make it with beef or pork belly instead of egg as well 🙂