An Easy Way Cook Baby Bok Choy
With satisfyingly crisp, tender little stalks and dark leafy tops that wilt just-so when cooked, baby bok choy is one of our very favorite vegetables! Not sure how to cook baby bok choy? We’ve got you! In this ready-in-a-flash, simple baby bok choy recipe, the tiny cruciferous bulbs are sautéed until just-done in nutty toasted sesame oil, and finished with fresh garlic, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. With a small, tender vegetable like baby bok choy, a quick stir-fry is the best way to cook it. For more simple Asian-inspired veggie stir fries, try our Hot and Sour Cabbage, or deliciously savory Chinese Dry-Fried Green Beans.
What You’ll Need
- Baby bok choy: So baby bok choy is basically just slightly smaller bok choy. You can make this recipe with regular bok choy, too, if that’s what you’ve got!
- Toasted sesame oil: Nutty and rich, this gives the bok choy tons of flavor.
- Fresh garlic: This is a really classic Asian stir-fried veggie recipe, with garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce working their savory magic on a fresh, delicious vegetable. In other words, don’t skip any of the few ingredients.
- Soy sauce: You can use tamari if you want to make this recipe gluten free.
- Red pepper flakes: For just a little bit of heat.
What Part of Baby Bok Choy Do You Eat?
Maybe this is the reason that baby bok choy is one of our favorite vegetables to cook and eat: The part of the baby bok choy that you eat is THE WHOLE THING! Baby bok choy doesn’t need any peeling or trimming or end-removal of some sort are few and far between, which makes vegetables like baby bok choy so very lovable. Rarely is a vegetable quite this easy to prep and cook.
How To Clean Baby Bok Choy
Ease of cleaning is reason enough alone to chop your baby bok choy in half before cooking. This sweet, tender vegetable is prone to accumulating grit and dirt in between those stubby, light green bulbous stalks, so you do need to clean it before you cook it. But you clean all your veggies before cooking, right? Just slice your baby bok choy in half, length-wise, and give them a good rinse under a strong stream of cold water. Peek between the leaves near the base of the bulb, just to make sure there is no grit left. Now you’re ready to cook baby bok choy!
How To Cook Baby Bok Choy
- Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Brown the halved baby bok choy in the oil, cut-side down so the edges get a little crisp and browned, but the insides stay tender and crisp.
- Make a quick, simple stir fry sauce by adding minced garlic, soy sauce, salt, red pepper flakes and water to the pan.
- Simmer for a minute or two, until the dark green leaves are wilted and light green stalks are tender
- Serve & eat up!
What To Serve With Bok Choy
You can serve stir-fried baby bok choy alongside almost any meaty main. We love it especially with:
- Our Easy Harissa Chicken is made with homemade harissa and is a dreamy weeknight supper.
- A super savory Korean-style sauce makes these Baked Chicken Wings over-the-top delicious.
- Hoisin-Glazed Pork Chops would be the perfect partner for our baby bok choy—both are fast, easy, healthy dishes and together they make for one perfect meal.
- Baby bok choy would make a nice side for classic take out recipes, too, like Kung Pao Chicken or Chicken Chow Mein.
More Super Simple Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
Baby Bok Choy: Everyone’s Favorite Miniature Vegetable.
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