How To Cook With Bok Choy

Bok choy is delicious, super healthy, and a very versatile ingredient. The entire vegetable is edible, and can even be eaten raw – it’ll add a satisfying crunch to salads, as a topping for soups and stews, or even replacing lettuce in sandwiches. There are, however, many different ways to cook it, and a whole host of dishes and cuisines it can be added to. Best of all, preparing and cooking with it is easy peasy, so even novice chefs have nothing to fear.

The simplest way to cook bok choy is to steam it, a method that has the advantage of locking in nutrients. Simply break off each stalk, wash thoroughly and dry. Place in a steamer – either a Chinese bamboo steamer, or simply a colander placed over a pan of boiling water – for 3 or 4 minutes, remove, and toss with some Oyster or soy sauce for a delicious side dish.

Boy choy is also great added to stir-fries. Again, break off each stalk and wash. Cut each stalk in half lengthwise, and then crosswise into ¼ inch pieces. Add the bok choy for just the last few minutes – you want it to retain its bite and crunch – and make sure it gets thoroughly coated in the sauce. Garlic, sesame oil, chilli are all great ingredients to use here, and bok choy goes great with just about any Asian inspired dish.

For a neat twist on a side dish, bok choy is great grilled. Cut some baby bok choy in half, drizzle with olive oil and toss on the grill (either an open flame or a cast iron grill pan). Add just a sprinkle of salt, turn once, and enjoy. They can also be braised – again, cut the whole vegetable in half, then braise with a mixture of your favorite stock, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes for an elegant, and tasty, side dish.

Bok choy is also great sautéed with some soy or oyster sauce, garlic, and a pinch of chilli flakes. Add a little lemon juice if you prefer a sharper flavour. Chopped into ¼ squares, boy choy is great added to soups and stews – especially wonton or noodle soup – and it goes great with prawns, chicken, tofu, and mushrooms.

Truly, bok choy is one of the most versatile, and healthy, ingredients you can find – the only limit is your imagination! Add some to your cart today and get experimenting – you won’t be disappointed.