Amidst all the other leafy greens and cabbages with exotic names, sometimes bok choy gets lost. But it's one of our favorite crunchy, yet leafy, green vegetables. It packs a wallop of nutrition, but it's also extremely pleasant to eat. Here are a few quick and delicious ways to eat it.
Pork soup with tamarind and bok choy.Bok choy is a vegetable that has been cultivated for thousands of years in China and it's often known as Chinese cabbage. You'll find it in abundance in Chinese cuisine, and also in late season CSA boxes. It should have dark green leaves and white stalks. Unlike kale and collard greens, the thick stalks are juicy and good for eating.
Make sure to wash the vegetable thoroughly before cooking; it is usually quite sandy and gritty.
- Stir-fried with mushrooms - Just today, Mark Bittman talked about stir-frying bok choy with oyster sauce and mushrooms. It's delicious! We've done that too; here's a recipe for bok choy with wild mushrooms.
- Stir-fried with anything else - Bok choy is just fabulous when stir-fried with just about anything. A little sesame oil, a little soy sauce, some — it's a great vegetable to throw into a last-minute meal.
- In dumplings - Try making homemade dumplings (like these) with a cup or two of finely minced bok choy. They'll give a sweet and bitter flavor to the filling, with the refreshingly bitter leaves and sweet, juicy stalks.
- In soup - This sour and spicy soup includes bok choy. It looks so delicious!
- In a salad - Bok choy is refreshing and crunchy when raw, too. It's like a two for one treat, with the tender leaves and crunchy stalks. Toss with a little sesame oil, vinegar, and scallions for a quick Asian-inspired salad.
How do you like to eat bok choy?
More 5 Ways to Eat Posts:
These posts are all ingredients paired with Social Workout's daily exercise over at their Fall Challenge.
(Images: Flickr member Pullao licensed for use under Creative Commons; Kathryn Hill)
Floral Drink Dispen...

I had a ton of bok choy in a spicy soup just last night. I usually do a simple miso broth, but last night I did a variation/simplification of the Spicy Miso-Lemongrass Broth from the James Beard Foundation site. Basically, I sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chiles. Added instant dashi stock, water, veggie stock, rice wine, tamari, extra miso, and lime juice, simmered for 15 min., and didn't strain as directed. It was incredible!
I also like putting chopped boy choy in with the noodles when I make ramen or udon. <3
I'm a fan of bok choy. It has such a neutral flavor and cooks in minutes.
One time I added it to matzo ball soup, another time I served it with seared tuna.
I keep wanting to get this from FreshDirect but had no idea how to use it. Thanks for the ideas!
Ditto with udon, it's really nice.
- baby bok choy only stir fry with oil and soysauce
- giant bok choy, carrots, dried figs and pork soup
- regular bok choy with minced garlic stir fry
These are the ways I would use bak choy
Bok choy is a great source of vitamins and very helpful for preventing heart disease and cancer. Good article.