Five Ways to Eat: Bok Choy

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
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updated Jun 9, 2019
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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.

(Image credit: Kathryn Hill)
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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. In soup – This sour and spicy soup includes bok choy. It looks so delicious!
  5. 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?

• Virtual CSA Box: Bok Choy

(Image credit: The Kitchn)

More 5 Ways to Eat Posts:
These posts are all ingredients paired with Social Workout’s daily exercise over at their Fall Challenge.

Brown Rice •
Brussels Sprouts •
Blueberries • Spinach •
Black Beans •

Raisins

Kale •
Dark Chocolate •
Green Tea •
Edamame •
Quinoa •
Broccoli •
Oats •
Beets

(Images: Flickr member Pullao licensed for use under Creative Commons; Kathryn Hill)

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Vegetables
Ingredient