TEN WAYS: Bok Choy
Besides a Stir-Fry, what the heck do you do with Bok Choy?
1. You can braise it
Probably the easiest/most obvious way to use bok choy on its own is to lightly braise or wilt it in
some water or broth, and then serve it drizzled with some sort of sauce. It’s super easy to do,
takes less time than asparagus, and is a yummy, simple side dish for any summertime meal.
2. You can roast it
Because bok choy is so tender and densely packed in the middle, it’s a great candidate for a tiny amount
of time in the over. Again, letting its own flavor stand out is important, so adding just a small amount of
glaze is essential. Then, into the oven it goes for a tasty, crispy, tender, fresh seasonal side.
3. You can even grill it.
This weekend, you can buy some heads of baby bok choy and pop them on the grill. ON THE GRILL!
All you have to do is make a tasty sauce for it, coat the whole head, and bam! Onto the grill.
Containing a wealth of vitamins C, A, and K, and excellent sources of calcium,
magnesium, potassium, manganese, and iron, bok choy deserves its reputation as
a powerhouse among vegetables.
Bok Choy Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: One cup of bok choy (70 grams)
Amt. Per Serving
Calories
9
Protein
1.5 g
Saturated Fat
.20 g
Fiber
1 mg
Potassium
252 mg
Calcium
105 mg
Sodium
65 g
1. Ginger Bok Choy
Ingredients:
3 Bok Choy bunches (we used baby bok choy)
1/2 red onion chopped
Vegetable broth for sautéing
2 knuckles fresh ginger chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth, (optional – adds a little flavor)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions:
In a large pan, sauté the onions, garlic and ginger in vegetable broth. When the onions are
translucent, add the bok choy and sesame seeds to the pan. If you are using the chicken broth,
add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Allow it to cook down completely. If you’d like to make
this a complete meal, simply add some baked, cut-up chicken breast or a rice and bean combo.
Serving suggestion: Tastes best served with low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-ginger-bok-choy/#_a5y_p=1345095
2. Baby Bok Choy Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple (we used blueberries)
1 head baby bok choy
1-inch piece of ginger root
1 tbsp hemp or chia seeds
1 cup water or coconut water
Directions:
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!
3. Bok Choy Skillet Supper
Bok Choy halves are steamed over bulgur as it cooks for a one-pot meal that can go directly
from stove to table.
Ingredients:
Vegetable broth/ water for sautéing
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
8 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 shallots, finely chopped (¼ cup)
1 cup bulgur (we used cooked quinoa)
1 cup mushroom broth (we used low-sodium vegetable broth)
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, divided
4 small bok choy, halved
Directions:
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of water or broth, and
cook 5 minutes, or until browned. Add more water or broth to prevent sticking. Transfer to
plate. Add tomatoes to skillet cut-side down, and cook 2 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to
plate.
4. Stir in shallots and 1 tablespoon of water or broth, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in bulgur and
add broth, thyme sprig, and 1 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover,
reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Arrange bok choy halves on top of bulgur with leaves pointing outward (like spokes in a wheel).
Sprinkle mushrooms and tomatoes between bok choy halves. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes
more. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.
Recipe adapted from: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/bok-choy-skillet-supper/
Serves: 4
Prep/cook time: 30 minutes or fewer
4. “Super-food” Soup
Use any greens you choose–and feel free to add more of them.
Ingredients:
4 – 5 cups water
3 baby bok choy (about 9 ounces or 250g), trimmed and sliced
3 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 – 6 ounces organic silken tofu, cubed OR instead of tofu, try using 1/2 cup of shelled
edamame, frozen green peas, or any cooked beans.
1 small onion, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon mellow white miso (add more to taste)
Directions:
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add all ingredients except miso, reduce heat, and
cover. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove a few tablespoons of the broth and place it in a small bowl; add the miso and stir until
well combined. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the miso. Serve.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 2
Nutrition (per huge, 3-cup serving, using 3 oz. tofu): 88 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.8g total
fat, 0mg cholesterol, 443.8mg sodium, 601.1mg potassium, 12.4g carbohydrates, 2.9g fiber, 4.6g
sugar, 8g protein. (If using 6 oz. tofu, add 23 calories and .8 gram of fat.)
Recipe from: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/04/superfoods-soup.html
5. Chicken Mushroom Soba Noodle Soup
If you have leftover chicken from a roast or rotisserie, then perfect! Give it new life with this soup. If you
want to make it vegetarian, just substitute tofu or extra veggies for the chicken!
Ingredients:
Vegetable broth or water for sautéing
2 cups mushrooms (shiitake or cremini work well)
4 scallions, greens separated from whites and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
Kosher salt, to taste
5 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
4 oz soba noodles
2 cups shredded chicken OR cubed lite tofu OR 2 cups of extra veggies – like yellow squash!
12 oz baby bok choy, ends trimmed
juice of 1 small lime
1 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Directions:
Heat a stockpot over medium heat and add the mushrooms, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and a
couple tablespoons of vegetable broth. Season lightly with salt and cook until the mushrooms
are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the
soba noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and bok choy and cook for about 2
minutes more. Squeeze in the lime juice and stir in the soy sauce. Ladle into bowls and serve
topped with scallions greens.
Yield: serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes, Total time: 30 minutes
Recipe adapted from: http://kitchenconfidante.com/chicken-mushroom-soba-noodle-soup-recipe
6. Hearty One-Pot Miso Soup
This soup is very versatile and makes a lot, so plan on leftovers (you may need to add extra broth the
next day as the noodles suck up all the liquid overnight).
Ingredients:
Vegetable broth for sautéing
1 tablespoon ginger-root, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups water
1/2 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into matchsticks
5-8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, slivered or diced
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
5 ounces buckwheat soba noodles, uncooked (see note)
1 pound baby bok choy, cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 to 8 tablespoons mellow white miso (see note)
1 teaspoon prepared wasabi (optional or to taste)
Directions:
Heat a large, non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and 1-2 teapsoons
vegetable broth and cook for one minute. Add the water, tamari, carrots, and mushrooms and
bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Add the
edamame and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the noodles and the bok choy, cover, and cook until noodles are tender, about 7 minutes.
Place the miso and wasabi in a bowl and add about 1/2 cup of the hot soup broth. Stir or whisk
until there are no lumps and then add it back to the pot and heat through but do not boil. Taste
and add more miso or wasabi as needed.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s) | Cooking time: 30 minute(s), Number of servings (yield): 8
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 160 calories, 25 calories from fat, 2.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 691.1mg
sodium, 514.7mg potassium, 27.9g carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 3.4g sugar, 9g protein, 4.7 points.
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/09/hearty-one-pot-meal-miso-soup.html
7. Vegetable Fried Quinoa
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups water
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fat-free vegetable broth
12 ounces bok choy — about 6 stalks or 5-6 cups chopped
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced mushrooms
3 ounces firm tofu or 1/3 cup chopped cauliflower
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Directions:
Put the quinoa, water, salt, and 1 clove chopped garlic into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil,
reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15-20
minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Wash each stalk of bok choy then cut it in
two about where the leaves begin. Set the bottom white stalk aside and save for another use.
Chop the remaining stalk and greens into bite-sized pieces.
Heat a large, deep skillet or wok. Assemble the vegetables nearby, along with the vegetable
broth and a tablespoon. When the skillet is hot, add the ginger root, garlic, carrots, and a couple
teaspoons of vegetable broth and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add about 1 tablespoon of the
broth and continue to cook and stir for another 2 minutes, adding another splash of broth if the
garlic starts to stick or dry out. Add the mushrooms (and cauliflower if using instead of tofu) and
another tablespoon of broth, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and 2 tablespoons
of broth, stir, and cover. Cook until the bok choy is tender but still bright green, just a few
minutes.
Crumble the tofu into the vegetable mixture (if using). Mix the soy sauce and vinegar with the
remaining broth and pour it into the mixture. Stir and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, just enough to
heat the tofu. Fluff the cooked quinoa and add it to the vegetables. Mix well, and cook until
heated through. Serve with additional soy sauce, hot mustard, or chili sauce at the table.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 35 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Per serving: 213 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (15% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate;
0mg Cholesterol; 515mg Sodium; 5g Fiber.
Adapted from: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/02/vegetable-fried-quinoa.html
8. Thai Green Curry with Vegetables and Tofu
Make this curry lighter by making your own cashew-coconut milk, but make it richer by using 2 cups
of lite coconut milk instead. Or reduce the fat even more by using unsweetened almond or soy milk.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup dried, unsweetened coconut
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons green curry paste
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
1 package ounces extra-firm tofu, cubed and lightly pressed or 2 cups of shelled edamame
4 cups boky choy, thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and stalks cut into 1-inch pieces
Juice of half a lime
1 teaspoon sugar, agave nectar, or sugar substitute
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish
Directions:
Place the cashews and coconut into a 2-cup measure and add water to reach the 2-cup line.
Allow them to stand as long as possible, preferably several hours (but 20 minutes will do in a
rush). When ready to use, transfer to a blender and blend at highest speed until as smooth as
possible. Add cornstarch and blend again to combine. Set aside.
Heat a large, non-stick wok or pan and add the onions. Cook until they begin to soften, adding a
splash of water if necessary to prevent sticking, and then add the garlic and curry paste and
cook for another minute. Blend the coconut mixture again briefly and add it to the wok. Stir in
the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and tofu. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5
minutes.
Add the bok choy and asparagus and stir well. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until vegetables
are tender but asparagus is still slightly crisp. Stir in the lime juice and sweetener and add salt to
taste. Serve over brown rice, garnished with chopped cilantro.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Nutrition (per serving): 142 calories, 61 calories from fat, 7g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 335.8mg sodium,
290.2mg potassium, 12g carbohydrates, 3.2g fiber, 3.7g sugar, 9.9g protein, 4.1 points.
Adapted from: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/04/thai-green-curry-vegetables-tofu.html
9. Hot Skillet Salad
This technique can be called “steam-frying.” Cover the pan to trap steam to quickly cook the vegetables,
but remove the cover and stir quickly and often to make sure they get equal exposure to the pan’s
surface and don’t burn or stick.
Ingredients:
2 baby bok choy
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
3 ounces baby carrots, slivered (about 6)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup red cabbage, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups sliced kale
1 cup cooked great northern beans
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fat-free or low-fat balsamic dressing (or balsamic vinegar)
Directions:
Wash the bok choy well. Slice the white stems into 1/4-inch slices and set aside. Slice the green
leafy tops thinly and keep separate from the stems.
Preheat a non-stick wok or deep skillet. Add the red onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add
the carrots, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add the bok choy stems,
cabbage, basil, oregano, and 1/4 cup water. Cover tightly and steam for about 3 minutes,
stirring several times. Stir in the bok choy leaves, kale, and beans and add another splash of
water if it’s too dry. Cover and steam until the kale is tender and bright green, about 3 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in salad dressing or vinegar just before serving.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 10 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 2
Nutrition (per serving): 233 calories, 15 calories from fat, 1.8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 192.9mg
sodium, 1524mg potassium, 44.9g carbohydrates, 13g fiber, 4.9g sugar, 15.1g protein.
Recipe from: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/02/hot-skillet-salad.html
10.Spicy Miso Soup with Bok Choy Wontons Recipe
Ingredients:
For the broth:
Vegetable broth for sautéing
1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
3 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
8 whole black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
2 star anise pods
5 cups water
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced crosswise (pale parts only)
Kosher salt, to taste
For the wontons:
3 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 pound baby bok choy, cleaned, tough ends trimmed, and sliced into thin ribbons (about 3
cups)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
18 wonton wrappers
For the soup:
1/4 cup red miso paste
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce, plus more as needed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (light and dark green parts only), for garnish
Directions:
For the broth:
Heat a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and add the onion and a
tablespoon of broth to sauté, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to soften, about 2
minutes. Add the ginger, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add more
broth to prevent sticking. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil,
reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables have softened and the flavors
have melded, about 45 to 60 minutes.
For the wontons:
Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and add the shallots,
garlic and a tablespoon of broth to sauté, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly
golden brown and fragrant (take care not to burn the garlic), about 5 minutes. Add more broth
to prevent sticking. Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and cayenne and stir to combine. Cover and let
the bok choy cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the
moisture has evaporated and the bok choy is softened but still bright green, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, and stir to combine.
Place 1 or 2 wonton wrappers on a clean, dry work surface. Place a teaspoon of the bok choy
mixture in the center of each wrapper. Wet your finger with water and use it to moisten the
perimeter of each wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to create a rectangle and press the edges to
make sure they are well sealed. Pull the folded corners of the rectangle together over the center
of the filling so that those corners overlap slightly and press the ends together until sealed,
moistening the wrapper as needed so that it adheres. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
For the soup:
When the broth is ready, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heatproof bowl;
discard the solids. Wipe out the saucepan, return the broth to the pan, and bring it to a gentle
simmer over medium heat. Add the miso and measured Sriracha and whisk until completely
incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Drop the wontons into the simmering stock one by one, stirring gently to prevent sticking.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the wontons are tender and warmed through,
about 3 minutes. (Do not let the broth come to a vigorous boil, or the wontons may fall apart.)
Taste and add more Sriracha as needed. Divide the soup and wontons among serving bowls and
garnish with the scallions.
Adapted from: http://www.chow.com/recipes/29388-spicy-miso-soup-with-bok-choy-wontons