Raw in a salad, boiled in a soup, or stir-fried in a…well, stir-fry. Bok choy is as versatile as it is common in Asian cooking.
Growing up in Penang, my mom would always toss more bok choy into my soup before I’d finish the first bunch already in the bowl. And if we were having a meaty dish for dinner, a simple stir-fried bok choy with garlic sauce would be right there as a side.
Eat your bok choy, my mom would say.
Just one of a million things Chinese aunties preach to their daughters, and just one of a few worth holding onto.
With its crisp, white stalks and dark green leaves, I love bok choy. It’s nutrient dense, simple and fast to cook, and can be paired with endless flavor combinations like in this Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Zesty Miso Dressing.
Here, bunches of baby bok choy are stir-fried in a flash (literally!) and then finished off with a zesty miso dressing – miso paste, Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning, toasted sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar, and honey.
It’s wonderful as a side with teriyaki baked salmon or Five Spice Roasted Chicken. You can even make it the main dish by adding in crispy baked tofu or tempeh, and serving it with steamed rice.
My mom never made bok choy like this before, but I think she’d approve, as long as I took seconds…and thirds.
Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Zesty Miso Dressing
Ingredients
- 8-10 bunches of baby bok choy – cut the base off first and discard then cut the bok choy into half separating the white stalks and the green leaves
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Some water
For the zesty miso dressing:
- 1 tbsp red or brown miso paste
- 2 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar 镇江香醋 also known as Chinese black vinegar*
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp of your preferred choice of light cooking oil try sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- A little bit of honey
- 1.5 tsp of Season with Spice’s Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together miso paste, Chingkiang vinegar, water, oil, toasted sesame oil, honey, & our Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning. Set aside.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Swirl in oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add in the white stalks of bok choy first, and give it a few stirs.
- Add one or two splashes of water as you cook to give some moisture to the dish. Cook for just about a minute for the stalks to crisp, then add in the green leaves and give it a final quick toss until just wilted.
- Remove from heat, and dish out onto your serving plate. Finally, drizzle on the miso dressing. Enjoy!