Looking for a vegetable side dish that’s ready to eat in less than 10 minutes? Learn how to cook bok choy!
I suggest you a vegetable full of delicious benifits, rich in fiber and adorable even for children who refuse to eat vegetables !
Bok choy, pak choi or Chinese white cabbage, belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables. First cultivated in China thousands of years ago, it is now available all over the world.
What Is Bok Choy?
Bok choy—also known as Chinese white cabbage or pak choi—is one of our favorite leafy greens. It has thick, juicy stems and mild, sweet leaves, making it the perfect gateway veggie if you’re not sold on kale and collards. The best part? It’s edible, stalk, stem and all! You’ll find the full-sized version in most grocery stores, where you may also see baby bok choy. This isn’t a different variety; it has the same sweet flavor, but the stalks are small and tender since it’s harvested immature. You can add either type to Asian stir-fry recipes, and it makes a great vegetable side dish. It’s also fantastic served raw, adding a crunchy texture and a pop of fresh flavor to salads and slaws. Before you get started, make sure to wash your bok choy thoroughly. It grows in sandy soil, and dirt loves to get stuck in between the stalks!
Bok Choy Health Benefits :
Bok choy is native to China, where it has been eaten for more than 1,500 years. While not as well-known in the United States as other types of cabbages and cruciferous vegetables, it’s also been cultivated in North America for more than 100 years. The vegetable is easy to prepare and is a common ingredient in Asian soups and stir-fries.
Along with being crunchy and delicious, bok choy is full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that make it a beneficial addition to your diet. Like other dark, leafy greens, it’s full of antioxidants and other compounds that help to promote better health.
Health benefits of bok choy include:
Aids in the Prevention of Cancer :
Studies show that cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy help to reduce your risk of developing cancer. It’s full of cancer-fighting compounds such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, folate, and selenium. Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene are powerful antioxidants that can help to prevent cell damage from free radicals, which may help to lower your cancer risk. Selenium may help to slow the growth rate of tumors. Bok choy is also full of fiber, which keeps your digestive system healthy and may help to prevent colon cancer.
Fights Inflammation :
Like other dark, leafy greens, bok choy is an excellent source of the flavonoid quercetin. Quercetin can help to reduce inflammation in the body, which may help to reduce your risk of developing a variety of chronic health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease :
Bok choy may help to lower your risk of developing heart disease in a few ways. For one, it contains folate and vitamin B6. These nutrients help to remove homocysteine from your blood. Too much homocysteine can damage your blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart problems. Studies show that diets high in leafy green vegetables, including cruciferous vegetables, have an overall lower risk of developing heart disease.
Bok Choy Nutrition :
According to the United States Department of AgricultureTrusted Source (USDA) National Nutrient Database, 1 cup of raw bok choy, weighing 70 grams (g) contains:
9 calories
1.05 g of protein
1.53 g of carbohydrates
0.7 g of dietary fiber
0 g of cholesterol
0.067 g of polyunsaturated fat
74 mg of calcium
0.56 mg of iron
13 mg of magnesium
26 mg of phosphorus
176 mg of potassium
46 mg of sodium
0.13 mg of zinc
31.5 mg of vitamin C
46 micrograms (mcg) of folate
156 mcg of vitamin A (RAE)
31.9 mcg of vitamin K
According to the National Institutes of Health, for adults eating 2,000 calories per day and children over 4 years old, 1 cup of raw bok choy provides:
3.7 percent of daily potassium needs
17 percent of vitamin A
5.7 percent of calcium
26.5 percent of vitamin K
3.1 percent of magnesium
3.1 percent of iron
35 percent of vitamin C
Bok choy in the diet :
People can consume all parts of bok choy. People can prepare it in a variety of ways. In addition to its low-calorie and high nutrient content, its mildly sweet flavor and crisp texture make it an agreeable addition to almost any dish.
Cooking vegetables reduces the number of nutrients they contain.
Here are some quick tips:
- shred raw bok choy and toss with other fresh vegetables to make a salad
- add chopped bok choy to hot and sour soup
- stir-fry bok choy with a variety of vegetables, some soy sauce, and sesame oil
- sauté fresh garlic and ginger in olive oil until soft, then add bok choy and continue to sauté until desired tenderness
- mix minced bok choy, mushrooms, chives, and soy sauce to make a homemade dumpling filling
How to Cook Bok Choy 3 Easy Ways :
How to Cook Bok Choy 3 Easy Ways :
Ingrédients
1-On the Stove :
- 1 head of bok choy
- 1 tsp. olive oil or butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Chili flakes, optional
- Soy sauce
2-On the Grill
- 1 head of bok choy
- Olive oil
- Seasonings of your choice
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
3-In the Oven :
- 1 head of bok choy
- Olive oil
- Seasonings of your choice
Instructions
1-On the Stove :
- Stir-fried bok choy is a quick and easy way to enjoy this leafy green. It cooks up in less than 5 minutes! The key to fantastic stir-fried bok choy is cooking the stems first before adding the tender greens. You can also combine it with other meats and vegetables to create a one-pan meal.
- Chop the bok choy : Start by trimming off and discarding the root stem. Then, remove the green leaves from the stalks, chopping the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces and the leaves into 1-inch pieces.Test Kitchen tip: Since baby bok choy is nice and tender, you can remove the root stem and cook the leaves whole. Or, for a meatier texture, leave the stem intact and halve the bok choy lengthwise.
- Cook the stems with garlic : Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil or butter and add the chopped stalks along with a minced garlic clove and a pinch of chili flakes (if you like). Cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the stems are lightly softened.Note : If you’re using baby bok choy, you can just cook the garlic in this step.
- Wilt the greens : Add the greens and a splash of soy sauce or water. Cook for another 2 minutes, covered, until the greens are wilted. If you’re using baby bok choy, the dish is finished if the stems are tender when pierced with a fork.
2-On the Grill :
- When it’s nice outside, I’ll take any opportunity to fire up the grill! The trick here is cooking the bok choy over indirect heat so the leafy greens don’t char before the stems cook all the way through.
- Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for indirect heat. Halve the bok choy lengthwise, keeping the cores intact, and brush them with olive oil. Feel free to add any other seasonings here, like salt and pepper, chili flakes or garlic powder.
- Grill on the direct heat side : Place the halved bok choy cut-side down on the hot side of the grill. Cook for about 45 seconds, until charred. Flip and cook for 45 seconds on the uncut side.
- Finish cooking on the indirect heat side : Transfer the halves to the indirect heat side and cover the grill, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the stems are tender. Before serving, dress the bok choy with sesame oil and soy sauce, or drizzle it with this sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce.
3-In the Oven :
- OK, so this method takes slightly longer than 10 minutes, but it’s completely hands-off, so it’s worth it! You might not think of roasting bok choy, but it’s in the cabbage family and cooks up just as well as roasted Brussels sprouts or cabbage wedges. Using a high-temperature oven creates a sweet, caramelized exterior with crispy edges. This might be your new favorite way to prepare this vegetable!
- Prepare the bok choy : Preheat the oven to 450°F. Halve the bok choy lengthwise, keeping the cores intact. Place the bok choy in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with a few teaspoons of olive oil. Season the halves with a pinch of salt and other spices, if desired.Test Kitchen tip: If your bok choy is very large, consider quartering it instead of halving.
- Roast : Pop the pan into the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the stems are tender when pierced with a fork. You can flip them halfway through if they look like they’re browning too quickly.If none of these cooking methods strike your fancy, try using bok choy raw! You can use it in any recipe that calls for cabbage or Brussels sprouts.