What We’re Cooking with Now: Bok Choy

By Chris Cox, executive chef, Café Phipps

Looking for adventure in the kitchen? Our monthly What We're Cooking with Now post features a fresh produce ingredient, explains how to find the market's finest, and includes a recipe to try at home.

Bok Choy

Why: Bok choy, also known as Chinese cabbage, is a cruciferous vegetable that is low in calories and full of essential nutrients. It is rich in folate, vitamins A, C, and K, and beta-carotene, and has powerful antioxidant properties. Unlike many fruits and vegetables, bok choy contains the mineral selenium. Additionally, it is high in fiber and also contains iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6 and choline. Many vegans find it difficult to find plant-based sources of some nutrients that are found in bok choy, such as calcium and iron.

Shopping Tip: Like other cabbages, bok choy is in season in winter, but is usually available year round. When choosing bok choy, look for vibrant green leaves and firm, long, white stems that are a little moist. Full size bok choy resembles romaine lettuce, should be tightly packed, not loose, and should not have discoloration, with the most important part being the firm stalk.

Preparation: Cut the hard part of the base off, separate and rinse the leaves and the stalks before preparing as bok boy tends to be dirty at the base of the stalk. It can be chopped, stem and leaves together and sautéed, steamed or added to sauces or soups. Sautéing or steaming it quickly preserves the crisp texture of the stalk. Cooking it for longer gives it a creamier texture. It has a mildly sweet, unique flavor.

Recipe: Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 head of bok choy
½ pound of oyster mushrooms
½ pound of white beech mushrooms
½ pound of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut in half
1 small red pepper
½ white onion
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 Tbsp. minced ginger
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
½ cup ponzu sauce
3 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. chili garlic paste (optional)
1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. chopped cashews
1 small bunch of scallions, chopped finely (green parts only)

Directions:

Cut the bottom of the bok choy stalk off, separate the ribs and rinse the stalks, especially the bottoms. Stack the leaves of bok choy and cut across the rib, cutting into roughly 2” pieces. Cut the mushrooms into bite size pieces, cutting off the root end and any firm stems. Julienne the pepper and onion. Heat 2 Tbsp. of the sesame oil in a large saute pan and add the onion and pepper, saute until soft. Add the bok choy and sauté until you start to see some liquid in the pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are soft. Add the remaining sesame oil and then add the minced ginger and garlic into the oil. Sauté until fragrant and soft, then add the ponzu sauce, water and chili garlic paste (optional, if you want to add some great spice flavor to this recipe, use 1 Tbsp. of Lee Kum Kee brand chili garlic paste). Let it simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Serve over rice, then garnish with chopped cashews, chopped fresh scallions and sesame seeds. Serves four with leftovers.