Stir fried Bok Choy served with fish

Garlic Bok Choy Stir Fry

Stir fried Bok Choy served with fish
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WRITTEN BY
SERVES:
3-4 as a side
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
5 minutes

Eating your greens just got more fun and flavourful with this super easy stir fried greens recipe. This vegetarian side dish is the perfect way to make the most of Asian greens you may find in your Wonky Box, like Bok Choy or Choy Sum.

Bok choy: Also known as Chinese cabbage, bok choy has crisp white stems and dark green leaves. It has a mild, slightly peppery flavor and is often used in stir fries, soups, and salads. There are different varieties of bok choy, including baby bok choy (or pak choy) which is smaller and more tender.

Choy sum: Also called Chinese flowering cabbage, choy sum has thin, tender stems with yellow flowers and vibrant green leaves. The texture and flavour is a cross between broccoli rabe and bok choy. Choy sum is often used in stir fries, steamed dishes, and soups, and it pairs well with garlic, ginger, and oyster sauce.

Resist the Wilt

These fragile greens keep best stored in the veggie drawer, but sometimes it doesn't take long before they start to sag. To keep them fresh and crunchy, revive them by first placing in a bowl of warm water (approx 40°C) for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove from the warm water and place in a bowl or container full of ice-cold water for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge. This rehydrates those stems and help them spring back to life.

Once they've soaked, remove the bok choy or choy sum from the water and gently pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Removing excess water prevents them from becoming soggy when cooked.

If you're not ready to use them just yet, store the bok choy or choy sum in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or airtight container lined with a damp paper towel. This helps to maintain their freshness until you're ready to use them.

Cooking Bok Choy

When stirfrying or pan cooking Bok Choy, our top tip is to cook the stalks first, as they take longer than the delicate green leaves. You can do the same with Choy Sum, if you have a mix of thicker and thinner stems.

We enjoy these greens stirfried in a delicious, simple sauce, paired alongside a protein like fish, chicken or tofu. This also makes for a great side to an Asian-inspired noodle dish, or dumplings!

Now that you're good and inspired, let's jump into this failproof Stirfried Greens recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 heads Bok choy or Choy sum
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil for cooking
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced 
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce 
  • 1 Tbsp honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Using a knife, chop off the leafy greens from the top of the Bok Choy and set aside. Then chop the stalks into small chunks.
  2. Prepare the sauce by adding the sliced garlic, soy sauce and honey to a bowl. Mix to combine. 
  3. Heat a frying pan or wok with sesame oil, add the firm stalks first and sauté for 2 minutes until just tender. Add the sauce and add the leafy greens and sauté for 30 seconds - leaves should be just wilted.
  4. Serve with your protein of your choice - here we've used a fillet of pan fried white fish.
wonkybox

Garlic Bok Choy Stir Fry

Whether you're new to Asian greens, or a Bok Choy regular, you'll love this simple but flavour packed stirfry recipe, plus our tips to keep these fragile greens fresh!
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