This easy bok choy recipe is ideal for when you’re short on time (it takes less than 10 minutes) and ingredients (there are just five). The quartered stalks are steamed with stir-fried garlic and shallot—plus a little soy sauce—but you could sub in scallions and half a red onion, grate in a knob of fresh ginger, add a little miso or oyster sauce, and generally zhuzh it up to suit your pantry.
Steaming the leafy greens allows their crunchy stalks to tenderize, rendering them silky. When rinsing the bok choy, give it a good shake to dry, but don’t worry if a little water still clings—it’ll help with the steaming. Serve as a side dish alongside any roasted meat or fish—or with fried rice, a boiled egg, and a drizzle of sesame oil, a dish just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner.
Recipe information
Total Time
8 minutes
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
1
2
1
1
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 garlic cloves, chopped, and 1 shallot, chopped, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 lb. baby bok choy, rinsed and quartered lengthwise with core intact, 1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp. water; cover immediately. Cook bok choy 1 minute. Uncover and toss, then return cover and cook until bok choy is tender at the core, about 3 minutes longer.
Editor’s note: This stir-fried baby bok choy recipe was first printed in August 2013 as ‘Garlicky Bok Choy.’ Head this way for more great vegetarian Chinese recipes from our friends at Epicuious→