Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (2024)

From the same family as broccoli and cauliflower, bok choy is an Asian variety of cabbage, but it is different in shape than the cabbages used to make slaws and salads. The tender leafy greens at the top are a stark contrast to the thick stalks, providing a balance of taste and texture. You can use it raw in salads, swapping in the stems in place of celery, add it to stir-fries, grill it, or roast it such as in our flavorful recipe. For our recipe, we use baby bok choy, smaller in size and very tender, but if all you can find is regular bok choy, the result will be equally flavorful, although it might need a couple of extra minutes in the oven as the stalks are tougher.

Bok choy is packed with nutrition including good amounts of folate, betacarotene, vitamin C and K, calcium, and magnesium. But what makes bok choy a nutritional powerhouse is the presence of selenium, a mineral not usually found in fruits and vegetables. Selenium helps detoxify your body and has anti-inflammatory components.

For this easy and tasty roasted bok choy, all you need are a few ingredients and 8 minutes in a very hot oven. While it’s roasting, a homemade Asian-inspired vinaigrette comes together quickly with sesame oil, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, pepper, and a touch of sugar. You can swap in maple syrup for a refined sugar-free option and use tamari in place of soy sauce to keep it gluten free. Once it comes out of the oven, the dressing is drizzled over the top. Beautiful as a side dish, it can also be the base of a healthy lunch just topped with the protein of your choice.

How to Roast Broccoli

Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (2)

What You'll Need to Make This Roasted Bok Choy Recipe

A Rimmed Baking Sheet
A Sharp Chef's Knife
A Good Whisk

"This recipe is great to keep in mind when you need a quick and healthy veggie side dish. Roasting brings out the juiciness in the stems of baby bok choy and makes the leaves deliciously crispy. The simple sauce is perfectly balanced between savory saltiness, acid and sweetness, making it the perfect accompaniment." —Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces baby bok choy, cleaned and cut in half lengthwise

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon sugar (or maple syrup)

  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place bok choy on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a few grinds of pepper.

    Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (7)

  3. Bake until stalks are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

    Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (8)

  4. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Whisk to blend.

    Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (9)

  5. Put bok choy on a platter or serving dish, spoon dressing over, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.

    Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (10)

  6. Enjoy.

How to Clean Bok Choy

The stalks of bok choy are prone to grit, much like leeks, so be sure to clean bok choy thoroughly before cooking. The simplest way to prep bok choy is to cut it in half lengthwise and submerge it in cold water for a few minutes. This will soften the dirt and allow you to remove it easily. Drain the water, check for dirt between the stalks, and run each half of bok choy under cold water. Gently shake and place on top of a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.

Tasty Additions and Substitutions

Try these flavorful variations and experiment with your own versions:

  • Replace the sesame seeds with roasted cashews, pistachios, or peanuts.
  • Swap the olive oil for avocado oil.
  • Shave two big carrots lengthwise and add them into the roasting pan to cook with the bok choy.
  • Add 1 pint of sliced portobello mushrooms to the roasting pan.
  • Replace the soy sauce with oyster sauce.
  • Use mirin or sherry instead of red wine vinegar.

What Can I Pair With Roasted Bok Choy?

  • Roasted bok choy complements any meat recipe really well, and it's delicious when paired with steamed rice as the rice will soak up the marvelous vinaigrette.
  • Serve our bok choy with any type of firm fish, shrimp, or scallops. Use it to accompany roasted chicken, steaks, or pulled pork. Serve it with grilled tofu, tempeh, or seitan for a vegan meal.
  • An open-faced sandwich with bok choy is also a wonderful lunch. Simply choose the bread of your liking, top it with the roasted bok choy, and add a few shaves of fresh Parmesan or any other hard cheese of your liking.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy Recipe

  • Asian Food
  • Side Dishes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
183Calories
17g Fat
7g Carbs
4g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g21%
Saturated Fat 2g12%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 497mg22%
Total Carbohydrate 7g2%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 44mg221%
Calcium 180mg14%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 691mg15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • bok choy
  • side dish
  • asian
  • family dinner
Roasted Bok Choy Takes 8 Minutes in the Oven (2024)

FAQs

How long does bok choy need to be cooked for? ›

Bring a pot of water to the boil and drop the bok chop into the water. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until just tender. Avoid overcooking as this will reduce the nutritional value and alter the texture.

What temperature is good for bok choy? ›

Bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis L.) is a biennial Chinese cabbage variety, a member of the cabbage family of Brassicaceae or Cruciferae. Bok choy grows best at 64°F–68°F (18°C–20°C), but it can tolerate temperatures as high as 95°F (35°C) and as low as 27°F (-3°C).

How long does it take to cook paksoi? ›

Steam (sliced 2-3 mins; whole up to 8 mins) Simmer in water (2-3 mins)

Should I soak bok choy before cooking? ›

The simplest way to prep bok choy is to cut it in half lengthwise and submerge it in cold water for a few minutes. This will soften the dirt and allow you to remove it easily. Drain the water, check for dirt between the stalks, and run each half of bok choy under cold water.

Is bok choy OK to eat raw? ›

There are plenty of ways to try adding bok choy to your diet. You can consume bok choy raw, roasted, or cooked on the stovetop in a soup, stir-fry, or fried rice dish. You can incorporate bok choy into your diet in Asian dishes and many other ways.

Are you supposed to eat the stems of bok choy? ›

Traditional bok choy has dark, crinkly leaves and crisp, white stems; Shanghai bok choy has spoon-shaped leaves and jade green stems. The cool thing is that both the leaves and the stalks can be eaten, and this wonderful little plant is an excellent go-to for fiber, as well as for beta-carotene and vitamins C, K and A.

What are the best conditions for bok choy? ›

Bok choy is a heavy feeder. It needs rich soil with plenty of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Be sure to add plenty of compost and some organic fertilizer to the soil at planting time. It grows best in full sun, but can tolerate some shade.

Is bok choy healthy? ›

Like other dark, leafy greens, it's full of antioxidants and other compounds that help to promote better health. 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.

How do you know when bok choy is ready to eat? ›

Bok choy only takes 45 days to reach maturity, so you can enjoy your leafy greens relatively quickly after planting them. Harvest the bok choy before the hot weather sets in, because the hot weather will make the bok choy go to seed very fast. Bok choy is ready to harvest when it reaches 12 to 18 inches tall.

Can you eat undercooked pak choi? ›

Can you eat pak choy raw? Yes, you can definitely eat pak choy raw. Pak choy is a highly porous vegetable; therefore, I find raw pak choy very tender and light. The best way to eat raw pak choy is to thinly slice it into salads.

What is the best way to eat bok choy? ›

Bok choy, a Chinese cabbage, is tender, sweet, and stands up well to heat — making it perfect for stir-frying. Cook it simply with garlic, black bean sauce, or shiitake mushrooms for a delicious side dish, or incorporate it into a frittata or bowl of ramen for a more substantial bite.

Are pak choi and bok choi the same? ›

Bok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage. Also known as pak choi (pak choy), or white Chinese cabbage, the term bok choy translates literally to mean Shanghai Green. The plant is a member of the brassicae or cruciferae families, also known as mustards, crucifers, or cabbages.

How to get rid of bitter taste in bok choy? ›

Add Vinaigrette, Emphasis on "Vinegar"

Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.

Why is my bok choy so dirty? ›

Baby boy choy is grown in soil, and as much as we love natural foods plucked straight from the ground, fresh produce often retains the dirt it was grown in long after it's been distributed to your local supermarket. Not only is baby bok choy susceptible to soil residue, but it can also hide insects in its leaves.

How to make bok choy less chewy? ›

I've had regular bok choy sliced and stir fried, or really chopped up to be added into other mixtures for texture. I think think cutting up the leaves helps with the chew issue so I haven't noticed it as much.

Is it better to steam or boil bok choy? ›

The best way to eat bok choy is to lightly steam or stir-fry it to retain its crisp texture. Overcooking makes it mushy. Bok choy has a delicious, mild flavor that pairs well with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, chiles, or Whole30 peanut sauce.

How long is raw bok choy good for? ›

How to store bok choy. Bok choy can be refrigerated for 3 to 7 days. Place the unwashed bok choy in a breathable plastic bag in the crisper. If you need to store the bok choy for a longer period of time, you can boil it in water for 2 minutes and then rinse with cold water and place the bok choy in the freezer.

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