Roasted Bok Choy

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This roasted bok choy is the perfect Asian side dish with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a touch of heat. Ready in just 10 minutes, it's a dish you will make again and again.

62 CAL 6g CARBS 4g FAT 4g PROTEIN
6 Comments

Here's another little-used veggie that I just happen to love. Sure, it's amazing in stir-fries, but it's also just as amazing all by itself as a vegetable side.

While there are many ways you could cook it, one of my favorites is to simply roast it with some garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.

I'm all about the heat, but you could totally leave those out. It doesn't take long in the oven at all, and tastes divine!

Roasted Bok Choy also goes great with fish, chicken, or tofu or could be served over rice, cauliflower rice, or low-carb noodles as well.

Also, it's pretty commonplace to find this vegetable in just about every grocery now, so you don't even have to make a separate trip to a specialty grocery store to find it.

Baby bok choy in a small pile on a wooden cutting board with bright green leaves.

What is Bok Choy?

Bok choy kind of looks like a leafy celery, or maybe a less-pretty fennel, and it comes in several different varieties, but what IS it exactly?

Well, if you guessed it is a member of the cabbage family, you guessed correctly. Or, more specifically, it's a member of the Chinese cabbage family (Brassica rapa var. chinensis).
 

You might also see it referred to as pak choi or pok choi. It grows in a bunch like celery or romaine lettuce.

It has two common varieties, one that is white on the bottom with ruffly dark green tops, and one that's smaller and smoother, with oval-shaped leaves that are all green. The smaller version is usually known as baby bok choy.

Both types are a good source of vitamins A and C.

What does Bok Choy taste like?

Describing how food tastes is always hard for me, but I'll try my best. It tastes like a less pungent green cabbage to me, and can be slightly bitter when raw or undercooked. It's crunchy and juicy, like biting into raw celery.

How do you roast Bok Choy?

There are a million ways to roast Bok Choy I'm sure, but only one way for me!

What I do is to first preheat my oven to 450 degrees, and prepare a baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray.

Next, I mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper flakes.,

I put the rinsed, dried, and cut bok choy on the roasting pan, and then pour the sauce over top of it. Pop the pan in the oven and roast for 7-10 minutes, or until the stems are just tender. If you have thicker pieces your bok choy will take longer to roast to your taste.

Finally, remove it from the oven and top with sesame seeds, and serve!

Main Dishes to Serve with Roasted Bok Choy

Tips & Tricks

  • Double up the sauce and reserve half if you want to use the sauce to ladle over rice, noodles, or a protein (or all of the above). Add the half you reserved to a small saucepan over low heat, and let it reduce by about ¼ to thicken before pouring over your bok choy and other ingredients.
  • To keep your vegetable tender-crisp, be careful not to overcook it. I have found that roasting it for just 7-10 minutes is plenty. More than that and you could have some soggy, mushy bok choy on your hands.
  • Store roasted bok choy in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave. I do not recommend freezing.
  • Purchase bok choy that is green, and whose leaves are firm. Skip over any that look wilted or have brown spots. If it gets any brown parts or wilted leaves while in your fridge, cut those out or discard those leaves first before cooking and eating.

Bok choy that

How to clean bok choy?

Always wash the bok choy first, it can have dirt in the core or leaves. I do this by cutting it first and then soaking in a bowl of water, swishing around to release the dirt, then rinsing again. Or, if you are planning on keeping the leaves long, cut off the bottom and then rinse the leaves around in water and then rinse them. Either way, pat the leaves dry or spin off extra water in a salad spinner.

More recipes with bok choy

The Recipe
Roasted bok choy with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds on a plate with a gold fork.

Roasted Bok Choy

62 CAL 6g CARBS 4g FAT 4g PROTEIN
PREP TIME: 5 Min
COOK TIME: 10 Min
TOTAL TIME: 15 Min
6 Comments
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 1.5 lbs baby bok choy (halved or quartered)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more to taste)
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

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Instructions

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1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2

Mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.

3

Place the bok choy on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Pour the sauce over the bok choy.

4

Roast the bok choy for 7-10 minutes, or until the stems are tender. Exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the bok choy. Remove from oven and top with sesame seeds.

Equipment

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Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 62
Calories from Fat 34
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g
6%
Saturated Fat 1g
3%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 377mg
16%
Total Carbohydrate 6g
2%
Dietary Fiber 2g
8%
Sugars 2g
Protein 4g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
6 Comments
On Roasted Bok Choy
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FS
September 12, 2023 - 18:10
loved the flavors and so easy! Question though.. are you broiling or baking at 450? the edges weren't exactly roasted
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Lon
March 6, 2023 - 09:36
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4
Made this and enjoyed the flavors! Epicurious has a simple recipe I've cooked many times that calls for EVOO, minced garlic and salt. Their recipe roasts at 450 for 10 minutes cut side down, flipping the bok choy, and then roasting for 5 minutes longer. I prefer the softer texture with the Epicurious approach. I think I'll try this again, adding your sauce after flipping.
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Bethy
February 6, 2023 - 19:23
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5
Added some thickly sliced mushrooms. 10/10 for how easy and tasty this is!
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Tara F.
November 28, 2022 - 15:09
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5
This may just be my new favorite way to eat bok choy. The sauce was so good and I loved the roasted edges! I serve it with your sesame chicken and everyone devoured the meal.
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Cathy A
October 6, 2022 - 22:59
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4
Tasted great, timing and sauce were right on point Thanks
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Julie K
June 23, 2022 - 07:27
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5
Great recipe! The only thing I did different was sprinkled with Everything Bagel seasoning instead of just sesame seeds.
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