Boiled Bok Choy is a wonderful side dish or topping for ramen. There are a few different ways the bok choy can be prepared depending on your preference or desired presentation. Such as boiling them whole, sliced in half, or the leafy green tops separated from the stalk to boil at different times. Either way, the washed and prepared bok choy is boiled in 8 cups of water, 1 Tbl sea salt, 1 Tbl Shaoxing wine & 1 Tbl soy sauce to add some flavor right into the vegetables themselves. Serve on the side with a main course or on top of a ramen bowl as a topping.
Boiled Bok Choy Ingredients
Bok Choy, Water, Sea Salt, Shaoxing Wine, and Soy Sauce.
How much bok choy per serving
This depends on where or what the bok choy is being served with and the size of the bok choy. Which range from small, medium, and large.
- Small, Shanghai, or baby bok choy: 3-5 bok choy per serving.
- Medium Bok Choy: 2-3 per serving
- Large Bok Choy: Generally 1-2 are good for a serving.
How to prepare Bok Choy
There are a few different ways to prepare bok choy. Such as:
- cooking and serving them whole,
- sliced in half from top to bottom, or quartered if they are large
- Root sliced away so you get individual leaves
- Or the top leafy greens are sliced away from the stalk so that the stalks can cook to soften, and the top leafy greens are added in very last so they don’t get too soft.
- You can also just chop the bok choy into roughly the same size. Usually for stir fries.
However you decide to prepare them, wash them well and strain. Because dirt tends to get in between the leaves closer to the root.
Seasoned Water
Bring a pot filled with 8 cups of water and 1 Tbl of sea salt to a boil. The salt will season the bok choy as it boils, adding more flavor than boiling without any salt. Additionally, 1 Tbl of Shaoxing wine & soy sauce each are added to elevate the flavors even more.
It’s very subtle, but it does indeed elevate the flavors. Because it is subtle, though, you can add salt and pepper to taste or toss in a sauce when serving as a side or to top ramen bowls.
How long to boil Bok Choy
Bok choy in general will take about 3 minutes of boiling to soften. This, of course, depends on size, so adjust as you see fit. Check tenderness by piercing with a fork. Additionally, you can boil the thicker stalk parts first and then add the top leafy green parts during the last minute or less of boiling.
Saucy Boiled Bok Choy
After boiling the bok choy and scooping it out, it can be served just like this. It will have good flavor from boiling in the seasoned water. To further elevate the flavors, you can season them with salt and pepper to taste or toss them in a sauce like Gochu Sauce, garlic chili sauce, oyster, or hoisin sauce before serving.
The first image is Korean bok choy stir-fry. However, you can opt to boil the bok choy as in this recipe and then toss it into the Gochu Sauce before serving. The second image is this recipe for boiled bok choy used to top a ramen bowl.
Ingredients
- As Desired Bok Choy
- 8 C Water
- 1 Tbl Sea Salt
- 1 Tbl Shaoxing wine & Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Seasoned Water: Add to a pot all ingredients except the bok choy and bring to a boil over max heat. Slice the bok choy how you want or leave whole. Wash and rinse well and set aside until the water is boiling.
- Boiling: Add the bok choy and boil for 3 minutes or until softened to your liking. If you have separated the top leafy green parts, add these in the last minute of boiling.
- Serving: Strain or scoop the bok choy out and serve. Optionally season the bok choy with salt and pepper to taste or toss the bok choy in the desired sauce for a saucy boiled bok choy dish.
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