Hello friend!

Today I want to introduce you to - or remind you of, if you already know about it - one of my FAVORITE green veggies that I think is SO delicious, quick cooking, and unique, it should become a regular in your rotation. BOK CHOY!!

Bok choy goes by many names, and there are many different varieties (read more here and here). It’s a member of the Brassica family, which includes other veggies like cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and many Asian green vegetables.

One of the most commonly found varieties - and thus the kind I usually buy - is Shanghai bok choy. It's often labeled “baby bok choy” and has pale green stems and green leaves, as in my photo above. (And just to prove that you can find it easily, as I'm writing this, bok choy is showing up at Whole Foods on Amazon right now in TWO varieties - even when I set my delivery address to my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA!)

Why I love bok choy:

• Flavor: my favorite thing about bok choy (and other Asian greens like Napa Cabbage) is the stalk part, which I find has a unique “mineral-y” flavor that I adore! (If you like "minerality" in a crisp white wine, or enjoy the flavor of "mineral water" then I think you'll especially love the flavor of these stalks! Researching the description of "minerality" makes me laugh bc it's so hard to describe what it actually tastes like!)
• Texture: I find the texture of the stalks - when cooked - to be truly special and delicious. They are somehow soft but still slightly crunchy when cooked just right! Although I do eat stalks of many veggies, compared to other brassicas like broccoli and kale, bok choy stalks are BY FAR my favorite of all the stalks!
• Quick-cooking: these babies cook up in just a few minutes, are easy to chop, and add often much-needed variety to my greens rotation.
• Relatively long lasting for a green: I find that bok choy lasts about 5 days in the fridge, possibly longer when stored properly. In my experience, they keep best when stored in a container like this or this with a tad bit of water at the bottom. If they do start to go bad, the leaves usually just turn yellow, so you can simply pull them off and still eat the rest!

How I cook it: Most often, I sauté chopped bok choy in a bit of oil and add some soy sauce towards the end of cooking. I love eating bok choy with mushrooms and eggs, and if I'm feeling fancy I might top with a fancy chili oil condiment (my latest fav) or just sriracha. Though it looks prettier when cut lengthwise and cooked in large pieces, I prefer to chop it in smaller pieces so that I can cook the stalks and greens exactly to my prefered texture with ease. Here's how I do it...

Simplest quick-cooking instructions:

1. Wash/chop bok choy.**  
1. Wash: Lately, I find that the Shanghai/baby bok choy is usually very clean, so since I buy organic, I would simply give it a very quick rinse, if anything. If there is dirt/sand, it’s usually stuck inside the stalks, so if you want to check for it, peel off a few outer stalks and check for/rinse any dirt before chopping. You could also chop up all the stalks first and then rinse in the salad spinner.
2. Chop: I line up my bok choy, chop off the greens and set to the side. I then chop each stalk into quarters long-ways, and then hold the bunch together and dice into smaller pieces. Then I chop the greens into ribbons, keeping them separate. See below photos for details.
2. Heat up oil or fat of your choice in a sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped stalks. Toss to coat, then let them cook/brown for a few minutes. Toss periodically as desired. When they've softened a bit, add the greens. At this point I often add a dash of soy sauce (or coconut aminos) and then cover with a lid to let everything steam for a minute or two. It's done when the greens are bright green in color!
3. Note - if you cook the stalks TOO long, they can get mushy, so I prefer them softened, but not cooked TOO much. They should still offer some resistance when pierced with a fork, but should be tender inside. The best way to get the perfect texture is to cook them more than once / discover it for yourself!

** Cooking choice to consider: You can start heating up the pan while you wash/chop if you're more experienced/in a rush, OR you can chop + wash first if you like to take things slow/be prepared before you start heating things up.