If you are looking for bok choy recipe ideas, here is a very simple but delicious one.
It uses fresh ginger to flavor the bok choy. We all know that ginger is a key ingredient in many Chinese recipes. Asian cultures use it a lot, and for good reason. Ginger is not only delicious, it is SO incredibly healthy for us.
Adding ginger to your daily eating routine for better health is certainly something to think about. For example my healthy recipe for lemon and ginger tea is here.
Cooking with bok choy is not difficult at all. This is a quick and easy vegetable to cook and takes on Asian flavors really well.
What is Bok Choy?
If you are not familiar with bok choy you may even be wondering what it is.
Bok choy is a version of Chinese cabbage, so it’s a cruciferous vegetable, in the same category as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.
That means it gives you many of the fabulous health benefits of those delicious vegetables.
Bok choy is cooked quickly. That means you can have a delicious bok choy recipe on your table in minutes, ready to enjoy.
I am all for using whatever works best for you. It’s your meal, do with the recipe what you want is my thought.
That said, the recipe calls for baby bok choy. The baby bok choy works really well because the small full bok choys look great on the plate. That said, if you have the larger bok choy in your fridge, go ahead and use it. It’s just as good. Just cut it into somewhat smaller pieces.
If you are not familiar with bok choy, here is what to look for in your grocery store.
Tamari VS Soy Sauce
This recipe calls for either tamari sauce or soy sauce. So what is the difference?
Tamari (or tamari shoyu) is a Japanese sauce made from fermented soybeans. It has a thicker consistency and a more balanced flavor than Chinese soy sauce, making it a good choice for a lot of Asian recipes. 1
So compared to soy sauce, tamari is more mellow, less salty and slightly thicker in texture.
Use either one in this recipe and you will get good results.
Adding the Ginger to this Bok Choy Recipe
As I said above, ginger is such a common ingredient in Asian cultures and recipes. It’s one of the things that makes Asian food so healthy.
Although I love the flavor that ginger adds to a dish, I personally don’t like that much heat.
This recipe says to julienne the ginger. If it’s a term you are not familiar with, cutting the ginger into julienne pieces means that you cut very thin, toothpick like strips of it.
While the recipe calls for the ginger to be julienned, I added the grating option to the recipe.
I find that if the ginger is grated you have very tiny pieces that are evenly spread out throughout the recipe. If you do it this way, you will never bite down hard on a chunk of ginger when you are trying to enjoy your dinner.
If you enjoy the heat of ginger, then please go ahead and julienne it. If you are more like me, you might want to grate it.
Of course you can add more ginger, or use a bit less. The ginger does add a nice punch and wonderful flavor to the bok choy though.
Garlic is another healthy ingredient in this very easy vegetable dish. There is just a hint of garlic here. It’s just boiled with the bok choy and adds a subtle flavor. If you really want the bok choy to be garlicky, just chop another clove and sprinkle it on. I love the flavor that the hint of garlic gives the dish.
The sesame seeds are an add on, added at the end for wonderful presentation but also because the seeds add great flavor and a nice crunch to the vegetables. Toast them slightly in a dry frying pan if you want a deeper flavor and more crunch.
Sesame seeds give the recipe that distinct Asian flavor. I love the taste of them with the other ingredients and the crunch that it brings. Certainly leave them out if you don’t like them or if someone has an allergy. The bok choy recipe will still be good.
This recipe for bok choy with ginger and garlic is a very healthy recipe. It is gluten free, low carb, works very well for those on a diabetic diet and of course, is both vegetarian and vegan.
I hope you enjoy this amazingly simple but yummy Asian inspired vegetable recipe. Let me know in the comment section below the recipe how it worked out for you.
Enjoy.
1. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-tamari-3376809
Gingered Bok Choy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 piece fresh ginger, (4 inches), peeled and julienned (or grated)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 pounds baby bok choy, rinsed and trimmed
- 2 tablespoons tamari sauce, or soy sauce
- sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place the ginger, salt, garlic and 1 cup of water in a large pot or place a bit of water in a steamer with the vegetables in it. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add the bok choy and cook, covered, until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the bok choy, sprinkle with the tamari or soy sauce and mix it slightly to cover it all with the sauce. Transfer it to a warmed serving dish and serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds.
- Makes 4 servings.
Notes
Nutrition
For another delicious bok choy recipe, have a look at our bok choy and broccoli stir fry.
Browse all of our Asian flavored recipes right here.
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So easy and good for gluten free, diabetic or low carb diets too.