We are really enjoying all the amazing vegetables that come home with us each week as part of our Community Supported Agriculture share that we have purchased for the season. I love the challenge of having to think outside of the box and use vegetables in new and exciting ways.
And if I’m being completely honest with you, I also hate having to think outside of the box and come up with different ways to prepare vegetables, many of which I’ve never even purchased on my own, so I have no idea what to do with them!
It definitely takes some research and some creativity to make sure we eat all the vegetables we are given every week. But on the bright side, I do think my cooking skills are improving a bit, as is my ability to think about what flavors might pair well together.
Last week we got bok choy. This is a very easy thing to throw into a stir fry. But that’s what I did with the bok choy we received the week before, and I wasn’t interested in repeating the same dish.
So I put my thinking cap and suddenly realized that the bok choy would be a great addition to a coleslaw recipe. Which, of course, would go wonderfully well with barbecue, which is one of my favorite dishes!
Farmer’s Market Slaw with Bok Choy
Ok, so here’s what I used to make my slaw:
One of the delightful and disgusting things about organic produce is that they are not as immune to little bugs who like to taste test. This year the bok choy was one of their very favorites. So…a little less for me to eat, but still plenty to work with! You’ll see here that in addition to the bok choy, I have an onion (the only thing not grown locally) and some beautiful carrots, a small head of red cabbage (I only used half of it), and a few green onions.
First, I shredded the cabbage using a grater. Next time I’ll just throw it in the food processor (I’ve used the same model for 10 years and it’s still going strong!)!
Next, I cut up some green onions. I actually used my beloved Kitchenaid Shearsto do the chopping here. So easy! Those are a major workhorse in my kitchen, so if you don’t have a pair, strongly consider adding them to your wish list!
Now it was time to chop up the bok choy. I should add here that everything you are preparing needs to be washed thoroughly before you chop it up. Bok choy tends to be really dirty around the bottom, so give it extra care. Gritty slaw is not so tasty. Be sure to cut off the very tough bottoms of your bok choy, and then chop them a few times before putting them in the food processor, just to help it out a bit. The above picture shows what mine looked like after just a few pulses.
Now let’s deal with these gorgeous carrots, shall we? Cut off the very bottoms as well as the very tops, then chop each carrot 3 or 4 times, depending on its size. And chop ’em up really good in the food processor until they look like this:
Aren’t these colors just awesome? I was SO excited as I was putting it all together! It just looks like summer!
Next I chopped up half an onion. The next time I do this, I’d just go with 1/4 of an onion. It wasn’t bad with 1/2 an onion, but for me, less is more when it comes to this particular vegetable. You may feel differently!
This is the sauce I made for the slaw. It is 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp apple cider vinegar. That’s it! It is yummy!!!!
When you combine all these great elements, this is your reward for your hard work:
Definitely give bok choy a try the next time you make coleslaw. It is absolutely delicious and is now my go-to for when it comes in my weekly basket. After all, it means barbecue is on the menu! 🙂
How do you use bok choy?
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FAQs
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.
What does bok choy go with? ›
Bok choy is widely used in Chinese cooking, frequently in soups, salads, stir-fries and fillings for spring rolls, potstickers, steamed buns and dumplings. Its mild flavor shines when it's stir-fried in sesame oil with a little garlic and ginger and a splash of soy sauce or a sprinkle of salt.
Can you eat raw bok choy? ›
Bok choy can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, it's juicy and a bit mustardy in taste, a perfect choice for salads and slaws such as an apple and bok choy salad with carrots and onions (via Epicurious). When cooked, bok choy tastes earthy and slightly sweet (via Gardener's Path).
How is bok choy prepared? ›
Put the bok choy in a steamer basket and place the basket over simmering water. Cook for about 6 minutes until the base of the bok choy is slightly tender. Test it with the tip of a knife, then serve. For best results, trim the stalks off before boiling, as the stalks take longer to cook than the leaves.
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.
Is bok choy better steamed or boiled? ›
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.
What part of bok choy do you not eat? ›
All of Bok Choy is edible, so once you get to that point, you can chop up the stem and the bulb.
Is it OK to eat bok choy everyday? ›
A meta-analysis and review of research in the journal Food Chemistry found that eating 100 grams of cruciferous vegetables, such as bok choy, every day was associated with a 10% reduction in the risk of death from any cause. (100 grams of cooked bok choy is a little more than a half-cup.)
What does bok choy do to your body? ›
Like other dark, leafy greens, bok choy is an excellent source of the flavonoid quercetin. Quercetin can help to reduce inflammation in the body, which may help to reduce your risk of developing a variety of chronic health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Which is healthier spinach or bok choy? ›
In equivalent raw weight, bok choy contains more vitamin C, vitamin A, and some other nutrients than spinach and around the same amount of calcium. Spinach, however, contains higher amounts of some other nutrients, including vitamin K, than bok choy.
Bok choy offers many health benefits through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It may support cardiovascular and bone health while potentially reducing the risk of certain types of cancer.
Why is bok choy so expensive? ›
Apart from a small supply volume from the northeast, most bok choy comes from Hebei production areas. The production volume there is significantly reduced. In addition, the bok choy season in the northeast is almost over, while the season in Hebei is just starting.
Is bok choy a super food? ›
Bok choy has a stellar lineup of nutrients that help promote bone health — including iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and bone-building vitamin K. In addition, this superfood is a much healthier alternative to fat-filled milk for getting the RDA of calcium and preventing calcium deficiency.
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 healthier raw or cooked? ›
Raw bok choy, like all cruciferous vegetables, contains an enzyme called myrosinase. Myrosinase can hinder thyroid function by preventing the body from absorbing iodine. Cooking deactivates it.
Does boiling bok choy remove nutrients? ›
The major shift in nutrients between raw and cooked bok choy is the level of vitamin C and K depletion when the vegetable is cooked. It's best to consume it raw to get the most nutrients or at the very least only lightly cook it.
What should bok choy taste like? ›
Bok choy tastes similar to cabbage. It has a mild, fresh, and grassy flavor with a slight peppery kick. The stalks have a celery-like crunch, while the leaves are soft and crisp.
to do the chopping here. So easy! Those are a major workhorse in my kitchen, so if you don’t have a pair, strongly consider adding them to your wish list!