Soy Sesame Bok Choy with Spicy Mayo

A delicious, quick and easy side dish, Soy Sesame Bok Choy with an optional Spicy Mayo takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish! Seasoned and sauced with a savoury, salty, and slightly sour homemade dressing, this side is one you will want to make over and over again!

I cannot believe that this is the first time I’m sharing a bok choy recipe at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To be fair, we don’t buy or cook with it often, but we do love it! The most probable cause is that bok choy is not often found outside an Asian grocery. Happily, we recently found a small Asian market in town and just recently and I hurriedly picked up a bag of bok choy. I made a double batch of this Soy Sesame Bok Choy with Spicy Mayo the very next day!

In fact, we also picked up some bean sprouts while we were there. Yesterday, I shared my Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad recipe, which I made the same day as this bok choy. I served them both with some tofu and it was one of the most delicious dinners I’ve had in a very long time.

You might think that there is nothing overly special about bean sprouts, bok choy, and tofu, but when you haven’t had it in so long, it feels and tastes just wonderful! I have mentioned before that our closest major grocery store is about 30 minutes away, and even there, I have not been able to find bok choy. When John.e texted me from town and said he was parked near an Asian market, we made it a point to go back into town two days later.

These types of vegetables are among some of my favourites, so when I can get them super fresh like this, I jump at the chance. During one of the many lockdowns two years ago, I bought bean sprouts in a can. Yes, I was very desperate! Anyway, long story short, my phone’s GPS has been permanently flagged with that particular Asian market. I’ve already eaten everything I bought there, including the spicy buldak noodles!

WHAT IS BOK CHOY?

Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. It has a flavour profile that sits on a spectrum between spinach and water chestnuts, but it is slightly sweeter, with a mildly peppery undertone. The green leaves have a stronger flavour than the white part at the bottom.

Bok choy, in all its varieties, is very popular in southern China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Being winter-hardy, they are more increasingly being grown in Northern Europe. Sometimes bok choy is harvested when it’s immature and sold as baby bok choy, which is what I’m using in this recipe. Baby bok choy can range from 3 to 6 inches in length. It tends to be a little bit sweeter and can be chopped like larger bok choy, separated into leaves, or cooked whole.

It only takes a few minutes to cook it by either steaming, stir-frying, or simmering in water, although steaming does take a few minutes more, depending on the size. Alternatively, bok choy can be eaten raw, although, I prefer it to be cooked just long enough to be warm all the way through.

BOK CHOY ALTERNATIVES

Let me go on the record right now by saying that there is no substitute for bok choy that will give you 100% the texture and flavour profile this recipe deserves. With that said, however, there are a couple of vegetables that you might consider using if you cannot find bok choy.

The first option would be napa cabbage which comes from the same family as bok choy. If you are unfamiliar with napa cabbage, it might help to know that it is the type of cabbage used in kimchi. It is a cool-weather vegetable which grows best when the days are short and mild. The plant grows to an oblong-shaped head consisting of tightly arranged crinkly, thick, light-green leaves with prominent white veins. It is a cruciferous plant closely related to other veggies like bok choy and cauliflower.

Another option could be chard. Chard, often called Swiss chard, are much larger than the baby bok choy I’m using here. And even though the colour is obviously very different, considering the most common variety of Swiss chard has dark red veins. The green leafy part of the chard will wilt during cooking much like the bright green leaves of bok choy. The stems/veins, however, will yield a very similar texture.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Bok Choy – I’m using baby bok choy, but you can use full size as well.
• Butter – Although it’s not traditionally used, I use butter to pan-fry the bok choy because it has more flavour. You could use vegetable oil instead.

Ingredients for the Dressing:

• Soy Sauce – As a rule, we use low-sodium soy sauce. You can use regular soy sauce too, but if you do, cut back the salt to just a 1/4 teaspoon.
• Vinegar – I’m using rice vinegar, but you can also use cider vinegar.
• Sesame Oil – A little bit goes a long way in terms of flavour, but I can’t imagine these bean sprouts without it!
• Toasted Sesame Seeds – These are for flavour and garnish. Don’t skip out on them!
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best. You will get more flavour.
• Lime Juice – Don’t be tempted to use bottled lime juice. Get a fresh lime and squeeze it!

Optional Spicy Mayo Drizzle:

• Mayonnaise – You can use an Asian mayo, much like Kewpie, but I’m using regular Hellman’s.
• Sriracha – This is one of my favourite spicy condiments, but others will work too, like peri peri, Frank’s, or even sambal.

HOW TO MAKE SOY SESAME BOK CHOY WITH SPICY MAYO

This recipe comes together very quickly but in three stages. It is best to work backwards, otherwise, the bok choy will cool too much. Start by preparing the spicy mayo. Add the mayonnaise and the sriracha to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set that aside.

Next, prepare the dressing. In another bowl, add the low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and sesame oil. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Prepare the bok choy by cutting each one in half lengthwise. Wash them well in cold water and spin them dry in a salad spinner. Next, add the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the bok choy, with the cut side down. Cook for 2 minutes and remove the bok choy from the skillet and transfer them to a serving plate.

Immediately, add the vegetable oil and garlic to the skillet. Cook the garlic for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the soy sauce dressing mixture. Combine with the oil and garlic. Spoon the dressing mixture over the cooked bok choy. Finally, drizzle over the spicy mayo, if so desired. Top with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

HOW TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS

To be perfectly honest, this applies to any nuts or seeds, not just sesame seeds. If you are not familiar with toasted sesame seeds, then please try it just once. You will probably never revert to using untoasted sesame seeds in your cooking or baking again!

I have tried using non-stick frying pans for toasting, but nothing works as well as a stainless steel pan. You could use a cast iron pan, but since they get very hot and retain heat so well, it’s easier to burn the seeds.

See the frying pan in this picture? That’s the exact one that I use all the time. I’m not suggesting you run out and buy this same cookware set, but I wanted you to see the pan – remember, do not use non-stick if possible. You’ll get better results will plain stainless steel.

So, unlike most cooking where you’re required to preheat first, you don’t want to apply that same rule to toasting seeds. Add the seeds to a cold pan. Place the pan on the burner and turn the heat on – no higher than medium and probably even less if using a gas burner.

Keep the seeds moving about. I use a rubber spatula. Once you start to smell that warm and toasty aromatic smell, pay close attention. The seeds will take on a slightly golden colour. Don’t let them get too dark. Once you’re satisfied, immediately remove them from the hot pan and transfer them to a dinner plate where they can be spread out to cool.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Soy Sesame Bok Choy with Spicy Mayo is not a complicated recipe at all, however, the flavour is quite complex! It is salty and savoury because of the soy sauce and garlic. And it has a slightly warm, nutty, and earthy taste because of the sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Normally, side dishes are mild, but this recipe is bold and flavourful.

My recommendations for pairings are bold and flavourful as well! First, if you’re looking for a meat main, I’d suggest something like my Grilled Honey Soy Pork Ribs which are super tender and delicious. My Fried Garlic Chicken is also a great option!

This Honey Garlic Braised Beef Ribs recipe is so delicious! It would be a great main to pair with the savoury bok choy. Oh, and rice – always serve white rice with anything prepared with bok choy!