Garlic Bok Choy with Noodles
Garlic and ginger add dept of flavor to this simple, yet tasty dish of bok choy with noodles.
- 8 oz Chinese noodles (or spaghetti noodles, uncooked)
- 1 tsp peanut oil
- 1 lb bok choy, (cut into 3” pieces if the leaves are large)
- ¼ c vegetable broth ((we prefer low sodium))
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- Bring 1.5 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add noodles and simmer, uncovered over medium heat until just al dente (6-9 minutes). When the noodles are done, drain and set them aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the bok choy and sauté over medium high for 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Toss the bok choy to coat and simmer 1-2 minutes over high heat, until most of the broth has evaporated.
- Add the cooked noodles to the pan and cook, tossing everything together, until the noodles are hot, 1-2 minutes.
- Serve hot.
I'm sure you've heard of Bok Choy. You've probably even had it from some Chinese restaurant, and you didn't even know it.
But, do you know what it is? Or how to cook it? We sure didn't.
What is Bok Choy? For us, Bok Choy (otherwise known as Chinese Cabbage) was this mystery ingredient in Chinese cooking.
It was a leafy green that we would often see laying on the farmer's market tables next to the spinach, but we never had the urge reach out to grab a bunch. I'm not sure why it was so scary.
It looks just like romaine lettuce. A very small head of romaine. But, then again, the concept of cooking with leaf lettuce scares me a bit. (And spinach doesn't count.
It's a whole category of it's own!)
How To Cook Bok Choy
When we finally ventured out to grab a bundle of bok choy.
Then, the real question came in. How do cook it?
But, really, it's not all that tricky. Bok choy is most often used in stir fries, added to the wok near the end of your cooking time, because it cooks quite quickly.
What Does Bok Choy Taste Like? The flavor and texture fall somewhere between cabbage, spinach, and leek.
It has lightly onion-y flavor, with a crisp, cabbage-likeness at the stem. But, the leaves wilt like spinach when cooked.
It put on a fantastic show in the wok as it cooked: going from big, fresh leaves, turning brightly colored, then slowly shrinking, right before our eyes. Quite fun to watch!
Adding some ginger and garlic were just the ticket to give this simple and quick dish a burst of flavor that left us incredibly impressed.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon ginger
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
Nutrition
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother.
Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.