Chinese Bok Choy Salad with Garlic and Sesame Recipe
A light, crunchy bok choy salad with garlic and sesame is a popular side dish for dinner in many Chinese homes. It’s a bit like Polish cucumber or cabbage salads, but with a distinct aroma of garlic and sesame oil. It goes perfectly with rice, noodles, or as a very quick snack on its own.
Blanched green vegetables drizzled with hot garlic oil are an everyday side dish in many Chinese homes and canteens. Bok choy is especially popular in the Shanghai region, where it is served alongside wok-fried dishes or steamed fish.
This salad combines the freshness and crunch of lightly blanched bok choy with the deep aroma of garlic and sesame oil, giving you a restaurant-style Chinese side dish in just a few minutes.
Why this version works
- Briefly blanched bok choy keeps its vivid color and crunch instead of boiling to mush.
- Pouring hot oil over the sauce and vegetables unlocks the aroma of the garlic, chili, and sesame without lengthy frying.
- Toasting the sesame seeds separately gives a deeper, nuttier flavor than adding them raw.
Chef's tips
Do not overcook the bok choy—1–2 minutes is enough. The leaves should stay bright green and crisp. Make sure the garlic only turns lightly golden; if it browns too much, it will become bitter and overpower the delicate salad.
How to serve
Serve in small bowls alongside rice dishes, stir-fries, or grilled meats. It also works well as a light starter with plain steamed rice or simple fried noodles.
Watch out for
- Do not cook the bok choy for longer than 2 minutes – translucent white stalks are a sign it’s overcooked.
- If the cabbage is still dripping after squeezing, the sauce will get diluted and taste flat.
- Garlic in hot oil darkens in seconds – once it goes from light golden towards brown, watch the pan closely.
Substitutions
- You can replace bok choy with baby pak choi or a mix of kale and spinach, shortening the blanching time.
- Rice vinegar can be swapped for mild apple cider vinegar diluted with a little water.
- If you don’t like heat, skip the chili and add a spicy note at the table with chili sauce.
- You can replace sesame oil with toasted sunflower oil, keeping in mind the flavor will be different.
Ingredients
- bok choy can be 3–4 small heads; you can substitute young cabbage or pak choi - 400 g
- garlic finely chopped - 3 clove
- sesame oil - 1.5 tablespoon
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed oil - 1 tablespoon
- soy sauce - 1.5 tablespoon
- rice vinegar you can substitute apple cider vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoon
- sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan - 1 tablespoon
- salt for salting the blanching water
- fresh hot chili or dried chili flakes optional, for a mild heat - 0.5 teaspoon
Preparation
- Wash the bok choy thoroughly, spreading the leaves apart at the base to rinse out any sand. Cut off any woody ends, slice the white parts into thin strips, and leave the green leaves in larger pieces so they don’t turn into shreds after cooking.
- In a large pot, bring plenty of well‑salted water to a boil. Add the cabbage and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the leaves turn a vivid green and soften, while the white parts stay clearly firm when pressed with a fork – they should not look translucent.
- Immediately drain the bok choy and rinse with very cold water or plunge it into a bowl of ice water until it stops steaming completely. Squeeze out the excess water very firmly with your hand or by pressing it in a colander, until no stream of liquid comes out when you squeeze it.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is uniform. Taste it – if it’s too sour, add a pinch of sugar; if it lacks saltiness, add a splash more soy sauce.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, shaking the pan often. They’re ready when they start to pop gently, smell intensely nutty, and turn lightly golden; immediately transfer them to a bowl so they don’t darken further.
- In the same pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped garlic and chili, and fry for 30–40 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic is light golden and very aromatic; if it starts to brown, take the pan off the heat at once.
- Pour the hot oil with the garlic and chili into the bowl with the soy‑sesame sauce and stir well. The sauce will turn slightly cloudy and thicker and will smell very strongly of garlic and sesame; you’ll hear a gentle sizzle.
- Transfer the well‑squeezed bok choy to a large bowl, pour over the hot sauce, and mix with your hands or with spoons, lifting the leaves up so the sauce gets between the layers. After 2–3 minutes the cabbage should be evenly coated, glossy, and still springy.
- Sprinkle the salad with the toasted sesame seeds and toss briefly again. Serve right away while it’s slightly warm and very crunchy, or chill it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes if you prefer softer leaves and a more pronounced garlicky aroma.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I like to make this salad when I need a quick, fresh side dish that still feels special. The hot garlic oil poured over the sauce is the key step that gives the salad its characteristic aroma and depth of flavor.
