Prepared simply, steamed bok choy, tossed in a spicy lime and sesame dressing, is an easy, fresh vegetable side dish. Step-by-step instructions for a crisp and fresh vegetable side dish.
⚡ Recipe Highlights
- Total Time: 14 minutes • Servings: 4
- Dietary: Side Dish • Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
- Macros: 54 kcal | 1 Protein | 1 Carbs | 6 Fat
The first veggie bin of the year arrived last week ( #teamleeandmarias 🙏). You would have thought it was Christmas. My son hauled that Rubbermaid into the house and ripped off the lid to see what is inside. There was no patience. Everything, dirt and all, was pulled out and piled on top of the counter. Pictures were taken (I kid you not) and we marvelled about what we might do with it all.
My goal is to help you love your vegetables again. Try some of our favourite asian-ish inspired vegetable side dishes.
Bok Choy is one of our favourite spring vegetables
The star this week was these bright green little heads of bok choy. Bok Choy is one of our favourites. We like it raw. We like it stir-fried. In soups. Always spicy. We like it with breakfast - try it, you will like. Hot and pungent chilli and garlic fried greens are best at breakfast!
Lightly Steamed Bok Choy is fresh and delicate
But we also like bok choy just like this, fresh, lightly steamed. Still very crunchy. These are fresh and light flavours. Less pungent, more bright. This bok choy recipe highlights the fresh, tender greens and will remind you it is spring. And also remind you that veggies are just so good.
How to steam bok choy
Baby bok choy is delicate and crunchy. It's the crunch that I like, so I try to keep that crunch in this recipe by steaming the greens very lightly.
To prep the whole heads of the baby bok choy, run them under cool water, gently pushing the leaves apart to remove any dirt that has collected between the leaves at the stem end.
Trim the stem ends. Remove as little as possible, cleaning up the ends to remove the dried and dark coloured areas.
Cut larger heads in half, then let them hang out and dry while you wait for the water to simmer in the steamer. Don't worry about drying them between the leaves. Since we are steaming them, it does not matter.
I like to use a large pot and this cheap steaming basket. They are easy to find and don't take up too much space in your kitchen cupboard.
How to keep bok choy crunchy
To keep the bok choy crisp and juicy, I steam them for about 3 minutes. Maybe 4 if they are larger. Mostly, I just want to brighten the colour a little bit. You might want to steam them a bit longer, say 5 minutes. But be careful, bok choy will easily go to mush quickly. And it is mushy and overcooked veggies that give vegetables a bad rep.
For the dressing, you can whip this together while the veggies steam or while you are waiting for the steamer to come to a simmer. Lime, sesame oil and some spice. And salt. Don't skimp on the salt.
So in actual fact, if I wasn't trying to take a pretty picture, we would have eaten this right out of the steamer basket. My son standing at the kitchen island dipping the freshly steamed bok choy in the dressing and then into the sesame seeds - like little savoury dipping sticks. He tells me that the dressing helps the seeds stick to the greens.
But if you can wait to get these to the table. Plate the steamed greens in a serving dish and drizzle with the spicy lime dressing. Sprinkle over toasted sesame seeds and serve. That is it.
Tips and Troubleshooting
If the Bok Choy is soggy and mushy
Don't overcook the bok choy! And certainly do not be afraid of undercooking it. In fact, bok choy is great eaten raw. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Less is better than too much. And if you find the bok choy is a bit too raw for your liking, steam for another minute.
Look for bright green leaves. When the green leaves get a bit darker and brighter green, they are done.
Don't worry that the white steam ends are cooked enough. If using baby bok choy, these can be eaten raw anyway. Don't overcook these.
Fully preheat the steamer. Don't add the bok choy to the steamer basket until the steamer is at an even and steady simmer. You should see steam billowing out of the pot when you remove the lid.
Make sure the lid covers the steamer fully. This ensures that all the bok choy steams evenly and you don't risk overcooking some of the vegetables while others overcook.
Keep the steam ends about the same size; this might mean you have to cut some of the larger heads of bok choy in half. Again, this helps ensure everything cooks evenly.
Serve immediately. The bok choy will continue to soften once you remove it from the steamer basket, so keep this in mind. Serve immediately so it still has a nice crunch. As it sits, it will get softer.
📖 Recipe
Easy Steamed Bok Choy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch baby bok choy 8-9 small heads
- 1 tablespoon light tasting oil grapeseed, light olive oil, or canola
- 1 tablespoon lime juice juice of half a lime
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt plus more to salt the steaming water
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds lightly toasted
Instructions
- To toast sesame seeds: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the seeds and toss gently for just a minute or two, the seeds will toast quickly. As soon as they start to brown remove seeds to another dish to cool.1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Clean and prep bok choy. Cut larger heads in half through the steam end. Remove the very bottom of the stem ends to remove any tough pieces, leaving enough to keep the head intact.1 bunch baby bok choy
- Fit a large pot with a steamer basket and lid. Fill pot about 1 inch deep with salted water and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Once steaming, arrange bok choy heads in the steam basket. Cover with the lid and steam for 3-4 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. I like mine on the crunchy side.
- To make dressing mix together oil, lime juice, sriracha and sesame seed oil. Whisk gently and add sea salt. Taste, dressing should be bright, fresh from the lime, with a nice saltyness. Adjust if necessary.1 tbsp light tasting oil , 1 tbsp lime juice, ¼-1/2 tsp sriracha sauce, 1 tsp sesame seed oil, ¼ tsp sea salt
- Arrange steamed bok choy on a serving platter. Drizzle dressing over and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve.
Rose says
Loved the bok choy recipe and the suggestion to eat with breakfast. Will make often with a poached egg. Yummo! 🥳
Trish says
So glad you liked it!
Mac Samildanach says
Just a question. Why is the water for steaming the pak choi salted, when it doesn't come into contact with the vegetables?
Trish says
I always add salt to my steaming water. Personally, I do feel it does improve the flavour.