Learn all about Bok Choy! From bok choy and nutrition, how to pick bok choy, even delicious bok choy recipes!
FUN FACT: Bok choy is sometimes called a “soup spoon” because of the shape of the leaves and bulbous bottom.
WHAT IS BOK CHOY?
Boy Choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. It doesn’t form a head and instead sprouts leafy greens with a bulbous bottom.
WHAT PART OF BOK CHOY DO YOU EAT?
The whole plant is edible. You can trim some of the bottoms off, give a good cleaning and then enjoy raw or cooked.
BENEFITS OF BOK CHOY
Whether you’re eating baby bok choy or regular bok choy, it’s definitely a cruciferous leafy green vegetable you want in your diet. Bok Choy is rich in antioxidants and has been studied for its cancer prevention. (1) (2) It’s rich in vitamin K, C, A, B6, folate, calcium, and potassium. It also has iron, manganese, vitamin B2, phosphorus, and fiber.
BOK CHOY NUTRITION
100g of raw bok choy contains (3)
- 13 calories
- 2.2 g carbohydrates
- 1.5 g protein
- 0.2 g fat
- 1 gram fiber
- 4,468 IU vitamin A (89%DV)
- 45 mg vitamin C (75%DV)
- 45.5 mcg vitamin K (57%DV)
- 66 mcg folate (16%DV)
- 105 mg calcium (11%DV)
- 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10%DV)
- 0.2 mg manganese (8%DV)
- 252 mg potassium (7%DV)
- 19 mg magnesium (5%DV)
WHEN IS BOK CHOY IN SEASON?
Bok Choy can be found year-round. Here in NJ, we see it in season from mid-April to late June.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GROW BOK CHOY?
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOK CHOY AND BABY BOK CHOY?
Baby Bok Choy is smaller, sweets, and the leaves are more tender, which means you can use them in fresh salads and lightly cooked dishes. Regular bok choy is best in cooked dishes and is usually in a lot of Chinese dishes.
HOW TO STORE BOK CHOY
We store in a bag in the bottom drawer in our refrigerator for 3-5 days.
HOW TO PICK BOK CHOY
When choosing bok choy you want to look for rich green colored blades and the stems should be firm.
CAN YOU FREEZE BOK CHOY
Absolutely! It’s great for adding to dishes that are cooked, we recommend cutting it down to the desired size and then we like to steam bok choy. After quick steam, you then will blanch the bok choy, dry it and then store it in a freezer safe bag. (For a full method on steaming, blanching, and freezing see our method on steamed broccoli)
HOW TO SERVE BOK CHOY
It can also be enjoyed in salads, in soups, roasted, or in stir-frys. It’s a great way to add more nutrients to a dish and crunch to raw dishes.
BOK CHOY RECIPES
Looking for recipes using bok choy? here are a few delicious ones to try!
- Roasted Baby Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic Sauce
- Spicy Peanut Tofu and Bok Choy Rice Bowl
- Sichuan Bok Choy and Tofu Stir Fry
- Ramen with Creamy Sesame Broth
- Vegan Pho
- Asian Veggies with Soba Noodles
- Seared Bok Choy Broth with Noodles
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