If you love stir-fried vegetables, you should try this flavorful stir-fried bok choy and mushrooms. It is packed with delicious vegetables and seasoned with a savory sauce. Get the earthy flavors of mushrooms and the slight sweetness and bitterness of bok choy.
- All About Stir-Fried Bok Choy And Mushrooms Recipe
- How To Store And Reheat Bok Choy And Mushrooms
- Tips And Alternatives For Bok Choy And Mushrooms
- Items To Prepare To Make Bok Choy And Mushrooms
- Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Bok Choy And Mushrooms
All About Stir-Fried Bok Choy And Mushrooms Recipe
Stir-fried dishes are known to be quick and easy to prepare. It uses a Chinese cooking technique, using only minimal oil and stirring or tossing the food in a wok or pan. One of the most common stir-fried vegetables is bok choy.
Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage also known as pak choi and pok choi. You can use either mature or baby bok choy for this recipe. The taste is similar to spinach and cabbage, slightly bitter and sweet.
In this recipe, we elevate bok choy with smoky and earthy mushrooms. Bok choy is packed with vitamins and antioxidants, while the mushrooms contain the protein you need. Any type of mushroom works with this recipe, including button, fresh or dehydrated shiitake, oyster, or portobello.
Season the mushroom with green onions, garlic, and chili pepper for some heat. Then, we also add some oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and cornstarch for a thicker sauce base. This dish can be served as a side dish or entreé.
If you love bok choy, try my other bok choy recipes such as The Easiest Bok Choy Air Fryer Recipe and Simple Yet Scrumptious Garlic Bok Choy. Don’t forget to pair bok choy with other entreés like Tofu With Minced Pork & Mushrooms, Black Pepper Beef Stir-fry, and Homemade Ham Sui Gok.
How To Store And Reheat Bok Choy And Mushrooms
As I always say, nothing beats freshly cooked dishes that are hot and crisp. However, if you have leftovers or cooked bok choy and mushrooms in advance to eat later, you can store and reheat the dish. Keep it in a covered or sealed container to maintain its freshness and quality.
Food can be typically stored in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat the dish in a microwave or stovetop for a few minutes. You can also freeze it but expect the quality to deteriorate the longer it stays in the freezer.
Tips And Alternatives For Bok Choy And Mushrooms
There are several ways to customize bok choy and mushrooms according to your liking. You can find alternatives for each ingredient and adjust the taste if you wish. Plus, I share some techniques worth mentioning that are useful for future dishes.
- Bok choy: Always select the freshest bunch, whether using regular or baby bok choy. Ensure the leaves are fresh and green, and that the stem is firm and white. Whenever possible, avoid yellow, dried, or brown leaves. To cook bok choy, first wash it in water and remove the stem base. For this recipe, we also cut the bok choy in half lengthwise.
- Storing bok choy in the fridge: You should not wash bok choy before storing it in the fridge as the moisture will accelerate spoilage. Put it in a zipper bag or plastic bag with holes for air circulation, or cover it completely with aluminum foil. The crisper drawer of the fridge is the best place to store it. If you prefer, you can also store bok choy in a jar of cold water in the refrigerator. In the jar, place the stem upright in the water and let the leaves hang out. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
- Storing bok choy in the freezer: In order to extend the shelf life of bok choy, store it in a freezer bag that is completely airtight. Before storing the leaves in the freezer, cut the stems and clean them with damp paper towels. Storage in the freezer can extend its shelf life by 8 to 12 months if it is stored properly.
- Mushroom: You can use any type of mushroom. However, the taste and texture will depend on the mushroom you use. For instance, button mushrooms are earthy and slightly nutty, while portobello mushrooms are meaty and dense. For a hint of seafood, you can use oyster mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms. If you prefer a smoky and umami taste, go for fresh or dried shiitake.
- Garlic alternative: Garlic truly enhances the overall flavor of any dish. In case you don’t have garlic cloves, you can omit and cook the dish without it. However, if you want to have the garlicky flavor, you can replace 1 clove of garlic with 1/8 tsp of garlic powder or 1/4 tsp of granulated garlic. You’ll still get that garlic punch without the texture bits.
- Green onion: Green onions or spring onions have a sweetness to them. It has a milder taste than regular onions. If you don’t have green onions, you can substitute this ingredient with chives, shallots, white onions, yellow onions, or red onions.
- Chili pepper: The spicy, sweet, and smoky flavors of the chili pepper are prominent in the recipe. Add as much as you’re comfortable with in terms of the amount of heat in the dish. Alternatively, you can use chili flakes instead of chili peppers. You need 1/4 tsp of chili flakes per chili pepper.
- Oyster sauce alternative: Oyster sauce is a common stir-fry sauce. The taste is similar to a mix of soy sauce and barbecue sauce that is sweet and salty. If you don’t have oyster sauce, use hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, kecap manis, Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce and sugar, oyster-flavored sauce, or fish sauce.
- Dark and light soy sauce: Generally, dark soy sauce is used to color or darken dishes with its thick and dark consistency. It is usually sweeter than light soy sauce. On the other hand, light soy sauce is the regular type used for seasoning. You can interchange the two types in case you don’t have the other one. If you don’t have soy sauce, use tamari, liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Cornstarch substitute:The sauce is thickened with cornstarch slurry. In this recipe, we use 50ml cornstarch slurry. You can make the slurry with a 1:2 ratio or 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water. Cornstarch can be substituted with tapioca flour or potato starch. For 1 tbsp of cornstarch, use 2 tbsp of tapioca flour or 1 tbsp of potato starch.
Items To Prepare To Make Bok Choy And Mushrooms
When you’re ready to cook, here’s everything you need to create this recipe. You need a pot or pan to boil the bok choy and mushrooms and stir-fry all ingredients. The ingredients are basic and accessible in all grocery stores or supermarkets.
Kitchen Equipment
- Pot or pan for boiling and stir-frying
- Spatula for stirring
- Ladle drainer
Ingredients
Boiling the bok choy and mushrooms
- A bunch of bok choy
- 1 to 2 cups of mushrooms
- Water for boiling bok choy
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
Stir-frying
- Oil for stir-frying
- 5 tbsp chopped green onion
- 5 tbsp minced garlic cloves
- 1 sliced small chili pepper
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 50ml cornstarch slurry
Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Bok Choy And Mushrooms
After gathering all the kitchenware and ingredients, you are now ready to make the recipe. But before that, have a quick look at how I made this dish with my Tiktok and Instagram tutorial videos. The recipe calls for boiling the bok choy and mushrooms and stir-frying all the ingredients.
Prepare the bok choy and mushrooms
Prepare the bok choy by washing it with water and cutting it in half lengthwise.
Prepare the mushrooms by dicing them in cubes or according to your desired cut. Then, put water in a pan or pot and bring to a boil. Once the water boils, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt.
Then, add the bok choy and boil for 30 seconds.
Take out the bok choy and drain.
In the same pan, cook the diced mushrooms for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, take out the mushrooms and drain.
Stir-fry the vegetables and seasonings
Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, stir-fry green onions, minced garlic, and small chili pepper.
Then, add the diced mushrooms and mix well. Next, add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp water, and 50ml cornstarch slurry. (Before pouring the cornstarch slurry, give it a good mix once more.)
Continue stir-frying for about 10 seconds until the sauce thickens.
Prepare your serving plate and arrange the bok choy nicely.
Place the mushrooms at the center of your bok choy for a decorative touch.
Flavorful Stir-Fried Bok Choy And Mushrooms
Equipment
- Pot or pan for boiling and stir-frying
- Spatula for stirring
- Ladle drainer
Ingredients
Boiling the bok choy and mushrooms
- A bunch of bok choy
- 1 to 2 cups of mushrooms
- Water for boiling bok choy
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
Stir-frying
- Oil for stir-frying
- 5 tbsp chopped green onion
- 5 tbsp minced garlic cloves
- 1 sliced small chili pepper
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 50 ml cornstarch slurry
Instructions
Prepare the bok choy and mushrooms
- Prepare the bok choy by washing it with water and cutting it in half lengthwise.
- Prepare the mushrooms by dicing them in cubes or according to your desired cut.
- Then, put water in a pan or pot and bring to a boil.
- Once the water boils, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt.
- Then, add the bok choy and boil for 30 seconds.
- Take out the bok choy and drain.
- In the same pan, cook the diced mushrooms for 30 seconds.
- After 30 seconds, take out the mushrooms and drain.
Stir-fry the vegetables and seasonings
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, stir-fry green onions, minced garlic, and small chili pepper.
- Then, add the diced mushrooms and mix well.
- Next, add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp water, and 50ml cornstarch slurry. (Before pouring the cornstarch slurry, give it a good mix once more.)
- Continue stir-frying for about 10 seconds until the sauce thickens.
- Prepare your serving plate and arrange the bok choy nicely.
- Place the mushrooms at the center of your bok choy for a decorative touch.
