Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic
The reference vegetable: hot wok, oil, garlic, greens, splash of stock.
Ingredients
- 4 heads Bok choy
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Peanut oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 60 ml Chicken stock (optional)
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)
Method
- Quarter the bok choy lengthwise and rinse well between the leaves.
- Smash the garlic with the side of a knife and roughly chop.
- Heat the wok dry until smoking. Add the peanut oil and swirl.
- Toss in the garlic for 10 seconds until fragrant — do not let it brown.
- Add the bok choy and toss until the leaves wilt and stems turn jade, 2 minutes.
- Splash in the stock and soy. Cover for 30 seconds to steam the stems.
- Uncover. Season with salt and finish with sesame oil.
- Plate at once.
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About Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic
Stir-fried bok choy with garlic is about as fundamental as Chinese vegetable cookery gets — a reference dish that teaches the whole grammar of the wok in under ten minutes. The heat is the point: the dry wok is taken to smoking before any oil goes in, so the greens cook fast and hot, wilting the leaves while the stems turn a translucent jade and pick up a faint char known as wok hei. Garlic goes in for just seconds and is deliberately kept from browning, which would turn it bitter and muddy the clean flavor.
A splash of chicken stock and light soy hits the hot wok and, under a brief cover, steams the thicker stems tender while glossing the whole dish. A last drizzle of toasted sesame oil rounds it out with a nutty perfume. The result is fresh, savory, and bright — high volume and low calorie, mostly water and fiber — the kind of everyday green that belongs alongside almost any rice-based meal. Master the timing here and you can cook nearly any leafy vegetable the same way.
Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic?
A serving has about 129 calories — 3.7g protein, 11.6g carbs, 7.6g fat, 3.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out chicken stock, toasted sesame oil — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Garlic make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.