Crispy and Refreshing Bok Choy Salad (Geotjeori)
A Crispy Bok Choy Salad Recipe Made with Freshly Harvested Bok Choy
Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a bok choy salad (geotjeori) made with bok choy I harvested just a few days ago! This salad is wonderfully crisp, refreshing, and delicious. It’s so good that it makes me want to plant bok choy every year! While stir-frying bok choy is also tasty, I personally prefer it as a refreshing salad. It’s easy to make and can be prepared in a short amount of time, making it perfect for a quick lunch side dish or a light meal. Shall we make this delightful bok choy salad together?
Main Ingredients- 7 heads of Bok Choy
- 1 Tbsp chopped Scallions
- 0.5 Tbsp Salt (for blanching bok choy)
- 1 Tbsp Vinegar (for washing bok choy)
Salad Dressing- 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Tuna Extract (or soy sauce/fish sauce)
- 1 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
- A little Sesame Oil
- *All measurements are based on standard Korean soup spoons (TBSP).
- 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Tuna Extract (or soy sauce/fish sauce)
- 1 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
- A little Sesame Oil
- *All measurements are based on standard Korean soup spoons (TBSP).
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Bok choy can hide dirt and debris between its leaves and stem base, so it’s crucial to wash it thoroughly under running water, paying attention to the inner parts. After rinsing 2-3 times, soak the bok choy in water mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar for a short while. This helps to refresh it. (You can substitute tuna extract with soy sauce or fish sauce if preferred.)
Step 2
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add 0.5 tablespoon of salt. Once boiling, add the bok choy, starting with the thicker stem ends first. Blanch for about 10 seconds, then add the leaves and blanch for another 10 seconds. Be careful not to overcook, as this will make the bok choy lose its crispness. Immediately remove the blanched bok choy and rinse it under cold running water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Gently squeeze out excess water. If the heads are very large, you can cut them in half.
Step 3
Once drained, cut the blanched bok choy into bite-sized pieces. For smaller heads, you might only need to trim the root. (In this recipe, since the heads were small, I only trimmed the very base.) Now, in a large bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: gochugaru, minced garlic, tuna extract, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Gently toss the bok choy with the dressing until everything is well combined. Your crispy and refreshing bok choy salad is ready!
Step 4
While bok choy is delicious simply seasoned with salt or soy sauce like a fresh salad, adding gochugaru transforms it into a flavorful geotjeori with a delightful spicy and savory kick. It pairs wonderfully as a side dish with rice!
Step 5
This quick bok choy salad, made with freshly picked produce from my garden, was so good that it disappeared in no time during lunch! I almost wished I had made a larger batch.
Step 6
It seems that since the bok choy is still young, some little critters decided to take a bite before I did! There are a few holes in the leaves, but hey, they need to eat too, right? Ha!
