How to Cut Bok Choy for Stir-Fry
Separating the leaves and stems ensures that this crisp-tender vegetable will cook evenly.
A member of the cabbage family, bok choy give you two distinct textures in one vegetable: Its crisp, mild-tasting stalks retain some of their toothiness when cooked, while the leaves wilt and soften. But how do you cook a vegetable with two such disparate parts?
The key is in the prep: separating the leaves and stems and adding them separately to your stir fry—stems first, then leaves at the very end—ensures that both of the vegetable’s components will cook evenly. Here’s our easy, step-by-step method:
- Trim the bottom inch from the head of bok choy. Wash and dry the leaves and stalks. Cut the leafy green portion away from either side of the white stalk.
- Cut each stalk in half lengthwise and then crosswise into ¼-inch-wide pieces.
- Stack the leafy greens and then slice them crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips.
With that, your bok choy will be ready for a toss in your wok, whether it’s destined to play a role in a main course stir fry or stand alone as a simple side dish.
