Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad

Name: Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated; 1 garlic clove, grated; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 4 teaspoons sesame oil; Salt and black pepper; 2 pounds bok choy (about 2 large bunches), rinsed and patted dry; Extra-virgin olive oil; 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed; 1 big handful cilantro, chopped; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper; 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated May 15, 2024

Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 5(967)
Comments: Read comments

This recipe breaks bok choy out of its steamed and stir-fried box, demonstrating how well it responds to charring. Don’t be afraid to cook bok choy aggressively; the stalks are robust and remain crisp, while becoming smoky and sweet. Baby bok choy can be used too, but the leaves are much smaller and more tender, so simply slice them through the middle lengthwise. Other sturdy greens like gai lan (sometimes called Chinese broccoli) or cabbages will also work. The punchy dressing is sweet and acidic, given heat and spice from the grated ginger, while tart rice vinegar cuts through the richness of the maple syrup. Keep this dressing in mind for similar salads; it is equally lovely with cold soba noodles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the Ginger-maple Dressing

1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1garlic clove, grated
2tablespoons rice vinegar
2tablespoons maple syrup
4teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and black pepper

For the Salad

2pounds bok choy (about 2 large bunches), rinsed and patted dry
Extra-virgin olive oil
2(15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
1big handful cilantro, chopped
¼ to ½teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 to 2tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Make the dressing: Place the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, maple syrup and sesame oil in a small bowl; whisk to combine. Season well with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Prepare the bok choy: Trim the base of the bok choy and separate the white stalks from the green leaves. Slice the stalks into 1-inch pieces and roughly chop the leaves, keeping them separate from the stalks.
Step 3
Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of oil, add the stalks, season well with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Leave to cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the stalks are charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss and then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, tossing often, until the stalks are charred and crisp-tender. Transfer the bok choy from the pan and to a large serving bowl. Return the skillet to the heat.
Step 4
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into the skillet and add the bok choy leaves. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing often, until the leaves are charred and the water has cooked out, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the leaves from the pan and add to the stalks.
Step 5
Add the cannellini beans to the bok choy and pour in the dressing. Add the cilantro and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. To serve, top with crushed red pepper and sesame seeds.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

967 user ratings

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Comments

Megan1 year ago

I lightly precook my garlic all the time. I place the garlic in whatever oil is needed for a dressing and microwave for 30 seconds, then let it cool to infuse the oil. This works great to take the raw bite out of the garlic for dressings and dips.

la.1 year ago

charred the bok choy in the oven-- came out with a very attractive char and was super easy. convection roast at 425 degrees for 8 minutes on the bottom rack, stirring/flipping every 2 minutes during the last 4 minutes of cook time.

Carrie1 year ago

I prepared this exactly as described except that I added a tablespoon of miso paste to the dressing as suggested by another reviewer. This was excellent! I will definitely make this again!

Anna Stambo6 days ago

All I had was chickpeas added some fresh scallions- great!

Niq1 week ago

Used chickpeas, added crispy onions. Cilantro important. Charred in hot cast iron big garlic clove and bit extra ginger

Sue D1 month ago

This is my go-to for bok choy. Just splendid. One suggestion: reduce the beans to 1 can for 2# bok choy. This makes it a lighter side dish which allows for the tasting of all of the ingredients.

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