Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

WHAT'S SPECIAL

No boring salads around here - just fresh, crunchy & flavorful ones!

Switch it up from your usual Bok Choy recipe and make this Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing! No cooking involved, so this fresh and crunchy salad comes together super quick. Bok Choy, carrots, cabbage and herbs are tossed together with a light sesame ginger dressing for the perfect side dish paired with your favorite protein!

Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

To make this recipe even easier on you, buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots. That way, the only chopping you have to do is the Bok Choy and herbs! After that, it’s as simple as throwing it all into a large bowl and tossing it in the best sesame ginger dressing. A light, refreshing and flavorful meal that you’re going to love!

What is Bok Choy?

Technically in this recipe we use baby Bok Choy, also known as pak choi. Baby Bok Choy is a miniature version of its larger Chinese cabbage counterpart. The stalks are more tender and in general, I find it easier to work with than normal Bok Choy.

Bok Choy has a very mild flavor, similar to other lettuces. It tastes great cooked or raw! Luckily, it is a very quick cooking vegetable, so it’s perfect if you’re in a time crunch. The most common preparation methods include either chopping it into quarters lengthwise, separating each piece or cutting it into bitesized pieces.

Prior to using Bok Choy in a recipe, it’s important to thoroughly wash it because a lot of dirt tends to get stuck in the leaves. To make sure it’s extra clean, I typically wash it once while it’s still whole, and then place the chopped leaves in a bowl of water for a second soaking. Then, drain the water, gently pat the leaves dry and continue on with the recipe.

Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

What You Need to Make Bok Choy Salad

  • Baby Bok Choy: This is easily accessible all year round at grocery stores and Chinese markets.
  • Red Cabbage: Buying pre-shredded will make this recipe quicker!
  • Carrots: Pre-shredded is recommended here as well. However, I have noticed there seems to be a shortage of matchstick carrots recently, so you can cut them by hand or use a mandoline slicer.
  • Green Onion
  • Cilantro
  • Cashews: These are an optional, but highly recommended, topping to give this salad an extra crunch! You can also use peanuts.

What You Need to Make Sesame Ginger Dressing

  • Olive Oil: This brand of olive oil is great! Discount code: MUNCHINWITHMADDIE for $5 off the “Drizzle” & “Sizzle” variety pack
  • Low-Sodium Tamari: This is basically a gluten free version of soy sauce. Another option is coconut aminos or regular soy sauce if you’re not GF.
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Sesame Oil
  • Sriracha: Just a touch! But, if you’re like my boyfriend and really enjoy spicy things, feel free to add more to taste.
  • Maple Syrup (or Honey): If you’re vegan, use maple syrup. If not, you can use honey or your preferred liquid sweetener.
  • Water
  • Garlic
  • Ginger: Fresh minced ginger is best! I don’t recommend substituting dried ginger.
  • Sesame Seeds: This adds a lovely little crunch to the dressing and makes it look pretty, but don’t stress if you don’t have any on hand! The recipe will still turn out great.
  • Lime Juice: I love the way the citrus balances out the saltiness in this dressing.
Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

How Can I Make This Bok Choy Salad More Filling?

This salad is so delicious on it’s own, but let’s be honest…we need a little more substance for a full meal! I love to pair this with miso butter salmon as my protein source and it keeps me full and happy. This Bok Choy Salad would also taste amazing served alongside chicken, shrimp or even ground turkey. For vegetarian/vegan options, I would recommend some crispy tofu, tempeh or a can of chickpeas!

How Do Bok Choy Salad Leftovers Store?

The trick to keeping this Bok Choy Salad fresher for longer is to store the dressing separate from the salad itself. Simply chop all of the vegetables and toss them together. Then, transfer the vegetables to an airtight container. Meanwhile, prepare the sesame ginger dressing and store it in a sealed jar or container in the fridge. Once you’re ready to eat, add the dressing and toss to combine! I also recommend storing your protein source (if you choose to add one) separately from the salad to keep everything more fresh.

If you’re planning to eat this within 1 day after making it, you can prepare it according to the original recipe (tossing it with the dressing). It actually tastes great when the vegetables have been soaking in the dressing for a few hours! But, any longer than that and the vegetables may get soggy.

Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.

Looking for more salad recipes?

5 from 1 vote

Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

No cooking involved means that this fresh and crunchy Bok Choy Salad comes together super quick. Bok Choy, carrots, cabbage and herbs are tossed together with a light sesame ginger dressing for the perfect side dish paired with your favorite protein!
Servings 4 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Equipment

  • Sharp knife
  • small jar or bowl
  • large salad bowl
  • salad tongs

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 3 heads baby bok choy chopped into ¾" pieces (about 4 heaping cups)
  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • cashews roughly chopped

For the Sesame Ginger Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp low-sodium tamari (sub coconut aminos or soy sauce if not GF)
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sriracha (or more to taste)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 small clove garlic minced
  • ½ tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • juice from ½ lime

Instructions

  • Wash the bok choy and cut the ends off. Then, cut it into about ¾ inch (or bitesized) pieces. Transfer the chopped bok choy to a large bowl filled with water. Let it soak for 1 minute to remove any dirt stuck between the leaves. Drain the water and pat the bok choy dry with a paper towel.
  • In a large salad bowl, add all of the chopped vegetables and herbs. Toss to combine.
  • In a small jar or bowl, add all of the sesame ginger dressing ingredients and shake or whisk until combined.
  • Pour the sesame ginger dressing over the salad and toss again until evenly coated.
  • Top with chopped cashews and more sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Video

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: Asian Salad, Baby Bok Choy, Bok Choy Salad, No-Cook Salad Recipes, Sesame Ginger Dressing

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.

Join the Conversation

  1. Norma Jean Park says:

    5 stars
    This was such a delicious and simple salad to make! I had a bunch of bok choy I was trying to use and was craving an Asian salad, this hit the spot perfectly. I roasted the cashews before adding them to the salad to increase the depth of flavour. Highly recommend! <3

    1. Love the idea to roast the cashews! Thank you so much Norma 🙂

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