Shanghai Baby Bok Choy With Black Bean Sauce Recipe

By
Shao Z.
Shao Zhi Zhong is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Shao Z.
Shao Zhi Zhong is a Chinese-born and Philadelphia-raised food writer and recipe developer who specializes in Chinese home cooking. She's also a web designer.
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Updated Aug. 09, 2018
Shanghai baby bok choy with black bean sauce on a square white plate.

Serious Eats / Shao Z.

Incorporating a few fermented black beans to a vegetable stir-fry—like this crisp version with baby bok choy—instantly adds a punch of flavor. Magical flavor beans (as I like to call them) are salty, a little funky, and a wonderful ingredient to have in your kitchen if you stir-fry frequently.

Note: Hearty stem greens such as Chinese broccoli, choy sum, and broccoli rabe will work perfectly in this recipe.

Recipe Facts

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 3 to 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • 12 ounces Shanghai baby bok choy, split in half

  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce

  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable, peanut, or canola oil

  • 1 tablespoon fermented black bean

  • 6 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bok choy and blanch until bright green, about 40 seconds. Transfer to a colander set in the sink and let drain well.

  2. While bok choy drains, combine soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.

  3. Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add garlic and black beans and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add drained bok choy and continue to cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until bok choy is almost tender, about 2 minutes.

  4. Push bok choy up sides of wok. Stir sauce mixture with a fork and add it to the center. Let it come to a boil (about 20 seconds), then toss with the bok choy. Serve immediately.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
104 Calories
8g Fat
6g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 104
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 400mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 24mg 118%
Calcium 92mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 382mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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