Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce (boiled cabbage heart)

A super simple choy sum recipe that uses 5 ingredients to create a refreshing and delicious side dish in 15 minutes. The choy sum is blanched until tender, then drizzled with a garlicky sauce that is savory and lightly sweet. It is a perfect dish to add nutrition and vibrant color to your dinner table. {Vegan-Adaptable, Gluten-Free Adaptable}

If you’re lucky enough to live near an Asian market, you might have seen a great variety of Chinese greens. They might all look similar and have obscure names. If you want to learn more about how to cook with Asian greens to eat healthier, you’ve come to the right place!

I’ve shared classic Chinese greens recipes such as Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce, Watercress Stir Fry, Chrysanthemum Salad, Celtuce Stir Fry with Eggs. Today I want to share this simple and fast choy sum recipe, which is a popular one at dim sum restaurants. It takes no time to prepare, is rich in taste, and brings out the nice flavor from this tender vegetable.

What is Choy Sum

Choy sum, also known as “cai xin (菜心)” or “yu choy sum (油菜心),” is a leafy green vegetable commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It belongs to the Brassica family, which includes vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy.

It has a texture that’s somewhere between Chinese broccoli and baby bok choy. It has a look that is similar to that of Chinese broccoli, but the stalk is less meaty. Sometimes you will see them at the market bearing yellow flowers (they’re edible, but taste slightly bitter). Once cooked, its texture is quite similar to that of bok choy.

Choy sum is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium, iron, and fiber, making it a nutritious addition to meals.

Ingredients

You only need five ingredients besides oil (oil is usually not counted as an ingredient):

• Choy sum
• Garlic
• Light soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Sugar

How to prepare choy sum

Preparing choy sum is quite simple.

Before cooking, you want to soak it in cold tap water for a couple of minutes, then rinse it thoroughly. This will help remove any pesticide residue and dirt from the vegetables.

If the choy sum you purchased is short and young, like the ones I show in the picture, you only need to chop off the ends.

But if your choy sum is quite long (the more mature plant), you might consider chopping the stems and leaves into large bite-size pieces, about 3” (7 cm) long. This way it is easier to serve and eat the vegetables.

How to cook choy sum with garlic sauce

1. Blanch the choy sum
2. Cook the choy sum until just turning tender, then drain
3. Plate the cooked choy sum in a serving plate
4. Cook garlic in the oil
5. Add the mixed sauce and cook briefly
6. Drizzle the hot sauce over the blanched choy sauce

Now you will have a plate of delicious and refreshing green veggies, and this is a great way to help you consume a lot of greens.

How to serve choy sum

In Cantonese cooking, choy sum is often served at dim sum restaurants along with other small plates. In northern China, we enjoy serving this dish with many other types of main dishes. Consider serving it with:

More delicious Chinese veggie recipes

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Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce (boiled cabbage heart)

A super simple Choy Sum recipe that uses 5 ingredients to create a refreshing and delicious side dish in 15 minutes. The choy sum is blanched until tender, then drizzled with a garlicky sauce that is savory and lightly sweet. It is a perfect dish to add nutrition and vibrant color to your dinner table. {Vegan-Adaptable, Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make the dish vegan, use a vegan oyster sauce. To make the sauce gluten free, use tamari instead of light soy sauce, and use a gluten free oyster sauce.

Author: Maggie Zhu

Course: Side

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: dim sum

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Cook

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped

Instructions

• Soak the choy sum for a few minutes then wash with running tap water to remove any dirt. Discard any leaves that are withered or yellow. Drain thoroughly.

• Heat a big pot of water over medium-high heat until boiling. You can add a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt so the choy sum will have a brighter green color (Optional). Add the choy sum, stem side down, so the thicker part cooks longer. Cook the stem for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then submerge the leafy part into the hot water. Cook until the choy sum turns just tender, 1 to 2 minutes, or you can cook it until it reaches your desired texture. Drain the boiling water and rinse the choy sum under running tap water again to stop the cooking. Drain it thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer it to a serving plate.

• Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic. Stir a few times to release the fragrance, 30 seconds or so.

• Pour in the sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce slightly thickens, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Immediately pour the sauce over the plated choy sum. Serve as a side dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 95kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6.8g, Saturated Fat: 1.1g, Sodium: 189mg, Potassium: 18mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 6.3g, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg