BOILING OR STEAMING bok choy often results in a watery, stringy vegetable. But grilling halved heads of bok choy slathered with miso butter leads to pure flavor. Be sure to keep the heat at medium so the paste can caramelize without burning. My first few attempts at grilling bok choy (I used Shanghai bok choy) resulted in charred leaves that were too crisp to enjoy. Now I separate the leaves from the stalks and use them raw in a salad that wilts under the heat of the grilled vegetable. Use white or yellow miso paste in this recipe. If you use a darker miso, know that it will be saltier. Make this side dish when you are already firing up the grill for the main course.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Step 1
Cut the leaves away from the bok choy stalks. Halve the stalks lengthwise. Rinse the leaves and stalks well, then pat dry to remove any excess water. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and miso with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
Step 2
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Put the bok choy stalks in a large bowl. Using your hands (or a fork), coat the bok choy with the miso butter. Arrange the bok choy, cut side down, on the grill grate. (If you have a grill screen, set it on top of the grate before adding the bok choy, to keep the stalks from falling through the gaps.) Close the lid and grill for about 5 minutes, until golden brown on the underside. Turn the bok choy with tongs, re-cover, and grill for 5 to 6 minutes more, until golden and crisp-tender.
Step 3
While the stalks are cooking, stack the bok choy leaves and roll them up lengthwise into a cigar shape. Slice the leaves crosswise into thin shreds. Make a bed of the shredded leaves on a serving platter. Drizzle the leaves with the oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with the salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and toss to combine.
Step 4
Put the grilled bok choy on the dressed salad to wilt the leaves; sprinkle additional pepper over the bok choy. Serve immediately.
A fermented paste that can range from sweet and mild to salty and pungent, miso is most commonly made from soybeans and rice, though some types include barley or other grains. There are three basic types of miso: white miso is the mildest and sweetest, yellow miso is earthier and lightly salty, and red miso is typically quite salty and strong flavored. Look for miso packaged in small plastic tubs or sturdy bags in the refrigerated section of grocery stores and Asian markets, often near the tofu. It will keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.
How would you rate Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso Butter?
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Reviews (11)
Back to TopI made this as written except used red miso, because it's what I had on hand. It was easy and looked elegant plated, but wasn't exceptional flavor-wise. The miso butter clung amazingly well to the bok choy while grilled. Will try again with some tweaking--maybe a dressing of sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and soy sauce, maybe add ginger to the butter, and garnish with cilantro.
ksadamson
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
5/8/2021
I guess I’m the only one who thought this was gross and flavorless.
auntylizzy
Torrance, CA
9/6/2020
This was delicious - I roasted them in the oven instead of on the outdoor grill and they were still super
kathimonicatti104
Culver City, CA
4/21/2020
This was delicious! I sautéed instead of grilling.
stephaniefoerst
Fort Worth, TX
10/27/2019
I bought a ton of baby bok choy at my local Asian grocery for another recipe. I googled recipes for bok choy and this came up number one. It is DELICIOUS! I doubled it because I had a lot of bok choy. I love the leaves wilted under the bok choy, very nice texture and heat. I used a bit more miso because I love the flavor.
roxanne.blesh8824
Hershey, PA
4/29/2018
Worked well. I'd try it again. Hardest part was finding small quantities of miso.
lwalcer
Ithaca, NY
11/6/2016
Great way to cook bok choy when you're grilling the main course. Very versatile. Although miso is Japanese, this works well as a side to any grilled meat, poultry or fish. I used red miso because that's what I had. I thought the bok choy on top of the leaves looked kind of dry. It might be better to toss everything in the lemon juice and oil dressing. I'll try that next time.
Anonymous
Saint Paul
9/23/2016
This is such a delicious way to prepare bok choy. Highly recommend. Looks good, too. My friend visiting from out of town requested it based on a Facebook post :)
vanessasch
Victoria, BC
6/24/2016
I just made this tonight and it is my new favorite way to prepare baby bok choy. We are getting a ton of it every week from our CSA so I am looking for new recipes. This was delightful with grilled salmon and baked sweet potatoes. yum!
sharikay0717
Cedar Rapids, IA
5/31/2016
Delicious.
Anonymous
Silicon Valley, CA
5/2/2016
Miso and butter, what's not to like? Keeping the leaves raw makes this a refreshing and different side dish for a summer evening!
pattyrhee
Denver, CO
8/8/2014
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