Garlic and Lemon Bok Choy with Black Sesame Noodles

Noodles are always good, but the bok choy is the star here. It cooks to a delicious, almost creamy texture, and works with the sauce without being overpowered.

Course Main Dishes, Pasta & Noodles, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword bok choy, noodles, stir-fry, vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 225kcal

Ingredients

Noodles and Vegetables

300 g bok choy (about 3 small bunches)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 small onion halved and thinly sliced
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil or other neutral cooking oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
200 g black sesame noodles (see note)
shichimi togarashi or crushed chilies to garnish (optional)

Sauce

1.5 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger juice (see note)
1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions

Combine the sauce ingredients and set them aside.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the noodles while you continue with the stir frying steps. Once the water is boiling, cook the noodles until al dente, then drain and set aside. Note that you can cook the noodles while you follow the remaining steps, but try to time things carefully - you want the noodles to be cooked and drained before you finish stir frying.
Separate the bok choy stalks from the base of the plant and trim away the rough edge at the bottom. Separate the thick stalks from the leafy green portions, then slice both into thin strips.
Heat a wok over very high heat for about 1 minute. Add the oil and heat until faint wisps of smoke begin to appear.
Add the onions to the wok and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and teaspoon of soy sauce and stir fry until the onions are well cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped bok choy stalks and the lemon zest and stir until the stalks are soft, about 2 more minutes.
Add the bok choy greens and stir fry for about 30 seconds, or until the leaves are a deep jade green. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and mix thoroughly.
Toss the cooked noodles in with the vegetables and combine briefly over heat. Transfer everything to individual bowls or to a large serving dish. Garnish with shichimi togarashi, chili flakes, sesame seeds, or any other garnishes you might like, and serve immediately.

Notes

Black sesame noodles have a pale charcoal colour and a pleasantly mild sesame flavour. Try looking for them as Asian grocery stores, but be sure to find a brand without a lot of additives or salt. If you can't find black sesame noodles, you can use any simple wheat-flour Chinese noodle, or even linguine.

Ginger juice can be made by grating ginger and squeezing the resulting puree. You'll need about 2 tsp of grated ginger to yield 1 tsp of ginger juice.

Nutrition