Vegetables• [Boiling/Poaching]

Cantonese-style blanched choy sum (白灼菜心)

One of my favorite Chinese greens, choy sum has thinner stems, darker leaves, and sometimes yellow flowering shoots.

Last Updated on June 30, 2024 by Simon Fan

Choy sum (菜心), a close relative of bok choy, is one of my favorite Chinese greens. Native to southern China, it’s enjoyed in many parts of the country.

As compared with bok choy, choy sum has thinner stems, darker leaves, and sometimes yellow flowering shoots. While all parts of choy sum are delicious, the stems—sweet, tender, and juicy—are the real prize.

A quick blanching, steaming, or stir-frying is all you need to cook this delicate vegetable. My recipe here follows the traditional Cantonese method: blanch choy sum briefly to preserve its natural flavor and beautiful color, then drizzle hot oil on top of the aromatics and pour in a simple sauce. This dish works well for either a weekday meal or a dinner party.

You can find choy sum at most Asian markets in the US. It’s also known as yu choy (油菜), though the same name could refer to rapeseed, a plant grown for making vegetable oil.

Cantonese-style blanched choy sum (白灼菜心)

Ingredients

8 oz (230 g) choy sum
2 thin slices of ginger, about 2 inches (5 cm) long
½ oz (15 g) red bell pepper, Fresno, or jalapeño
½ oz (15 g) scallion white
1 garlic clove

Sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions

  1. To prepare the choy sum, trim the ends of the stems that look fibrous or dry. Leave whole or cut crosswise into bite-size pieces.
  2. Cut the ginger, pepper, and scallion white into thin matchsticks, about 2 inches (5 cm) long. Mince the garlic.
  3. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce.
  4. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat, then add salt (it should taste like seawater) and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Working in two batches, blanch the choy sum until crisp-tender, about 1 minute, then transfer to a colander to drain.
  5. Arrange the choy sum beautifully on a serving plate and place the aromatic garnishes on top.
  6. Heat the remaining oil in a small saucepan until very hot, then drizzle it over the garnishes. Pour in the sauce and serve.
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