Baby bok choy is tossed in a super-flavorful miso-lime dressing and then put on a hot grill. The grilling intensifies the sweet nuttiness of the miso and the lime adds a brightness that sends the flavor of the tender bok choy over the top. It’s a wonderful change from the usual braised bok choy with soy sauce and sesame oil that we’ve made forever and I had a recent guest remark that it was the best bok choy he had ever eaten.
This grilled bok choy recipe is an adaptation of one from the excellent Mark Biittman cookbook “How to Grill Everything.” I have made this dish in the great outdoors on a propane gas grill and also indoors in my Ninja Foodi Smart XL Pro 7-in-1 Indoor Grill. And if I had neither of those contraptions, I would still make this recipe using a simple cast iron grill pan on the stove.
Serve this side dish with grilled salmon, shrimp or chicken. It would also be a beautiful vegetarian contribution to an Asian dinner, along with this grilled Vietnamese Eggplant recipe.
Ingredients for Grilled Bok Choy
Use baby bok choy for this recipe. Bok choy weighing about ¼ pound each are ideal. These younger, smaller bok choy are milder and sweeter than their full-grown relatives. Similarly, white miso is the go-to here. It is sweeter and more mellow than red or brown miso paste. Avocado oil is neutral tasting, so it won’t compete with any of the flavors of the dressing. It also is a healthier option than canola or sunflower oil, with it’s heart-healthy oleic acid and vitamin E . I particularly like this avocado oil from La Tourangelle. Make sure the rice vinegar you are using for this recipe is the “seasoned” kind.
- white miso paste
- avocado oil
- lime juice
- lime zest
- seasoned rice vinegar (or other neutral oil)
- baby bok choy
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Grilling bok choy is simple! Make sure your grill grates are super clean and set the heat to medium. If you are using a Ninja Foodi grill, preheat on High.
In a small bowl, whisk the white miso, avocado oil, lime juice, lime zest and seasoned rice vinegar. Miso paste is salty, so you should not have to add salt, but a little bit of ground black pepper in the dressing would be great.
On a cutting board, slice the baby bok choy lengthwise through the core. Place in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with about ¼ cup of of dressing and use your hands to turn and coat.
Place the bok choy cut side down on the hot grill, close the hood and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and grill the other side for 5 minutes. It’s ok if the leaves get brown and crispy, but check often to make sure the tender bok choy are not turning into cinders! They are done when you can insert a knife into the core with little resistance.
Remove bok choy from the grill and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve warm or at room temperature.
How do you clean bok choy on the grill?
Like leeks, bok choy are tricky to clean, because dirt and grit like to hide beneath the layers. To prepare bok choy for this grilled boy choy recipe, cut each baby bok choy in half lengthwise. Rinse each carefully, separating without breaking the leaves at the the base of the stem to allow water to flow in. Drain thoroughly before proceeding with the recipe.
How do you cook bok choy so that it’s not bitter?
This grilled boy choy recipe uses baby bok choy, which are mild and sweet and not bitter at all. You will love this recipe!
Grilled Bok Choy with Miso-Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice from 1 lime
- lime zest from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1½ pounds baby bok choy
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the white miso, avocado oil, lime juice, lime zest and seasoned rice vinegar. Miso paste is salty, so you should not have to add salt, but a little bit of ground black pepper in the dressing would be great.
- On a cutting board, slice the baby bok choy lengthwise through the core. Place in a shallow baking dish, drizzle with about ¼ cup of of dressing and use your hands to turn and coat.
- Place the bok choy cut side down on the grill, close the hood and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and grill the other side for 5 minutes. It’s ok if the leaves get brown and crispy, but check often to make sure the tender bok choy are not turning into cinders! They are done when you can insert a knife into the core with little resistance.
- Remove bok choy from the grill and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve warm or at room temperature.
Tim
This recipe is easy, delicious and doesn’t make a mess on the grill. I was never a big fan of bok choy, but the miso and lime flavors really bring out the best in a healthy veg. Our dinner party guests loved it.