Craving authentic Korean flavors without the wait? This Easy Bok Choy Kimchi is crisp, spicy, and ready to eat immediately! No long fermentation required. Made with fresh baby bok choy, gochugaru, and garlic, it’s the perfect quick side dish (banchan) for your next Korean BBQ night at home!
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Banchan and Kimchi
I absolutely adore Korean cuisine and Korean banchan. Banchan is actually my favorite part of a Korean meal. Give me banchan, chopsticks, and rice and I am happy!!
Banchan are the side dishes that accompany Korean meals. They are actually an essential part of the meal. If you've ever been to Korean restaurants, you'll know the feeling of excitement as they bring out various banchan!
Kimchi is a banchan, and many people are familiar with the ever popular napa cabbage kimchi. However, the napa cabbage kimchi (traditional kimchi) is one of over 200 types of kimchi's (sourced from Britannica.com). And in my opinion, one of the best kimchi's is Bok Choy Kimchi.
Korean bok choy kimchi is one of the best banchan, and I want to say this is THE BEST recipe I have come across for this most delicious of kimchi's!!
I wish I could say this recipe was mine! However I cannot...my friend Annie Ha shared this with me. Several years ago we had a work potluck luncheon, and Annie's Bok Choy Kimchi was the hit of the potluck! I asked her to share the easy recipe, and am forever grateful that she did!
🎥 Video
🥘 Ingredients
You won't believe how easy, how simple, how deliciously amazing this quick kimchi is.
All you need are the following simple and affordable ingredients:
- Baby bok choy (could sub approximately 5-6 cups worth of Shanghai bok choy or mature bok choy instead, but baby bok choy is preferred)
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Fresh garlic
- Sesame seeds
- Korean red pepper flakes
You can find these ingredients at Asian markets, and many major grocery stores sell these items as well.
I've also linked to some of the ingredients for purchase on Amazon (I am a member of the Amazon services LLC Associates program), if you would like to purchase from them.
🔪 Instructions
Ok, let's enjoy making this bok choy recipe!
Begin by removing any leaves that are yellow and discard them. Cut the baby bok choy into bite sized pieces, and rinse with water.
Combine the remaining ingredients (garlic, sesame seed and sesame oil, Korean chili flakes, rice wine vinegar, and fish sauce) in a large bowl. Stir well to make a kimchi paste.
Add the cut baby bok choy to the large mixing bowl with the kimchi paste, and stir to combine. I love using my hands to do this, but you could also use a spoon.
And that's it! Your bok choy kimchi salad is ready to devour! I promise...YOU WILL LOVE THIS.
Suggestions For Enjoying And Serving
You could easily enjoy this baby bok choy kimchi with your favorite pair of chopsticks and some steamed rice!
However, why not serve it with some outstanding Korean dishes such as Fried Yellow Croaker, or some Korean Short Ribs?
Masitda!! (Which means "delicious" in Korean!)
FAQ
Store the kimchi in an airtight container, such as a glass jar, in your refrigerator. It is at is freshest and best when eaten within 2-3 days of making it, but will last for up to a week in your fridge.
This kimchi recipe does not require any fermenting, and is suitable for immediate consumption. Yay!
Kimchi is made with many types of vegetables! There are around 200 types of kimchi's, including ones made with napa cabbage, bok choy, green onions, cucumber, and radish!
Mature Bok Choy vs. Baby Bok Choy
By the way, bok choy is also known as pak choi and it is a type of Chinese cabbage. The mature bok choy has dark green leaves and long white stems. It differs from the baby bok choy in that the baby version is much smaller and light green in color. I prefer the baby version but the mature version is awesome as well.
Some Other Banchan Recipes You May Enjoy!
You may also like the following banchan recipes:
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Cheers!
Grace
Korean Bok Choy Kimchi
Ingredients
- 5-6 baby bok choy could sub Shanghai bok choy or mature bok choy (approximately 5-6 cups worth)
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce The amount of fish sauce called for in this recipe (3 tablespoons) will make your kimchi salty. Please reduce the amount of fish sauce if you prefer a less salty dish or you can start with 1 tablespoon and add additional fish sauce to your taste.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed
- 2 tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Remove any leaves that are yellow and discard. Cut the baby bok choy into bite sized pieces, and rinse with water.
- Combine the remaining ingredients (garlic, sugar, sesame seed and sesame oil, Korean red pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar, and fish sauce) in a bowl. Stir well to make a kimchi paste.
- Add the cut baby bok choy to the bowl with the kimchi paste, and stir to combine.
- Enjoy!!!!
Anna Crawford
Hi I am Goin to try this recipe it looks amazing am I ment to ferment this tho? Thanks anna
Grace
Hi Anna! I'm so so happy that you are going to try this out! No fermentation is required here! Once made though, you'll want to consume it in maybe 2-3 days...if it lasts that long. 🙂 I do hope you'll like it and please let me know how it turns out!! Have a great day!!!
Grace
Reddy
Will it still have the Fermented taste still?? Cuz that’s what i like about it???
Grace
Hi there! This one doesn't really have the fermented taste however...I really urge you to try it! It's just got such an incredible flavor it's hard not to like it. 🙂 If you do try I'd love to know your feedback. Thank you so much!!! Happy eating!! Grace
Becki
What a fun twist! I can't wait to try this!
Grace
Hi Becki! Thank you so much for your comment! I really hope you like it and would love it if you could let me know what you think. 🙂 Have a great day and thank you again!! Grace
Claire Radky
I made this recipe this morning , l have been wanting to try to make kimchi for a while , but l have never tried it , thought this would be a good starter to try , l love it , its not to spicy and l love the rice vinegar in it , like a kimchi salad , so good , next lm going to try the real napa cabbage kimchi , wish me luck 😊
Grace
Hi Claire! You've made my day! I'm so very happy that you love the Bok Choy Kimchi and took a chance on it! Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I know that your napa cabbage kimchi is going to turn out absolutely great! 🙂 Thanks again and take good care!! Grace
Bob
What would be a good substitute for fish sauce for someone wanting to make this dish vegetarian? Thanks.
Grace
Hi Bob! Thanks so much for your question! There was another person who follows a vegan diet who subbed miso paste and soy sauce for the fish sauce with EXCELLENT results! Perhaps you can try this? If you do make it I would love if you could give me your feedback...it would be greatly appreciated! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead and Happy New Year!! Grace
Happy Gazoo
This Boy Choy Kimchi is over and above PHENOMENAL!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Cabbage and Bok Choy is my favorite veggie and this takes it over the top. Great on rice, on sandwiches, by itself or as a condiment. I will be sure to have a container of this in my fridge at all times -- it's THAT good! Thanks so much for sharing this! (And no, I was not paid for this review 🙂
Grace
Hello!! I am OVER THE MOON HAPPY that you enjoyed this Bok Choy Kimchi so much! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to provide feedback. Please know sincerely grateful and thankful I am for YOU! All the very BEST to you always!! Grace
Happy Gazoo
This truly is delicious - looking forward to making more of your recipes. Thank you again for posting this and have a gorgeous day!!! 🙂
Grace
Hello! How very very kind of you ...you have MADE MY DAY! I'm just so pleased that you enjoy this so much. I'm super super grateful for you!! Wishing you an awesome day as well!!
MsLinda
OH. My. Goodness!! This is so delicious. I admit when I saw vinegar in the list I was doubtful as I've never used vinegar in a kimchi before. And sesame oil can be overpowering sometimes. Even using mature bok choy that I had on hand this is great! Not overly spicy and perfect balance of sweet and sour. I has a permanent place in my greens rotation. Thank You!
Grace
Hi Ms Linda! You have no idea how happy I am that you liked this recipe so much! I'm so grateful for you taking the time to try it and to come and post your comments here. I've not tried it with mature bok choy...but now I need to! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Happy New Year!! Grace
June barrera
The first time I have ever tried bok choy! I love it because you can practically eat this with anything ! And so easy to make! Thank you Grace for sharing this recipe! This will become a staple in our house for sure !
Grace
Hi June! I'm so happy that you liked this recipe and that you took the plunge to try bok choy! I hope you will enjoy this many times over. Thanks again! Grace
Bea
You have sugar in your ingredient list, and you show it in your pictures, but you don't mention it in your instructions. Would it be okay to leave out the sugar?
I LOVE kimchi in many of its iterations, but I've never preferred kimchi with added sugar.
Thanks!
Grace
Hi Bea! You have pointed a mistake I made here for which I'm truly grateful! Thanks for catching that! Yes, for sure you can leave out the sugar. Once you make the kimchi, if you feel like there's something missing or want to add a little sugar then you can at the end. I'd love to know how it turns out without sugar if you do make this! Thanks again, and I hope you have a wonderful day! Grace
Mary
Hi Grace! I just stumbled upon your recipe after looking for ways to dress up some bok choy I just got at the store. I love the simple dressing! It's so flavorful and not as time consuming as traditional kimchi if you just want that yummy taste 😁 I have a feeling this dressing works great for a lot of different types of veggies, so it's definitely something I'll make again in the future. Thank you for sharing with us! I love this recipe!
Grace
Hi Mary! I am so thrilled to receive your comments! Thanks so very much for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to comment here. I'm so happy that you love the dressing and yes I do agree it would work well for other veggies as well! Thanks again and I hope you have a beautiful day! Take good care, Grace
MsLinda
This recipe is delicious! I was going to do the traditional method at first, but found yours. So glad I did! I did toast my sesame seed and added some fresh scallions. Still delicious. Thank you!
Grace
Hey Ms Linda! Oh I'm so happy to read your comments and over the moon that you enjoyed this recipe! I love that you toasted the sesame seeds and added scallions...I think that takes it to a new level! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe and taking the time to comment here! Have a wonderful day! Grace