Savor the simplicity of this Baby Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir Fry, an easy side dish that combines crisp baby bok choy and savory mushrooms in a flavorful stir-fry sauce. This stir-fry side has a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making it a quick, nutritious addition to any meal.
This Baby Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir-Fry is a delicious and nutritious dish to enjoy on its own or as a side dish. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste preferences, and feel free to add other vegetables or proteins if you'd like.
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❤️ Why you'll love this stir-fry recipe
- The sauce! This is a versatile basic stir-fry sauce that can be used with a variety of dishes with or without meat.
- Quick, easy, and nutritious!
- Easily adaptable! Add different vegetables (see a list of suggested additions below) or add a protein, like shrimp, prawns, or chicken.
- Nutritious! Baby bok choy (also known as pak choi or Chinese white cabbage), is a sometimes overlooked vegetable. It's a cruciferous vegetable that is low in calories and a good source of essential nutrients. Mushrooms also add a range of antioxidants and nutrients and give this mushroom stir-fry recipe a delicious umami flavor.
🛒 Ingredients and substitutions
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about the key ingredients.
- bok choy: I've made this recipe with both Shanghai bok choy (pictured here) and baby bok choy. They're very similar, and either type will work. You can see baby bok choy pictured in this recipe for Baby Bok Choy Salad with Ginger Orange Dressing.
- mushrooms: you can use any type of mushrooms. I usually use cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms. While I like fresh shiitake mushrooms, especially in soup like Miso Noodle Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms, sometimes they become a little rubbery in a stir fry. If you do use shiitake, it's best to remove the stems as they are woody and tough to chew. You can either cook the mushrooms whole or slice them.
- stir-fry sauce: This stir-fry sauce recipe is a good one to keep in your back pocket! It's well-balanced and is delicious with any stir-fry recipe. It combines tamari (or soy sauce) rice vinegar, honey (or mirin), garlic, dried chili flakes, and toasted sesame oil. There's no need to add cornstarch to thicken the sauce in this bok choy recipe.
🔪 Instructions
Here's an overview of what you'll do to make this recipe perfectly. You'll find complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Combine all stir-fry sauce ingredients (except avocado oil and sesame seeds) in a small bowl.
- Prepare the bok choy. Wash and dry the bok choy. Sometimes dirt can be trapped in the base of the leaves. Remove any damaged outer leaves. If the heads are large, I like to slice them in half or quarters lengthwise so they cook faster. Trim the ends.
- Prepare the mushrooms. Wipe the mushrooms with a soft cloth but don't soak them. Trim or remove the stalks. You can leave them whole or slice them.
- Cook the mushrooms and bok choy. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they release their juices then add sliced bok choy. Cook until the vegetables have softened slightly. The bok choy should still be tender-crisp at the stem end.
- Combine with the sauce. Lower the heat and add the stir fry sauce, coating the vegetables.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or sliced green onions and serve immediately as a side dish or over steamed rice or noodles.
🔁 Possible Variations
Make this recipe your base and add more vegetables. Here are a few suggestions for vegetables that are easy and delicious to stir-fry:
- thinly sliced carrots cut on the diagonal
- asparagus spears
- broccoli florets
- cauliflower florets
- sliced green onions
- sliced bell peppers
- snap peas or snow peas
- sliced zucchini
- bean sprouts (add in the last minute of cooking time)
Add a protein, like shrimp or cubed chicken as in this recipe for Japanese Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli.
Cashews are delicious in a stir fry! Toss in a handful in the last few minutes before serving! I also like to add water chestnuts for an extra bit of crunch!
If you'd prefer, you can substitute homemade Teriyaki sauce for the sauce in this recipe.
🍽 What to serve with bok choy stir fry
- Serve this easy bok choy and mushroom stir fry as a side dish or serve it over steamed rice, coconut rice or noodles.
- It makes a flavorful side dish for many chicken or salmon main dishes or even with salmon patties.
⏰ Storage Instructions
This stir fry is best when eaten right away.
🗒 More side dish recipes
- Quick Pickled Shallots with Apple Cider Vinegar
- Easy Roasted Carrots with Honey-Ginger Glaze
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Maple Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Cranberries
- Air Fryer Acorn Squash with Maple and Cinnamon
🌟Did you make this baby bok choy recipe?
When you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance. Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
📖 Recipe
Baby Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free) or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 pound baby bok choy, or Shanghai bok choy, 4 to 5
- 10 - 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, or button mushrooms
Instructions
- Combine all stir-fry sauce ingredients (except avocado oil and sesame seeds) in a small bowl.
- Prepare the bok choy. Wash and dry the bok choy. Sometimes dirt can be trapped in the base of the leaves. Remove any damaged outer leaves. If the heads are large, I like to slice them in half or quarters lengthwise so they cook faster. Trim the ends.
- Prepare the mushrooms. Wipe the mushrooms with a soft cloth. Trim or remove the stalks. You can leave them whole or slice them.
- Cook the mushrooms and bok choy. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok then add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they release their juices then add sliced bok choy. Cook until the vegetables have softened slightly. The bok choy should still be tender-crisp at the base/
- Combine with the sauce. Lower the heat and add the stir fry sauce, coating the vegetables.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or sliced green onions and serve immediately as a side dish or over steamed rice or noodles.
Cheryl
I made half the recipe because it's just me but I made the full sauce because it looked like there wouldn't be enough to cover the vegetables it was unclear as to whether the sesame oil with part of the sauce because it wasn't mentioned in the detailed instructions also the garlic wasn't mentioned in the instructions so I presume both of those were part of the sauce I think what I would do is I would cut the baby bok choy into chunks large chunks I think it would cook better
Esme
Thanks for this stir fry sauce recipe. Just perfect!
Elaine
You're so welcome!