5 from 4 reviews

If you are wondering how to cut and clean bok choy then you are in the right place. This post is all about how to cut both baby bok choy and mature adult bok choy. We also have instructions and step-by-step photos showing the best way to clean it.

two hands holding a large head of bok choy

Table of contents

How do you clean and prepare bok choy?

Bok choy is a wonderfully crunchy vegetable from the cabbage family commonly used in Chinese cooking and other Asian cuisines. Sometimes called Pac Choi, it is a type of Chinese Cabbage and is good eaten raw, pickled, and cooked using quick cooking methods to preserve its great texture.

It can be cut in a few different ways.

  • Chopped: Below we have instructions on how to chop or cut bok choy into small pieces for stir-fries, soups and sautés. We also have photos and instructions for cleaning the chopped veg too!
  • Halved Baby: We also shared our tips for how to cut and clean baby bok choy for recipes like our Bok Choy Ramen soup where you want to have nice large decorative pieces.
  • Whole Leaves: Bok Choy leaves can also be enjoyed in recipes such as kimchi. We’ll show you how to remove the leaves without breaking them and the proper way to wash them.

How To Chop Bok Choy for Stir-fry or Soup

This is the method to chop and clean both baby bok choy and full adult-sized mature bok choy.

cut the bok choy in half lengthwise
1. Cut in half lengthwise
  1. Cut in half lengthwise
remove the core
2. Remove core

2. Cut out the core using a triangular cut (as for the core of cabbage)

cutting the white parts
3. Cut white salks crosswise

3. Cut stalks crosswise into small pieces.

cutting the bok choy leaves
4. Cut leaves lengthwise, then crosswise

4. Cut leaves lengthwise and crosswise into bite-sized pieces

the bok choy in a salad spinner
5. Rinse in a salad spinner

5. Place in a salad spinner and fill with cool water and swish to remove dirt.

the bok choy after it is spun dry in the salad spinner
6. Spin dry

6. Drain and spin dry.

For baby bok choy served in halves or quarters

remove the bottom of the root
1. Trim the bottom of the root end if necessary
  1. Carefully trim any darkened edge of the root end if necessary.
cut baby bok choy in half
2. Cut in half lengthwise

2. Cut in half lengthwise and again if cutting into quarters leaving root intact

rinse under cold running water
3. Wash under cold running water

3. Run under cold running water to dislodge any dirt or grit between the layers concentrating along the root area as that is where soil collects as it is grown. Drain cut side down on a clean dish towel.

For Bok Choy Leaves

As directed above, cut in half lengthwise and remove core using a triangular cut.

breaking the leaves off and separating of the root end
1. Remove core and then break off leaves at the base.
  1. The stalks should come apart once the core is removed, but if there are any that are still attached at the base, gently break them off without breaking the stem.
washing the leaves
2. Wash in a bowl of cold water

2. Submerge in cold water in a large bowl or salad spinner. Swish to remove any dirt.

draining the leaves
3. Dry on a dish towel

3. Drain on a clean dry dish towel.

Bok Choy Storage

Once the bok choy is chopped, sliced, prepped, and cleaned you can use it immediately in your recipe, or you can store it for meal prep. Place the chopped bok choy in a gallon resealable Ziplock bag and keep in the produce drawer of the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for 5 to 7 days.

How To Use Chopped Bok Choy

Add it to Asian inspired dishes like Tofu Soup or Pork Tenderloin and Bok Choy Stirfry

Make into a Mango Bok Choy Salad or make a raw Bok Choy salad with sesame.

Favorite Bok Choy Recipes

sauteed bok choy garnished with sesame seeds very close up with a spoon

Simple Sauteed Bok Choy

Bok Choy Ramen Soup {with Chicken}
bowl of stir-fry up close with scallions

Ginger Pork Stir-fry with Bok Choy

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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cut the bok choy in half lengthwise

How To Cut Bok Choy

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5 from 4 reviews

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Description

If you are wondering how to cut and clean bok choy then you are in the right place. This post is all about how to cut both baby bok choy and mature adult bok choy. We also have instructions and step-by-step photos showing the best way to clean it.

Ingredients

Scale

1 large head bok choy, about 1 1/2 pounds

Instructions

  1. Cut in half lengthwise
  2. Cut out core using a triangular cut (as for the core of cabbage)
  3. Cut stalks crosswise into small pieces.
  4. Cut leaves lengthwise and crosswise into bite-sized pieces
  5. Place in a salad spinner and fill with cool water.
  6. Swish to remove dirt.
  7. Drain and spin dry.
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: na
  • Category: Vegetable
  • Method: Knife Skills
  • Cuisine: Asian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 9 calories
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Protein: 1 g

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