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Lemony Baby Bok Choy, Apple and Miso Salad is a light, bright, sweet, tangy and crunchy salad or slaw with Asian inflections from miso and black sesame seeds. The apple adds welcome sweetness and more crunch.
Baby bok choy is just so cute. It begs to be experimented with in salads and slaws of all kinds.
The fact that it is one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense greens around doesn’t hurt either, nor does its flexibility — it can be quickly stir-fried, grilled or eaten raw, whatever form you wish. The stems add crunch and texture, the leaves add softer greenery, and the whole is much more than the sum of the parts.
Kale has had its day, arugula has had its day…baby bok choy will be the next big green thing. You heard it here first.
This fresh baby bok choy salad came together based on what was in my kitchen (apples, shallots, Meyer lemon), favorite flavors (sweet Miso dressing) and fanciful colors (green bok choy, red apple, black sesame seeds).
How to make Lemony Baby Bok Choy, Apple and Miso Salad
First, gather your ingredients. If you are making your own dressing, start that first. If you are using store-bought dressing, skip right to making the salad.
For the Sweet Miso Dressing, you’ll need
- neutral oil (I’m using grapeseed, but you can use canola, vegetable, safflower, etc.)
- rice vinegar
- white miso paste
- maple syrup (or honey or agave or sweetener of your choice)
- lower-sodium tamari (this salad is gluten-free, and tamari helps keep it that way! Or use lower-sodium soy sauce. There is plenty of salt in the miso.)
- black sesame seeds
Make the dressing by tossing all ingredients into a wide-mouth jar (or at least a jar that your immersion blender stick will fit into. I like how arty the oil and vinegar look inside the glass.
For the Lemony Baby Bok Choy, Apple and Miso Salad, you’ll need
- baby bok choy
- a Fuji apple (or other crisp variety)
- shallot (or use a scallion)
- lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon juice, but regular lemon juice is fine)
- Sweet Miso Salad Dressing (either make it using the recipe included here, or perhaps buy Galeos brand if you want to buy the dressing) ⇒
Cut the stem off, separate the leaves and chop the baby bok choy. You can see I have chosen to dice it rather small. Suit yourself as to the size. I like a chopped salad, rather than ungainly big pieces of greens flopping around.
Take the stem off, remove the core, and chop the apple. I leave the skin on for nutrition and color. Again, I’ve chosen to dice it the same size as the baby bok choy.
Add bok choy, apple, and finely minced shallot to a mixing bowl. If you don’t have a shallot, finely slice up a green scallion. You want a tiny bit of sharpness from some kind of oniony thing.
Mix with the dressing, and toss on a handful of black sesame seeds for garnish. Yes, you could use regular tan sesame seeds if that’s all you have; black ones are particularly pretty, though.
That’s it! Use your own creativity and employ the produce hanging around at your house to make this one your own. Don’t over think it.
Dig in!
Lemony Baby Bok Choy, Apple and Miso Salad is a light, bright, sweet, tangy and crunchy salad or slaw with Asian inflections from miso and black sesame seeds. The apple adds sweetness and more crunch.
Ingredients
- Salad
- 2-4 heads baby bok choy (use your judgment, depending on size)
- 1 large Fuji apple (or other crisp variety), skin left on
- 1 shallot (or use a scallion)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I used a Meyer lemon but a regular lemon is fine)
- 2-3 tablespoons Sweet Miso Salad Dressing (recipe below, or use Galeos brand if you want to buy the dressing)
- .
- Sweet Miso Dressing ingredients
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil (I used grapeseed oil, but you could use canola, vegetable, safflower, etc.)
- Scant 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 teaspoons white miso paste
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey or agave)
- 1 teaspoon lower-sodium tamari (or lower-sodium soy sauce)
- A few pinches black sesame seeds
Directions
- If you are making your own Sweet Miso Dressing, do it now. Combine all dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth jar, and whirl using an immersion blender stuck into the jar. Or whirl the dressing in your blender. Set aside. If you are using store-bought dressing, go on to the next step.
- Clean, dry and chop bok choy into a small dice, using both the crunchy stalks and the green leaves. Place in a large salad bowl. Core the apple and then finely chop it; add it to the bowl. Peel and finely mince the shallot (or thinly slice the whole scallion using both white and green parts); add to the bowl.
- Add lemon juice and stir to combine (this will coat the apple and prevent it from darkening, and it also gives the salad a lemony spark).
- Add prepared Sweet Miso Dressing and toss to lightly coat salad. (If you made your own dressing, there will be some left over.) Place salad in a pretty serving bowl and garnish with a few pinches of black sesame seeds.
- This is best dressed right before you serve it. If you dress it ahead of time and let it sit, it will wilt, which is not the end of the world, but will reduce the crunch factor from the bok choy.
- Serves 4.
Notes
Recipe source: Dorothy Reinhold | Shockingly Delicious
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This recipe for Lemony Baby Bok Choy, Apple and Miso Salad was originally published March 19, 2012 and the post has been refreshed and republished today.
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At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, "scary good" recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Such a great recipe. My family loves this!
Robyn,
thank you! So glad!
Super easy and tasty!
Reichel,
I’m so glad you liked it!
This recipe proved to be very popular at my home! I can’t get my family to eat bok choy, but, when I made this salad, it was devoured in minutes!!! This salad is my family approved!
Rini,
I am so glad to hear that! Bok choy can be a bit polarizing (nothing like cilantro is though), but you just have to find the right way to present it!
I love the combination of flavors in this salad! Really good!
This salad looks so delicious and very tasty. Excited to make this very soon! My hubby is going to really enjoy this. The dressing sounds amazing too!
This salad looks so perfect! Definitely a must try!
Love the ideas here for a fun new salad this summer– great use of lemons!
I bet that miso dressing is just lovely with the apples in this salad.
Love everything about this salad!
This looks lovely! I love the crisp clean pictures.
Rinku,
Thank you!
Over thinking it is my middle name! GREG
Greg,
I am here to talk you down off that ledge. Just DO IT! Don’t think about it.