Blanched Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce

Name: Blanched Choy Sum with Garlic Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 13 min
Ingredients: 1 bunch choy sum; 2 tablespoons peanut or grape seed oil; 2-3 cloves garlic (minced); 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoon water; 1 teaspoon sesame oil

posted by Holly Ford on Apr 9, 2018 (updated Apr 7, 2022) 6 comments »

Jump to Recipe

5 from 5 ratings

Blanched choy sum with a homemade garlic sauce is one of the best ways to enjoy Chinese vegetables. This choy sum recipe takes less than 2-3 minutes once the green is blanched in water. Simple, quick and delicious.

Blanched choy sum is served with soy garlic sauce.

Blanched choy sum with garlic sauce always reminds me of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia where I used to live many years ago. There I used to eat it at Chinese restaurants all the time.

I am so glad that I found this beautiful Chinese vegetable at the Asian grocery store in my neighborhood here in the U.S.A.

What is Choy Sum?

It is a leafy green vegetables commonly seen in Chinese cuisine and one of the most popular vegetable side dishes. It is often known as a Chinese flowering cabbage or Yu Choy. When choy sum is fully grown, it will start to bloom yellow flowers in the center.

Some people think Choy Sum (菜心) is same as Chinese broccoli called, “Gai Lan (芥兰)”. They are different. While choy sum is from the cabbage family, gai lan is from the broccoli plant.

Choy sum is a leafy green vegetables commonly seen in Chinese cuisine.

Best way to cook Choy Sum

Simply, blanching is perhaps the best way to prepare the fresh choy sum to a dish. By using this method, it gets rid of the bitter taste that many deep green vegetables often have.

My family loves to enjoy this dish with garlic sauce. Once the vegetable is blanched until tender, the sauce takes less than 2–3 minutes to prepare. Quick blanching is one of the best ways to lock in the great flavor.

How to make Choy Sum with garlic sauce

Blanching deep green vegetables is a great method to get rid of bitter taste.

You will need to blanch the greens in the boiling water for about 2 minutes. Add a couple pinches of salt to retain its green color.

Blanch the stem side first, then immerse the leafy part of green into the water. That way you will have evenly blanched choy sum to enjoy.

If choy sum is too long, cut in half lengthwise for easier serving.

I like to cut them in half when they are too long. This makes it easier to serve.

Minced garlic is cooking in oil in a small skillet over stove.

Meanwhile, make the garlic sauce. Saute minced garlic in oil until fragrant.

Soy sauce and sesame oil adds dark color to the garlic oil in a skillet.

Add soy sauce, a little bit of water, and sesame oil.

Hot garlic soy sauce oil in a skillet is pouring over blanched choy sum.

Then, quickly pour over the greens. That’s it. How simple is that?

Blanched choy sum is dressed in soy garlic sauce in a serving plate with chopsticks.

The garlicky fragrant sauce is irresistible and I can’t help keep adding the greens into my mouth. Now that is very good thing.

Choy sum dish is served with a plate of Char Siu and two bowls of rice.

Choy sum pairs perfectly with many Asian dishes. It’s excellent with Char Siu (Chinese BBQ pork), Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, or Butadon (Japanese Pork Belly Bowl). Simply delicious!