Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls

What is Bok Choy?

Bok choy, also called pak choi or pok choy, is a Chinese cabbage that is slender and smallish compared to its cabbage cousin. It has a white base and elongated green leaves and is available throughout the year in Northern California. 

Bok choy is an easy-to-prepare vegetable and has a mild cabbage flavor. My all-time favorite preparation is sauteing bok choy in sesame oil, ginger and garlic with a touch of soy sauce. My family enjoys it on cool fall nights in ramen, where I add the bok choy toward the end of cooking the ramen so that it is not cooked all the way and still has a bite to it.

My inspiration for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls

My Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls are an easy weeknight or anytime recipe that has little actual work required. I did not grow up eating bok choy. In fact, my first encounter with this vegetable was at a dim sum place that we frequented in the South Bay when I was at my first job, right out of university. 

Dim sum restaurants are really not the best place for a vegetarian! However, my Chinese colleagues at that time would graciously order all the possible vegetarian dishes for me. Bok choy in those thin, chewy, slightly charred, oil-glistening noodles, bok choy sauteed in ginger, garlic and bok choy in fried rice – I was in bok choy heaven! That is how I started loving bok choy as a preferred choice of vegetable at dim sum restaurants.

Asian bowls are a regular for our weeknight dinners. My kids especially love it, and I tend to make extra so that the leftovers become their school lunches. I change up the vegetables, and/or the preparation of the tofu. Edamame or spiced, smashed cucumbers adorn the bowls as well. 

The reasons why you should make these Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls

• The oven does most of the cooking so you have to spend less time in the kitchen.
• Gluten free
• Vegan
• Healthy and nutritious
• Tasty as HELL!
• It will be a HIT with your family!

Ingredients for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls

The ingredients for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls are:

• Soy sauce
• Rice wine vinegar
• Dark soy sauce : add that necessary umami, the depth of flavor and every so slight sweetness to the sauce preparation
• Honey
• Sesame oil
• Chili crisp: I love chili crisp and this condiment resides in my pantry. I cannot live without it.
• Garlic cloves and Ginger
• 1 package 14-ounce firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes: You can also get extra firm tofu.
• Cornstarch: helps to thicken the sauce 
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Bok choy: I get the bok choy from the farmers market but it is easily available in local grocery stores.

How to make the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

• The Sauce
  • This recipe starts with preparing the sauce. It’s made with soy sauce, dark soy sauce (which is slightly thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce), sesame oil, honey, rice wine vinegar, chili crisp, ginger and garlic. 

• Bake the tofu and Bok Choy
  • Next we bake the tofu and the bok choy. The oven does most of the cooking so you have to spend less time in the kitchen, especially on a busy weeknight. Be sure to pick firm or extra firm tofu from the grocery store. It is important to remove as much water as you can from the tofu so that it crisps up in the oven. To remove the water from the tofu, wrap it once in a kitchen towel and place a heavy object such as a cast iron skillet on the top for at least 15 minutes. Then cut it into 1-inch cubes and toss it in a mixture of cornstarch, salt and pepper. 

• The tofu is placed on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper; use olive oil spray on the paper as well as on the tofu and start baking the tofu. Meanwhile, prepare the vertically cut half bok choy by lining them on another baking sheet. Brush them with the sauce, so that it gets into the nooks and crannies. Once you reach the 20- to 22-minute mark on baking the tofu, place the bok choy baking sheet in the oven with the tofu pan and bake both for about 8 minutes. 

• Prepare the garnish
  • The garnish is prepared next by mixing the Jimmy Nardello pepper, black sesame seeds, green onions and peanuts. Jimmy Nardello peppers are making appearances in the market right now. They are sweet and fruity with a little bit of heat, which makes it perfect for the garnish, but feel free to omit if you are unable to get your hands on it.

• Cook the tofu in the prepared sauce
  • The tofu is finally cooked in the remaining sauce, in a skillet on the stove. Saute it for about 2 to 3 minutes. The dark soy sauce lends the dark color to the tofu. Serve the tofu along with the roasted bok choy, jasmine rice and the garnish. 

What kind of chili crisp do you use for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

There are expensive chili crisps in the market nowadays, bottles that cost more than 10$ for a small amount. I love this brand and I get it at the local Asian grocery store.

Can I store the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

You can store the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls leftover in an airtight container, but it needs to be consumed within a day.

Why roast the bok choy?

Roasting bok choy enhances its natural flavor by caramelizing the leaves, which makes them crispy and sweet, while the stems become tender and juicy. 

What kind of tofu should I buy for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

I use the House Foods Organic Firm Tofu for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls.

Other dinner recipes that you can make from the blog are:

• Eggplant and Zucchini Romesco Sandwich
• Potato Black Bean Taquito Burgers
• Harissa and Za’atar Potato Galette

If you make this recipe, please tag me at #thejamlab on Instagram and/or comment on this blog post.

XO
Amisha

Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Amisha Gurbani

The Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls are an easy weeknight meal, where the oven does most of the work. The sauce is used to coat the bok choy, which is then roasted in the oven. It is also used to cook the baked tofu in, before the final assembly, with sticky jasmine rice. The garnish, consisting of Jimmy Nardello peppers, peanuts, scallions and black sesame seeds, gives the extra pizzazz to the bowls.

 

Serves 4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Sauce

• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chili crisp
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 inch ginger, grated

 

• 1 package 14-ounce firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 12–14 small bok choy, cut in half vertically

Garnish

• 1 Jimmy Nardello pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped peanuts
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

 

• Cooked Jasmine rice to serve

Get Recipe Ingredients

Method

Sauce

1. Add all the ingredients into a deep bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Baked Tofu

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare a quarter baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, add the cornstarch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine. Add the tofu and toss the tofu in the bowl until it’s well covered with the cornstarch mixture.
4. Coat the parchment paper with olive oil spray. Place the tofu onto the sheet, ensuring that the cubes do not overlap. Coat the tofu with olive oil spray. Place the sheet in the oven for 30 minutes.

Roasted Bok Choy

1. Place the boy choy, cut side up, onto a quarter baking sheet.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush each piece with the sauce so that it gets into the nooks and crannies of the leaves.
3. When the tofu is at the 22-minute mark, place the bok choy baking sheet into the oven for about 8 minutes.
4. Remove both the trays from the oven and set aside.

Prepare the garnish

1. Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and toss until combined. Set aside.

Assembly

1. In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, add the baked tofu into the pan. Add the remaining sauce mixed with 2 tablespoons of water, and saute the tofu until it is well coated with the sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes.
2. Serve the roasted bok choy and the baked tofu along with the jasmine rice. Garnish with the pepper and peanut mixture. Serve immediately.

Note

1. Be sure to press the tofu between the folds of a kitchen towel, with a heavy weight such as a cast iron skillet on it, before cutting it into cubes. This will remove all the water content from the tofu, so that it crisps up nicely in the oven.

Notes

What kind of chili crisp do you use for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

• There are expensive chili crisps in the market nowadays, bottles that cost more than 10$ for a small amount. I love this brand and I get it at the local Asian grocery store.

Can I store the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

• You can store the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls leftover in an airtight container, but it needs to be consumed within a day.

Why roast the bok choy?

• Roasting bok choy enhances its natural flavor by caramelizing the leaves, which makes them crispy and sweet, while the stems become tender and juicy. 

What kind of tofu should I buy for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls?

• I use the House Foods Organic Firm Tofu for the Roasted Bok Choy and Tofu Asian Bowls.