Shanghai Bok Choy with Mushrooms – 香菇炒上海白菜

Shanghai Bok Choy with Mushrooms, or 香菇炒上海白菜, pairs the sweetness of Shanghai Bok Choy with the umami richness of dried Chinese Black Mushrooms in a lightly seasoned sauce.

The mushrooms used in this recipe are dried Chinese Black Mushrooms (香菇), also known as Shiitake, which make an umami counterpoint with the sweetness of the Bok Choy greens. The stock-based sauce in which both are served is seasoned very lightly and the resulting dish could just as easily be a main plate in a Chinese table service as it could a side dish for a Steak, or a Western-style Roast.

How to Make 香菇炒上海白菜

The dried mushrooms used in this dish need to be reconstituted by soaking before you do anything else. Just cover them with hot water and let them sit for at least an hour.

The only major aromatic ingredient is garlic which just needs to be coarsely chopped. The remaining ingredients can be sliced as seen above. Keep the stalks and leaves of the Bok Choy separate as they will be added to the dish at different points in the cooking process.

The sauce for this simple stir-fried dish is stock lightly seasoned with salt and a dash of sugar, and with little cornstarch included to thicken it later. For this particular recipe, I used a Basic Chinese Chicken Stock, but you could up the complexity a little by using a Chinese Superior Stock instead. Alternatively, you could make this a Vegan dish by using a vegetable stock rather than chicken, but, in that event, I might be inclined to add a splash or two of Rice Wine or Dry Sherry.

.

The Garlic, Bok Choy stems and Mushrooms are quickly sautéed in a little oil first until the garlic aroma arises and the Bok Choy has softened a little. The Onion is not added until this point is reached so that it will stay nicely crisp-tender through the entire cooking process.

The Sauce and the Bok Choy greens are added at the same time and quickly stir-fried to thicken the sauce and allow the greens to wilt slightly. Once all is piping hot, the dish should be served immediately.

Your Recipe Card:

Print Recipe

Shanghai Bok Choy with Mushrooms – 香菇炒上海白菜

Shanghai Bok Choy with Mushrooms pairs the succulent greens with the umami richness of dried Chinese Black Mushrooms in a lightly seasoned sauce.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Course: Accompaniment, Side Dish, Vegetable Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Chinese Black Mushrooms, Shanghai Bok Choy, Shiitake

Servings: 4 as part of a Chinese meal

Author: John Thompson

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 large Shanghai Style Bok Choy;
• 6 small dried Black Chinese Mushrooms reconstituted;
• ½ a small white Onion;
• 4 Garlic cloves;
• ½ cup Chicken Stock or substitute vegetable stock for a vegan version;
• ½ tsp. each Salt and Sugar;
• 1 tsp. Cornstarch.

Instructions

• Slice the Bok choy cross-wise, keeping the stalks and leaves separate. You need about 3 cups or so in all.
• Chop the garlic coarsely, slice the mushroom caps in strips, then cut the onion lengthwise and separate the segments.
• Mix the salt, sugar and cornstarch with a little water to make a smooth paste and then stir in the stock. Set this aside for the moment.
• Heat a little oil in a pan over moderate heat and saute the garlic, Bok choy stalks and mushrooms. When the stalks are getting tender, add in the onion and cook for a minute or so longer.
• Lastly, add the sauce mix and the Bok choy leaves. Stir until the greens are just wilted and serve hot.