Make this delicious yu choy recipe your go-to easy side dish! In just 10 minutes, you can transform this leafy green into a flavorful and tender-crisp stir-fried dish that pairs perfectly with any meal.
I’ll guide you through how to choose the freshest yu choy at the store, how to prep it, and the simple techniques to get that restaurant-quality stir-fry every time. Once you see how easy it is, you’ll want to make this a staple in your kitchen.
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✨ why you'll love this yu choy recipe
- It's a quick and simple recipe — ready in just 10 minutes!
- The stems are naturally sweet and the leaves are tender and mild.
- It tastes like a cross between Chinese broccoli and bok choy, bringing together the best parts of both vegetables. It has the sweetness of broccoli stems and the tenderness of bok choy leaves, making it a flavorful, stand-alone dish.
- The best part? It’s so easy to wash and prepare! By the way, I show you everything you need to know in my choy sum chef's guide.
- This simple stir-fried dish is light, a little garlicky, with a hint of the smoky wok flavor that makes restaurant veggies so good, making it the perfect side dish for any meal!
serving suggestions
- Pair this side dish with a comforting bowl of daikon soup and pork ribs or sesame oil chicken soup. Soups can be stewing in your Tatung cooker (if you have one) while you cook.
- Like other Asian leafy greens, it tastes great stir-fried with shacha sauce too (like how you would make Taiwanese spinach)!
- Serve this with another quick stir-fry dish like sha cha chicken and white rice or simple longevity noodles. tip: I like to prep all the ingredients for both recipes, then stir-fry the yu choy first so I don’t have to wash my wok or pan before cooking the sha cha chicken.
note: Yu choy is called iû-chhài in Taiwanese Taigi, 油菜 (yóucài) in Mandarin, Chinese, and 菜心 (càixīn) in Cantonese. This easy stir-fried dish, 蒜炒油菜 (suàn chǎo yóu cài) translates to garlic stir-fried "oil" vegetable.
You might be surprised to learn that yu choy (choy sum) belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family — just like the popular cruciferous veggies out there like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. My registered dietitian brain couldn't resist sharing that!
📋 ingredient notes
This is one of the best low-effort/high-reward side dishes! You only need 5 ingredients (counting salt and cooking oil) to make this vegetable taste incredible.
- yu choy (also called choy sum) – The highlight of this recipe! You'll use both the stems and the leaves.
- canola oil – or any other neutral flavored oil with a higher smoking point. Some options include avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or peanut oil.
- salt – I recommend Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt (*paid affiliate link) since it has lower sodium levels, making it easier to layer the seasoning without accidentally oversalting a dish. It can be found in some grocery stores. ✴️ If using sea salt, use half of the amount listed in the recipe.
- ground white pepper – optional, but highly recommended. With just a sprinkle, you won't notice the spice, but it'll add depth to this simply seasoned dish!
- sea salt flakes – optional for added texture and extra flavor if you prefer
See the recipe card for quantities.
👩🏻🌾 pro tips on buying the best quality
It’s important to know what to look for when you’re buying produce. You can check out my comprehensive guides to Asian vegetables, including my chef's guide to choy sum.
Keep an eye out for the following four things.
- avoid blooming flowers – Buds are okay, but if they have bloomed into flowers it’s a sign that the vegetable is older. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad, it just may not taste as sweet and the stems might be more fibrous.
- tender and pliable stems – they should be hydrated enough to stay upright.
- hydrated ends – the bottom of the stems will be white to light green when it's most fresh
- smooth, green leaves – the freshest yu choy has green shiny leaves (some may call it “glossy”)
- avoid yellowing or discoloration – large yellow spots or uneven coloring may indicate it's not fresh
note: you may see tiny holes - that’s okay as long as it’s not excessive! It just means that some insects might have gotten to it so give it an extra wash.
📖 variations
The purpose of this recipe is to teach you how to prepare a popular Asian vegetable so that its flavor shines. Once you know how great it can be all on its own, go ahead and add some extra flavor boosters in there based on your preferences.
- boost of flavor – Add 1 tablespoon of Bulls Head BBQ Sauce (*paid affiliate link), aka sacha sauce (Taiwanese / Chinese bbq sauce), for a quick boost of umami flavor. To use, add 1 tablespoon of sacha sauce when you add the leaves to the pan. You can also find vegetarian versions (*paid affiliate link) of this sauce.
- spicy – Add ¼ teaspoon of thinly sliced thai chili pepper for a spicy kick (for spicy food lovers like me).
- other – sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over the dish for a nutty flavor.
🔪 instructions
I’m going to go through each step in detail below, including step-by-step photos of how to wash, dry, and cut yu choy. In a hurry? You can jump straight to the printable recipe.
wash and thoroughly dry
This is a key step in making this dish taste just like the restaurants!
Allow the washed yu choy to drain well so there's minimal excess water.
Otherwise, you won't get the "breadth of the wok" 鑊氣 flavor and the vegetables will steam in the pan.
Dry the leaves off with a clean kitchen towel if needed.
For about 4 servings as a side dish (1 cup each):
Cut 12 ounces of yu choy into 2-inch (5 cm) sections starting from the bottom (stem) end. Keep the stems, thinner stems (mid-section), and leaves separate.
Cut the thicker stems in half lengthwise. They look prettier when cut at a slight angle.
Peel and thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic.
stir-fry
Before you begin stir-frying, always have your ingredients ready nearby. This includes having all the seasoning measured out too – in this case, it's just salt and ground white pepper.
Heat a 14-inch seasoned wok or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until the pan is hot and just starts to smoke (about 15 seconds for a wok or 3 minutes for a cast iron pan).
Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil.
Tilt the pan to evenly coat the cooking surface.
Immediately add the sliced garlic. Stir for about 5 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the yu choy stems and toss with a spatula.
It's important to add these in quickly to prevent the garlic from burning.
Increase the heat to high. Cook for 30 seconds, tossing continuously.
Then, add the thinner stems (mid-section of the stalk). Stir-fry the contents in the pan by constantly flipping and moving the vegetables with your spatula to prevent burning.
Add the leaves and...
Continue to stir-fry.
Season with ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half the amount if using sea salt or table salt).
Add a sprinkle of ground white pepper.
Continue to toss the yu choy with your spatula. Stir-fry until the stems and leaves turn brighter green (about 2 minutes), then immediately turn off the heat.
You can see the cooked greens are brighter than a raw piece of stem in the photo above.
Transfer the side dish to a serving platter, top with optional flaky sea salt (if using), and serve hot.
pro tip
I love using a fish spatula (*paid affiliate link) for quick vegetable stir-fry dishes. It’s lightweight and easy to use. The angled top makes it easy to toss all the contents in a wok. For larger quantities, you may prefer a longer wok spatula for safety.
🍲 equipment
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission). We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. If you click on an affiliate link, you consent to a cookie being placed on your browser for purposes of tracking commissions.
Just like this recipe, the equipment you'll need is minimal! You don't need much, but using a wok, cast iron skillet, or carbon steel skillet is important.
❄️ storage
You can store unwashed yu choy in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, in its original bag for 5-7 days.
Once washed, thoroughly dry and wrap up in a large kitchen towel (*paid affiliate link) or paper towel and store in the fridge vegetable drawer for up to 5 days. Don't store it in plastic or it will get mushy!
Once cooked, store it in a covered container for 1-2 days in the fridge.
💭 Cindy's top expert tip
Prep your yu choy so it's ready to go! Pre-rinse, drain, dry it, and then cut it up and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. That way you can quickly grab it and add it to dishes throughout the week.
🍱 delicious pairings
This recipe pairs especially well with these Taiwanese dishes:
👨🍳 COOKING WITH KIDS
What can kid chefs help with?
- setting the table
- washing and drying the veggies
- topping the dish with additional flaky salt or other ingredients
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy cooking! ~ Cindy 周昀
Please give this recipe a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it. I would love to hear from you! If you have any questions at all, let me know in the comments below.
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easy stir-fried yu choy 蒜炒油菜
ingredients
- 12 ounces yu choy, also called choy sum, dried well after washing with a clean kitchen towel if needed *see note
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half the amount if using sea salt
- 1 pinch ground white pepper, optional
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes, optional
*The Instacart button above is an affiliate link, which means we do make a small profit from your purchases (your price is not affected by this commission).
instructions
- Cut the yu choy into 2-inch (5 cm) sections starting from the bottom (stem) end. Keep the stems, thinner stems (mid-section), and leaves separate.12 ounces yu choy
- Heat a 14-inch seasoned wok or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until the pan is hot and just starts to smoke (about 15 seconds for a wok or 3 minutes for a cast iron pan).
- Add the canola oil, tilt the pan to evenly coat the cooking surface, and add the sliced garlic. Stir for 5 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add the yu choy stems, toss with a spatula, then increase the heat to high. Cook for 30 seconds, tossing continuously, and then add the thinner stems (mid-section of the stalk).1 tablespoon canola oil, 3 cloves garlic
- Stir-fry the contents in the pan by constantly flipping and moving the vegetables with your spatula to prevent burning. Add the leaves and continue to stir-fry. Season with salt and ground white pepper while you continue to toss the yu choy with your spatula. Stir-fry until the stems and leaves turn brighter green (about 2 minutes), then immediately turn off the heat.½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 pinch ground white pepper
- Transfer to a serving platter, top with optional flakey sea salt (if using), and serve hot as a side dish.¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
equipment and highlighted ingredients
notes
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💭 FAQs
You generally eat the leaves and stems, although you can eat the flowers as well. While they're edible, the presence of buds/flowers means the plant is older and the stems might be more fibrous, so I try to choose a bunch without them.
Yes, it's delicious in soups and noodle soups. Add it in the last 2 minutes of simmering so it doesn’t get too wilted and soft.
Both are leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. Yu choy has smaller leaves with thinner, green stalks. Bok choy has larger leaves with a thick bulb at the bottom. Flavor-wise, bok choy is a bit milder in flavor while yu choy has a subtle sweetness when cooked. Both can generally be used in many of the same dishes and cooked using the same methods.
🌡️ food safety
- Wash and dry hands before prepping ingredients and before touching ready-to-eat ingredients, including salt that's sprinkled on a cooked dish
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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