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This bok choy quick kimchi (muchim) is crunchy, spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet. It also requires NO cooking or fermentation! The flavor is very similar to my Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe (Oi Muchim), and it’s even easier to make!
If you make only one of my recipes, it should be this one!
This is not really a traditional Korean dish- it’s something my mom came up with many years ago and it is one of my FAVORITE recipes she has ever taught me. It still uses traditional ingredients and tastes authentically Korean.
It also isn’t really a kimchi but more like a muchim or geotjeori. Muchim means it’s mixed with seasonings, and geotjeori is a kimchi that is lightly salted and eaten fresh without fermentation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There is no cooking or fermentation involved. Have you ever had raw bok choy? It’s pleasantly crunchy, juicy, and slightly sweet. I prefer it uncooked!
- It’s VERY easy to make. I know food bloggers say this a lot but I really seriously mean it. Minimum effort, maximum flavor!
- It’s the perfect easy side dish to go with any savory entree. I’m always reaching for something tangy and slightly sweet to go with dishes like my Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) recipe or Bulgogi recipe!
Bok Choy Kimchi Ingredients:
- Bok choy- Shanghai bok choy works best for this but you can use baby bok choy too.
- Gochugaru- Korean red pepper flakes
- Sugar- I really don’t recommend skipping the sugar. It really helps to balance the flavors!
- Sesame oil- I only use Kadoya 100% pure sesame oil
- Fish sauce- Three Crabs fish sauce or soy sauce to make it vegan!
- Plum vinegar- you can find this at any Korean market. If you don’t live near one, you can use rice or white vinegar instead.
- Roasted sesame seeds- make sure you have toasted sesame seeds, and grind them into a powder using a mortar and pestle.
- Garlic- if you’re the type of person to add more garlic than a recipe calls for, don’t do that here. Raw garlic is strong and it will give you major garlic breath if you add more!
How to Make Bok Choy Kimchi
- Cut and wash bok choy leaves.
- Mince garlic.
- Grind sesame seeds.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Sprinkle a little more sesame seeds, serve and enjoy 🙂
Recipe Tips:
For the best results, try to find the freshest bulbs of Shanghai bok choy.
Don’t skip the crushed sesame seeds. Trust me, some ground up sesame seeds really elevates the dish. Sometimes you can buy it like that, but I just use my mortar and pestle to grind it down.
If you can’t find Shanghai bok choy, you can use baby bok choy. These are a little darker green at the top with crinkly leaves.
Serving Suggestions
This can be eaten alone like a salad, but it is best eaten as a side dish. It’s particularly good with anything that is braised or marinated in soy sauce, like my Galbi Jjim recipe or Bulgogi!
If you want to eat this as a salad, I recommend adding more ingredients like spinach, jalapenos, snap peas, or anything other crunchy vegetable you like.
Is it Safe to Eat Raw Bok Choy?
I get asked the question a lot. Yes, it is perfectly safe and not uncommon to eat bok choy uncooked!
The only cause for concern would be eating large amounts of raw bok choy DAILY. Bok choy releases an enzyme called myrosinase, which can negatively affect thyroid function if you’re eating an insane amount of it every day. But in moderate amounts, it is not harmful.
More Frequently Asked Questions
I do not recommend keeping this in the fridge for longer than a couple of days, because it has sesame oil in it which will make it wilt and change the flavor.
Like I mentioned before, this isn’t actually a kimchi so it will not keep over time. It’s best to make and serve right away.
Yes! Many of my readers who weren’t able to find Shanghai bok choy, have used baby bok choy (also called dwarf bok choy). These are a little smaller in size, with darker green leaves that are crinkly/curly.
You can, but it would be a slightly different dish. One of the highlights of this bok choy recipe is the crunchy, juicy, fresh deliciousness! If you do cook it first, I recommend removing as much moisture as you can so you don’t dilute the sauce too much.
Simple Muchim Recipes
If you like this bok choy muchim, you will love my Korean Cucumber Salad recipe (Oi Muchim)! It’s very similar in flavor, using almost exactly the same ingredients. The biggest difference is that the cucumbers need to be salted for 10-15 minutes to draw out the moisture, and you don’t need fish sauce.
You might also love my Gochu Ssamjang Muchim (Seasoned Korean Peppers). This is one of my favorite new recipes on the blog! It’s incredibly quick & easy to make, especially if you already have my Ssamjang recipe made.
More Easy kimchi/muchim recipes
If you tried this Bok Choy Kimchi recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Bok Choy Kimchi
Ingredients
- 3 bulbs Shanghai bok choy, or baby bok choy
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes)
- 2 tbsp plum vinegar, or rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp sugar, add more if you like it sweeter
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp fish sauce, or soy sauce or vegan fish sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Optional Additions
- spinach
- snap peas
- jalapeno slices
Instructions
- Cut off the stems from the bok choy, separate the leaves, then wash & shake off excess water.
- Finely mince the garlic cloves.
- Using a mortar and pestle, grind the roasted sesame seeds until at least half of it is in powder form.
- Add to a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients and gently mix together.
- Serve right away or make it a couple hours ahead and store in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- For the best results, try to find the freshest bulbs of Shanghai bok choy.
- Don’t skip the crushed sesame seeds. Trust me, some ground up sesame seeds really elevates the dish. Sometimes you can buy it like that, but I just use my mortar and pestle to grind it down.
- Do not add more garlic than the recipe calls for. I’m guilty of doing this a lot- but in this case you really shouldn’t. Raw garlic breath is no joke!
- If you can’t find Shanghai bok choy, you can use baby bok choy. These are a little darker green at the top with crinkly leaves.
- This will hold in the fridge for only a couple of days. I do not recommend keeping it much longer than that.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My boyfriend and I are addicted to this recipe – so easy to make and so good!
So easy, so GOOD, and fresh! Paired this with Korean fried chicken – it was our favorite side out of the other ban chan I made.
I just made this recipe. I changed 1 thing and that is I brined the boc choy first in 1 tablespoon of salt in a quart of water. I will be making this again.
Recipe on HEAVY rotation!! Love it so much!!
Family favorite!! Every since I first made this, my family has always requested it. Thank you Stella!!
Finally tried this because I got my hands on some really good bok choy from the farmer’s market. This was sooo good! I didn’t know raw bok choy could be so tasty. I’ll definitely be making this again. I always make your oi muchim too. I recently added some jicama to it and really enjoyed it.
Big bok choy fan now thanks to this recipe! so good.
Soo good and simple to make!
It was so easy to make and so good. I am trying to cut out sugar so I put 1/2 of what your recipe calls for and still tastes awesome. Thank you for sharing.
Quick, easy, and SO delicious!! Do not pass this recipe by. Just made it for the first time at work for a special dinner we were having and they all raved about it. So much so, it’s on the menu now with a sous vide octopus dish. I was just eating it straight by itself like an animal lol.
Hi Stefanie! Thats awesome, I am so honored to have a recipe of mine on a restaurant menu! Sounds so delicious paired with sous vide octopus 😛
I am a SUCKER for anything bok choy, so when I saw this recipe on your Instagram I HAD to try it. It was absolutely A-mazing! Tasty, spicy & crispy. Delicious! 😋
This was one of the first recipes of Stella’s that I made and I’ve never gone back!! I love easy to follow the recipe is but also SO tasty. This bokchoy kimchi has quickly become a staple in our house. Trust me when I say, try it. Thank me later 😉
Such a delicious and easy recipe!! Made it several times throughout the warmer months for a refreshing side dish to our meals!
I am always looking for great Bok Choy recipes and this one did not disappoint!
So good. I will make this again and again!
No doubt this has been my most visited recipe from you! It’s so simple and delicious (extra garlic of course 🤪)
Oh my gosh! This is it!!! I had a similar salad with spinach leaves at a Korean restaurant and loved it. I knew this looked similar. Went out and bought all the ingredients and made it last night. So impressed! So glad I found your recipe and its so simple too. Love simple, delicious recipes! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes with us. I was a little short on bok choy so I added some lightly cooked asparagus to it. Wow so good! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
This is my husbands and mines all time favorite! I believe I like this kimchi almost better than any fermented kimchi I’ve tried and this is so quick and easy to whip up! We love adding a handful of spinach to it as well like in your ig video and it’s the best way to get in our veggies if we feel like we’ve been slacking! There is never any leftovers whenever I make this. Definitely need to make a double batch from now on. Even my 3 year old daughter has tried it and doesn’t mind it! So glad I tried this! Thank you,
This recipe is sooo good! It’s got great flavor and texture AND it’s fast and easy to whip up . I love that it also gives me additional options for how to use up the massive bags of bok choy I buy 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes that I make. I make this all the time for families and coworkers and it’s always a hit! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I loveeee bok choy!!! And this recipe is sooo good!!!! 😀 I have tried it different ways sauteed, with different proteins, and this recipe eating the bok choy raw was just so fricken crunchy and I throw a little spicyness in and it takes it to the next level!!!! Enjoy!!!!! 🙂
the best tasty refreshing bokchoy EVER!! Thank you, Stella for all the yummy delicious recipes!!
I love this delicious and easy bok choy recipe! The one made w yu choy is also great!
The one recipe I keep coming back to and at this point probably have made it more than any other banchan. So quick and so good
This is my favourite recipe for bok choy and has definitely become a staple in my weekly meals at home. It’s so easy and quick to put together! 🙂
This is an awesome recipe! It’s so deliciously tangy and slightly sweet with a HUGE crunch! My Mexican girlfriend and her mother loves it when i make this, and trust me you’ll make it more than once!
This recipe is amazing! I’m also Korean and have never heard of it but it’s such a good non-traditional dish. I’ve made it for multiple family members and they have asked for the recipe and some have even already made it themselves. Definitely give it a try!
I love fresh kimchi that isn’t fermented and this is such a nice delicious side dish to use for kbbq nights at the house! The flavor and the freshness both from the sauce and the bok choy really elevates the meal. Can’t wait to make this again!
I use this recipe all the time! Great and easy alternative to cooked bok choy!
I loved this recipe so much I’ve made it and shared your recipe to all my family and friends! Many were surprised that you could use bok choy for kimchi~ This is more of my go to than cabbage kimchi now 🤩
This is one of my favorite recipes that I share with everyone!
Of all your recipes I’ve tried, this is by far my favorite ! It’s so simple yet delicious and packed with flavor! The easiest way for me to chow down my veggies! Cannot wait to test out more of your recipes.
Actually made this and didn’t realize how much I like it! With very simple and fresh ingredients, I realized simplicity is always the best. This will be definitely one of my go to recipes!
This is my go to recipe for anytime I want a “snack” or to wow some friends with something new. It’s so easy, delish and truly exceptional. Highly recommend!
my favorite ” go to” recipe! super easy and delicious! great on it’s own and works a a side dish for any bbq! so refreshing!
This was the first recipe of yours I ever tried. It was so simple to make but so delicious! Thank you for sharing and posting.
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time! I actually saved it on IG in its own “Boy Choy recipe needs its own folder” for easy access — I love it that much.
For the little amount of work it takes, the payoff is outrageous. The acidic, slightly sweet, nutty, and savory flavors are perfectly balanced. It’s crisp and refreshing. Thanks for the care you put until recipe development and for sharing family favs like this one!
This is my favorite recipe I’ve tried from you so far! It is so easy and so delicious. I made some for my Korean friend who is a very harsh critic with tons of culinary background and education and he also loved it which isn’t very easy to do.
Now I always have the ingredients to make this recipe and whenever I am unsure what to have with my meals, I make this no matter what I’m serving with it. It can go with anything whether it’s Korean food, Chinese, even American! I literally just eat it with white rice.
This has become one of my go-to favorite recipes! It’s simple yet so good! My husband loves it too!
I had bok choy for the first time last year and feel in love with it. I didn’t know I could make kimchi with it and when you shared this recipe I knew I had to try bok choy a different way than my usual sauté.. Love this recipe!
Made this a few times and my family loves it!!!
This is my new favorite side/snack. I always make extra, thanks for sharing this recipe!
LOVE this recipe so much!! 😋 so light and fresh. I’ll snack on it by itself. delicious! thank you so much for sharing ❤
First made this March 2023 for a family party and it was everyone’s favorite. Have made it several times since, it’s delicious!
This dish is such a tasty and well balanced recipe with sweet, tangy, spicy, and savory aspects to it! Even my Korean mother-in-law approves and always requests that I make this when she visits. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Love this! I make this weekly!
This recipe has become a staple for me amd I never get tired of it. Love how quick and easy it is. I adjust the spice level when I share with others, but still so delicious!
No matter how much I try, I’ll never be able to replicate the taste of my mom’s kimchi. But this recipe allows me to make kimchi and with one of my favorite vegetable. I never knew you could make kimchi with bok choy – so crunchy and refreshing!
I love this recipe. I have made it for myself and for my family, my Korean mother LOVED it! Tastes so fresh, perfectly seasoned and one of my favorite easy recipes
Love this recipe! I use it with other veggies as well. It’s fresh, spicy, and tangy!
This is my go to kimchi recipe when I want to increase my veggie intake. It’s so refreshing and the flavor is has an amazing balance of sweet, tangy, and spice. I’ve at least made this 6 times already, it’s so simple!
This has to be my fave bok choy recipe ever! It’s so easy to make, and the taste is phenomenal!!
Delicious and fresh! We love this bok choy kimchi recipe! My husband doesn’t usually like bok choy, but now he’ll eat it because of this recipe.
This is the best thing to ever happen to bok choy!
Made this for the first time last year and had to bring it to work to share just how good it is!! EVERYONE loved it so much that they asked me for the recipe and shared your website with them. It’s become a staple in all of our meal rotations and we even share photos in the group chat each time we make it to make each other crave for it 🤣 I wish i could share a screenshot here.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with the world!!
One of the first recipes I tried! So simple but so good 🥰🥰
One of my fav side dishes of all time. I have made this countless of times although sometimes with whatever vegetables I have on hand (like daikon radish). It’s the perfect balance of flavors, and it pairs especially well with a rich dish like galbi jjim (also recommend Stella’s recipe and I left a review for it previously)! 10/10.
This recipe is so nice and refreshing! I am trying to incorporate more raw veggies and this is just perfect! I bought a big bag of gochugaru just to continue to make this. 10/10
Didn’t know I can eat bokchoy raw until I saw this recipe on your IG. I think I eat this side dish every 2 weeks because it’s that good! So easy to make too! Thank you for such an easy fast recipe! Will definitely continue to try other recipes!
Thanks
I never knew you can make kimchi with bok choy. So when you posted this recipe, I just had to try it! It’s fresh and crunchy and perfect to eat following fatty meats to cleanse the palate. My fiancé love this too and always ask me to make it and it’s so easy as well!
I’ve been making this recipe since you posted it and it’s me and my boyfriends staple! We always double this recipe so we can have the extra sauce for rice later.
Your recipes are my go to and there are alike that I like. But the bok choy kimchi hands down are my favorite because it is so addicting delicious good. I find it so much more better the next day when it is all soak in them goodness. really appreciate all the time spend on posting it.
Always a fan
this was the first recipe I tried and it was crazy good for being so simple. Thanks for sharing
One of my fav side dishes of all time. I have made this countless of times although sometimes with whatever vegetables I have on hand (like daikon radish). It’s the perfect balance of flavors, and it pairs especially well with a rich dish like galbi jjim (also recommend Stella’s recipe)! 10/10.
I’ve made this a couple times already because it’s so easy AND delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!!
I’ve made this a couple times already because it’s so easy AND delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!
This has become a regular in my house—I make this at least once a week. I bring it to potlucks too. SO easy to make and ALWAYS a huge hit! Love love love this recipe so much.
Love this recipe because it’s easy and simple to make and so tasty. Sometimes I eat it as snacks by itself lol.
I made this twice now.. with bok choy and then with cucumber. It’s so good both ways! Thank you!
Me and my mom made this and it is soooo good!!!! We love the crunchy texture!! Thank you for sharing!
best bokchoy kimchee!! I thought my mom’s was good but Stella’s is much better.. (don’t tell my mom, tho) lol..
it’s so refreshing and my go to banchan.. Thank you Stella!! keep up with the great recipes, etc..
Love it. Do you think it would be okay to mix the sauce up and refrigerate it for later use? The wife wants to be able to just sauce the baby bok choy, when she comes home for lunch.
Hi Richard! Yes, this would be totally fine. I wouldn’t make ahead for longer than a week though. Daily is absolutely fine 🙂
I’ve made this 5 times in the past 2 weeks, it’s that good.
I unfortunately couldn’t find plum vinegar anywhere, so ended up using Korean apple vinegar instead.
I just been eating it with rice and boiled eggs covered in the same sauce. It really hits the spot.
It packs spice, it’s sweet and addictive.
Hi Ashlea, apple vinegar sounds like it would still be delicious! I’ll have to try that as well. I’m so glad you love it!
Not totally what I expected but still delicious! Spicier than I expected (I love spicy food). Have you tried chayote kimchi? Delicious
Girllllllllll, you put me on! Shoutout to your momma for this! My mom always made homemade kimchi growing up so this is a recipe I had to send her. We both love it, made it with spinach, bok choy and radish. Could easily eat this by the gallon!
I made this today and wow it was great! I wanna make it again but with plum vinegar (I used rice) and see how the tastes differs! Thank you~~ Your recipes never fail!!
WWWOOOOWWW! This is the best “kimchi” hands down. It is crunchy and nutty and spicy and sweet, and it’s so easy to make. Thank you for a home run recipe
Sooooo good! I made a double batch and the family ate it before I could serve it. I need to make another double batch.