Bok Choy Delights: Exploring Low FODMAP Recipes for IBS-Friendly Dining

Published on Monday, March 11, 2024 by Kelly Velting

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Dive into the World of Bok Choy: A Nutrient-Packed Low FODMAP Option

Meet your new IBS-friendly best friend! Bok choy is a nutrient-dense, Low FODMAP Chinese cabbage you should meet. She’s got flavor, sweetness, color, pizzazz, and style (I can’t say the same for her sense of humor, but she’s working on it).  

I bought a couple of pounds of Bok choy for this article. I cooked it, baked it, and ate it raw.  I wanted to experiment with its versatility and possibilities. As a traditional Chinese cabbage, most people use it for stir-fry recipes with soy sauce, ginger, sesame, and maybe a little chili pepper. This is a great method, but if you’re not in the mood for a stir-fry, you can also prepare it in other ways.  

Here are some options I discovered:

Salads: Crisp and Crunchy Creations

Cold in a salad for some crunch and sweetness. Chop the vegetable thinly and sprinkle it with your other greens. You can also make a whole salad with just chopped bok choy. Whisk together 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, ¼ tsp salt, a couple grinds of fresh pepper, ½ tsp stone ground mustard. Toss the chopped leaves and stems with the dressing. In the summer, add some fresh basil and chives, too.

Sandwiches: A Twist on Traditional Fillings

Greens added to a hot panini hold up nicely and don’t wilt like lettuce. My husband mistakenly added some cold bok choy greens to my ham sandwich instead of green leaf lettuce. This version might have been a stretch, but it wasn’t bad. I think if the leaves were tossed in olive oil and salt, the texture would have been more tasty on a cold sandwich. It was a great experiment, and I appreciated the free sandwich. Thanks, honey!  

Breaded & Fried: A Flavor Explosion

Stuff the leaves with your favorite meatball recipe, roll it in gluten-free breadcrumbs, and fry it. (I mean, did I even have to explain this one? I think we can all agree that just about anything breaded and fried would be worth a try.)

Snack Attack: Bok Choy Finger Foods for Every Occasion 

Cut the white bulb stems into bite-size pieces, drizzle with toasted sesame or good olive oil and large table salt, and you have a delicious, crunchy snack. Serve this on the side at your next party with sliced flank steak, Manchego cheese, stone ground mustard, and toasted gluten-free crostini.

Broiled: Savoring Simple Sides 

Cut the bok choy in half, toss in some oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and toast it under the broiler for a delicious side dish. 

Sauce Success: Substituting Onions with Sweet Stems

Do you need onions in a recipe for some sweetness? Spaghetti sauce is best if you cook down some onions until they are tender and sweet, but onions are high in fructans (chains of fructose molecules), and fructans are bothersome for people with IBS. The white stems of bok choy have a similar sweetness to onions and texture. Cook them down, like you would your onions, then add plenty of green scallions or chives at the end of your sauce for more of the “onion” punch. Easy replacement. 

Pie Perfection: Baking Bok Choy into Your Favorite Dish

No, I’m not crazy. I’m talkin’ chicken pot pie. The onions in the chicken pot pie filling provide sweetness and texture. If you remove them, you can replace them with the chopped stems of the bok choy. 

Roasted Baby Bok Choy: A Flavorful Side

There are many recipes for roasted baby bok choy to pair with a favorite meat: short ribs, BBQ chicken, pork tenderloin, rack of lamb, prime rib, or grilled salmon, such as this recipe from Jennifer Perillo at The Spruce Eats.

Chip Crunch: Air-Fryer and Oven Delights

Air fryers are all the rage, but the leaves get stuck together in a countertop fryer. I used the air-fryer option in my oven, but you could also use the bake setting to get a similar effect. Rinse and dry the bok choy leaves (use the full-size bok choy for this snack). Cut the leaves into bite-size pieces. Toss the leaves with a tsp of canola oil, then spread evenly on a sheet pan so the leaves are separated and don’t stick together. Sprinkle with salt and fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are crispy. Now you have a crispy “chip” snack. (Get crazy and sprinkle them with freshly grated parmesan cheese and truffle salt instead!)

Bok Choy: A Flavorful Companion for Culinary Exploration

Bok choy is a versatile and nutrient-rich ingredient that adds flair to any dish while catering to IBS-friendly diets. Its culinary possibilities are boundless, from salads to sandwiches, breaded delights to savory sides, and even innovative snacks. Whether enjoyed fresh or cooked, bok choy offers a delightful twist to traditional recipes and opens doors to new culinary adventures. So, embrace this Low FODMAP gem and let its unique flavors and textures elevate your meals, one delicious bite at a time.

Whether eating bok choy fresh or cooked, it is an excellent addition to your next culinary adventure. And we also won’t blame you if you just stir-fry it.  

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