Bok Choy and Snap Pea Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
A crisp, fresh salad featuring tender baby bok choy and sweet snap peas tossed with a punchy ginger-sesame dressing. This minimal-prep Asian-inspired salad comes together in 20 minutes and serves as an excellent light lunch or vibrant vegetable side.
Steps
Before you start
- Wash and thoroughly dry the bok choy and snap peas; excess moisture will dilute the dressing
- Have all ingredients measured and ready before mixing
- Use a large bowl to give yourself room to toss the salad comfortably
Make the dressing
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, minced ginger, minced garlic, and honey (if using).
- Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds until well combined and fragrant.
- Taste the dressing and adjust the vinegar or soy sauce as needed for balance—the dressing should taste bold and a little salty.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Dressing is well combined, fragrant, and slightly thick
Tip: Don't over-whisk; sesame oil won't fully emulsify with vinegar—it's meant to be just combined and flavorful
Wash and dry vegetables
- Rinse the bok choy and snap peas under cold running water thoroughly.
- Place bok choy on a cutting board or spin in a salad spinner to remove excess water; pat dry with paper towels.
- Excess moisture on the vegetables will dilute the dressing, so be thorough.
- Repeat with snap peas.
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Ready when: Vegetables are visibly dry with no water clinging to them
Tip: Use a salad spinner if you have one for the quickest, most effective drying
Slice bok choy into ribbons
- On a clean, dry cutting board, hold a bok choy plant by the stems and slice it thinly, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, working from one end to the other to create slices of both tender stems and leaves.
- Continue with the remaining bok choy, discarding any yellowed or damaged outer leaves.
- Transfer the sliced bok choy to your large salad bowl.
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Ready when: Bok choy is sliced into thin, even pieces and ready to combine
Tip: Keep the knife sharp for clean slices; a dull knife will bruise the delicate leaves
Slice snap peas and green onions
- Hold each snap pea with the stem end facing away and slice diagonally (on the bias) into roughly 1/4-inch thick strips to maximize surface area and create visual appeal.
- Discard the tough stem ends.
- Transfer sliced snap peas to the bowl with bok choy.
- Trim the root end from green onions.
- Thinly slice the white and light green parts; separately slice the dark green tops for garnishing later.
- Add the white and light green parts to the bowl; set aside the dark green tops for final garnish.
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Ready when: Snap peas are sliced on the bias and green onions are thinly sliced; white parts are in bowl, greens set aside
Tip: Bias cuts make snap peas more visually appealing and appear more tender even in a raw salad
Combine salad and let flavors meld
- Pour the ginger-sesame dressing over the vegetables in the bowl.
- Using two wooden spoons or salad tongs, gently but thoroughly toss the vegetables until all pieces are evenly coated with dressing.
- Let the salad sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- This brief rest allows the vegetables to absorb the dressing and soften very slightly while remaining mostly crisp.
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Ready when: Vegetables are evenly coated with dressing; bok choy is glistening and slightly wilted but still has crunch
Tip: Don't dress the salad more than 30 minutes ahead or it will become too soft; if making ahead, dress just before serving
Garnish and serve
- Divide the salad evenly among 4 serving bowls or plates.
- Top each portion with a sprinkling of white sesame seeds and the reserved dark green parts of the green onions.
- Add a small pinch of red pepper flakes to each bowl if desired for a subtle heat.
- Serve immediately while the salad still has maximum crunch.
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Tip: Serve right away so the salad retains its freshness and crispness; it will become progressively softer as it sits
Good to know
Tips
- For deeper, more pronounced sesame flavor, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. Cool before garnishing.
- To add protein and make this a heartier meal, toss in cooked edamame, sliced grilled chicken, baked tofu, or roasted chickpeas after dressing.
- Prepare extra dressing to drizzle over grain bowls, roasted vegetables, or rice noodles—the ratio works well for most Asian-inspired salads and sides.
- If your dressing tastes too acidic, add a few more drops of sesame oil to round out the flavors; if it tastes too rich, add a splash more rice vinegar.
Make ahead
The ginger-sesame dressing can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Shake or whisk well before using. The vegetables are best prepped no more than 4 hours ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator; don't combine them with the dressing until just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: Best consumed immediately. Don't leave dressed salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: Leftover undressed vegetables will keep for 1–2 days in an airtight container. Leftover dressing keeps for 3 days. The dressed salad itself will become quite soft after a few hours and is not recommended for storage. Freezer: Not suitable; vegetables will lose all crispness when thawed.
Substitutions
- baby bok choy → Napa cabbage (use 1.5 cups thinly sliced) or baby spinach. Both wilt similarly to bok choy. Napa cabbage provides more crunch; spinach is more delicate.
- snap peas → Snow peas (sliced into thirds) or sugar snap peas (left whole or halved). Snow peas are more tender; sugar snaps are crunchier. Both work beautifully in this salad.
- toasted sesame oil → 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil + 1 Tbsp neutral oil (peanut or vegetable). This lightens the intensity if you prefer a more delicate sesame flavor.
- honey → Agave nectar, maple syrup, or brown sugar (1 tsp each). Any sweetener balances the vinegar similarly. Omit entirely if you prefer a sharper dressing.
