Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil. Blanched choy sum garnished with green onion, ginger and red chili pepper with smoking hot oil dressed with soy sauce. A simple delicious vegetable side dish. Ready in 15 minutes.
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What is Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil?
Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil is a delicious Chinese vegetable dish from Sichuan, China. It's also known as "You Lin Cai Xin" in mandarin. It features yu choy sum blanched until tender, topped with ginger, green onions, red chili pepper, hot oil and soy sauce. It's such a simple, easy and tasty dish to make at home.
The ginger, garlic and chilli really compliment the blanched greens. Each green is coated in oil keeping it moist from blanching and you’ll taste the savoriness from the soy sauce. In Chinese cuisine, ginger and garlic are often used to dress Asian greens from bok choy, gai-lan to yu choy sum. I love to pair this quick and simple side dish with steamed rice and some protein. It's such a fantastic way to turn plain vegetables into something delectable!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Your Asian grocery store will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
- Choy sum: aka Yu Choy or Yu Choy Sum.
- Green onions: or spring onions
- Red chili pepper: or replace with red bell pepper
- Ginger
- Neutral oil: like vegetable oil, avocado oil or any scentless oil with a high smoke point.
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
How to make Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil
Wash the choy sum ensuring any dirt is removed in between the stems. Do not break stems off the base and keep them as is. Arrange the stems into a neat bunch with stems facing down and leaves facing up.
Bring a wok or pot of water to boil. Place your whole bunch into the water and blanch for 2-3 minutes until they are vibrant green.
With kitchen tongs remove the greens from the hot water allowing as much as the water to drip off. Place the bunch on a serving plate and organize them again if needed. They need to be bunched and piled together.
Next pile your thinly sliced green onion, red chili pepper and ginger on top of the greens perpendicular to the choy sum.
In the same pot or wok (that is dried of any liquid – important) set over high heat, add your neutral oil. Heat it up so that it is smoking. Once it begins to smoke pour it over the choy sum aiming for the green onions and aromatics.
Lastly, drizzle your soy sauce over your choy sum. Serve hot and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat on the stovetop in a pan on medium heat until hot.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh ingredients. It makes a huge difference.
- Make sure to source fresh vibrant choy sum. Avoid any yellowish leaves.
- Wash the choy sum very throughly. There's a lot of dirt between the leaves and stalks.
- After washing, bunch the choy sum together with stem bases facing downward and the leaves facing upward.
- Do not over blanch the greens. If you overcook them, they will become too tender and soft.
- Use kitchen tongs to neatly pick up the choy sum in bunches.
- Thinly slice the aromatics using a sharp knife. This increases the surface area exposed to the hot oil making for a more delicious dish.
- When smoking your oil, use a neutral oil like avocado, vegetable or canola oil. You would not want to use olive oil or any oil with a low smoking point.
- Pour the hot oil aiming for the aromatics and avoid the greens or it can splash back.
FAQ
Can I omit or replace the red chili pepper?
Yes, substitute with red bell pepper.
Can I use other leafy green?
Yes you can use gai-lan or bok choy for this recipe.
Other Vegetables recipes you may like!
- Garlic Bok Choy
- Chinese Broccoli Stir Fry
- Steamed Garlic Bok Choy
- Stir Fried Snow Pea Leaves
- Easy Garlic Green Beans
- Chinese Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
- Chinese Spicy Garlic Eggplant
📖 Recipe
Easy Quick Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil
Ingredients
- 7 oz Choy sum aka Yu Choy
- 2 green onion thinly sliced
- 1 red chili pepper thinly sliced and deseeded
- 1.5 tbsp ginger very thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil with high smoke point
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)
Instructions
- Wash the choy sum ensuring any dirt is removed in between the stems. Do not break stems off the base and keep them as is. Arrange the stems into a neat bunch with stems facing down and leaves facing up.
- Bring a wok or pot of water to boil. Place your whole bunch into the water and blanch for 2 minutes until they are vibrant green.
- With kitchen tongs remove the greens from the hot water allowing as much as the water to drip off. Place the bunch on a serving plate and organize them again if needed. They need to be bunched and piled together.
- Next pile your thinly sliced green onion, red chili pepper and ginger on top of the greens perpendicular to the choy sum.
- In a dried pot, add your vegetable oil and heat just until it smokes. Once it begins to smoke pour it over the aromatics only. Do not pour over the choy sum or it can splash back.
- Lastly, drizzle your soy sauce over your choy sum. Serve hot and enjoy!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
That was a great idea for using a red bell pepper to help adjust the heat level. I can't wait to see more of the recipes you create from the Sichuan region where your dad is from!