• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Christie at Home
  • Asian Recipes
    • By Region
      • Chinese
      • Filipino
      • Indonesian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
      • Malaysian
      • Taiwanese
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
    • By Course
      • Mains
      • Breakfast
      • Dessert
      • Appetizers/Sides
      • Beverages
      • Snacks
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • ABOUT
    • Work with Me
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Asian Recipes
  • Shop
  • About
  • Newsletter Subscription
  • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Appetizers/Sides

    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    Last Modified: May 19, 2021 - Published by: christieathome

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil. Blanched choy sum garnished with green onion, ginger and red chili pepper with smoking hot oil poured over top and soy sauce. A simple delicious vegetable dish that would serve well at dinner and make great as leftovers. Ready in just 15 minutes. This dish is vegan.

    I’ve recently been diving a little deeper into recipes from my heritage. My dad is from China and I realized about myself that I rarely post dishes that originate from their that haven’t been influenced or altered by surrounding nations.

    So, I’ve been doing more research into the dishes from Sichuan China, as I really enjoy their foods and I learned about this one. I’ve adapted this recipe from Fuchsia Dunlop who developed a cookbook of mainly Sichuan Chinese recipes called “Every Grain of Rice” and I absolutely love reading it. This dish is formerly called You Lin Cai Xin.

    This is not a choy sum stir fry but more so a blanched veggie dish that is coated in smoking hot oil and flavoured with aromatics and soy sauce. Making it a very easy and simple dish to cook at home.

    What does Choy Sum taste like?

    Choy Sum is a sweeter leafy green with a soft stem and soft leaves when cooked. It’s very subtle it’s sweetness and not bitter like other leafy greens.

    What does this dish taste like?

    The softened choy sum is dressed in the hot oil and soy sauce with the hints of ginger and green onion it’s delicious. Each green is coated in oil keeping it moist from blanching and you’ll taste the saltiness from the soy sauce with the sharp freshness from the ginger and green onions.

    Ginger, green onions, oil and soy sauce are common ways to dress veggies and even fish. It’s a healthy but tasty way to enhance the flavours of the main ingredient.

    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    Easy to make!

    This choy sum dish is very easy to make. You are simply blanching the washed choy sum in hot boiling water for a couple of minutes then placing them on a plate. Next you’ll garnish it with thinly sliced green onion, red bell pepper for colour and sliced ginger. Then you’ll pour soy sauce over top and smoking hot oil. In Fuchsia’s cookbook she makes a diluted soy sauce liquid which I skipped to simplify this dish even more.

    This choy sum recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes making it a great weeknight meal for dinner or leftovers for lunch.

    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    Tips for Blanched Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    I'll be sharing tips to guide you on how to make this blanched choy sum with smoking oil:

    • Use fresh ingredients. I always say this but the fresher the ingredient the tastier the dish.
    • When washing the choy sum, make sure to rinse between the base of the stems which is where a lot of the dirt resides
    • After washing, bunch the choy sum together with stem bases facing downward and the leaves facing upward.
    • Once you heat up a wok of boiling hot water, place the bunch together flat into the water and allow it to blanch until the greens turn vibrant green, about 2-3 minutes.
    • After they are blanched, using kitchen tongs pick up the bunch and allow the water to drip back into the wok until there’s little dripping and place onto your serving plate.
    • Laying them in a neat bunch will allow for the soy sauce and oil to reach all the choy sum.
    • Slice your green onions, ginger and red chili pepper very thinly using a sharp knife. This allows for the flavours of the aromatics to really cook in the hot oil and disperse the flavour into the veggies.
    • 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. I used avocado.
    • As soon as the oil smokes, immediately pour the hot oil aiming for the aromatics. Then drizzle your soy sauce all over the choy sum.
    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions about this dish:

    Where can I purchase choy sum?

    This can be purchased at any Asian grocer. It’s a very popular green that should be easier to find than other Asian greens.

    Can I use spring onions instead of green onions?

    I haven’t personally tried this ingredient myself, but I can imagine it working well since they both taste very similar.

    Can I use a red bell pepper and not a red chili pepper?

    Yes. The pepper is more so for colour according to Fuchsia.

    Can I use other leafy green?

    Yes you can use gai-lan or any other dark leafy green for this recipe and the flavours will work well.

    What is choy sum good for? How to use choy sum?

    It’s great on its own as a veggie stir fry as a side dish. Asians also love to serve this leafy green with meat, soup noodles or stir-fried noodles.

    How to cook choy sum?

    Aside from this cooking method, you can easily blanch or boil choy sum in hot water until vibrant green. They can also be pan fried with garlic, Chinese cooking wine and soy sauce for a simple recipe. Other ways you can cook them is by incorporating them into soup noodles or stir fries. Choy sum is not a vegetable that you would roast, bake or deep fry with.

    Other recipes you may like!

    SWEET SOY TOFU & VEGETABLES
    CANTONESE VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN
    ASIAN TOFU VEGETABLE STIR FRY
    CHINESE GARLIC YU CHOY
    STEAMED GARLIC BOK CHOY
    CHINESE GARLIC BOK CHOY
    CHINESE HOISIN EGGPLANT STIR-FRY

    For this recipe

    You will need the following ingredients for my choy sum dish:

    • 200 grams Choy sum, washed
    • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
    • 1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced and deseeded
    • 1 thumb size ginger, thinly sliced
    • 3 tablespoon oil, neutral kind like avocado oil
    • 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce

    How to make Choy Sum with Smoking Oil

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Next pile your thinly sliced green onion, red chili pepper and ginger on top of the greens perpendicular to the choy sum.
    5. 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.
    6. Lastly, drizzle your soy sauce over your choy sum. Serve hot and enjoy!

    Give it a try!

    Well, I hope you give my Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my You Lin Cai Xin, please share it with your family and friends or on social media!

    Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

    Made this recipe and loved it?

    If you could leave a star rating for my recipe, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    choy sum with sizzling oil

    Easy Quick Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil

    christieathome
    Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil. Blanched choy sum garnished with green onion, ginger and red chili pepper with smoking hot oil poured over top and soy sauce. A simple delicious vegetable dish that would serve well at dinner and make great as leftovers. Ready in just 15 minutes. This dish is vegan.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 3 mins
    Total Time 13 mins
    Course dinner, lunch, Side Dish
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories per serving 117 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 200 grams Choy sum washed with stems kept together and not broken apart
    • 2 stalks 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 light or dark!

    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 choy sum aiming for the green onions and aromatics.
    • Lastly, drizzle your soy sauce over your choy sum. Serve hot and enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Wok
    Measuring Set
    Santoku Knife
    Cutting Board
    Tongs
    Nutrition
    Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5167IU | Vitamin C: 81mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course dinner, lunch, Side Dish
    Cuisine Chinese
    Keyword choy sum recipe, choy sum taste, Choy Sum with Sizzling Oil, how to use choy sum, what does choy sum taste like, what is choy sum good for, You Lin Cai Xin

    More Appetizers/Sides

    • Chinese Garlic Green Beans
    • Gamja Jorim
    • Korean Tuna Pancakes (Chamchijeon)
    • Korean Zucchini Fritters

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Did you enjoy my recipe? Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      May 24, 2021 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

    More about me →

    Footer

    Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Home

    • Home
    • Asian Recipes
    • Shop
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • About
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Christie at Home