Korean-Style Spicy Bok Choy and Cucumber Salad
Ever had a salad that somehow manages to be cool, crunchy, spicy and ridiculously moreish all at once?
This bok choy and cucumber salad does exactly that, with crisp vegetables tossed in a punchy chilli dressing and plenty of fresh red chilli on top.
Want something fresh next to a bowl of rice, grilled meat or a rich noodle dish?
Make this.
The cucumber stays cool and crunchy, while the bok choy brings a little more bite and that lovely juicy texture through the stems.
Then comes the dressing: chilli oil, garlic, soy, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
It’s spicy without drowning out the vegetables, tangy enough to wake everything up, and there’s just enough sweetness to balance the heat.
I like the bok choy lightly blanched rather than completely raw here.
It softens the leaves, keeps the stems crisp, and makes the dressing cling much better.
The whole thing takes barely any time, but it tastes like far more effort went into it.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 small bok choy
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional
For the Chilli Dressing
- 2 tablespoons chilli oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil.
- Separate the bok choy into individual leaves, keeping the pale crunchy stems attached to the green tops.
- Drop the bok choy into the boiling water and blanch for about 45–60 seconds. You want the leaves wilted but the stems still crisp.
- Drain immediately and rinse under very cold water.
- Shake off as much water as possible, then pat the bok choy dry with kitchen paper. Don’t skip this bit or the dressing will become watery.
- Slice the cucumber into thick rounds on a slight angle. Keep them fairly chunky so they stay crisp.
- Add the cucumber and bok choy to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the chilli oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic, chilli flakes and a small pinch of salt.
- Taste the dressing. Add another splash of rice vinegar if you want it sharper or a little more chilli oil if you want extra heat.
- Pour most of the dressing over the vegetables and toss gently until everything is glossy and evenly coated.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl.
- Spoon the remaining chilli dressing over the top, making sure some of that chilli and garlic lands on the cucumber slices.
- Finish with sliced fresh red chilli, the dried chillies and sesame seeds if using.
- Serve straight away or chill for about 15–20 minutes before eating.
Keep the Cucumber Thick
This salad is much better when the cucumber has some proper crunch left in it.
Thin cucumber slices soften quickly once they hit the salty dressing.
Cutting them a little thicker means you still get that fresh snap even after everything has been tossed together.
English cucumber works particularly well because it has fewer large seeds and plenty of crisp flesh.
There’s no need to peel it.
Don’t Overcook the Bok Choy
Bok choy only needs a very quick dip in boiling water.
The green leaves should soften, but those pale stems should still have bite.
If you boil it for several minutes, it goes limp and releases too much water.
That gives you a completely different salad.
As soon as the leaves turn bright green and slightly wilted, drain it.
Getting the Chilli Dressing Right
The dressing should be glossy, salty, spicy and a little tangy.
It shouldn’t taste overwhelmingly oily.
Rice vinegar does a lot of the work here because it cuts through the richness of the chilli and sesame oils.
The little bit of honey or sugar is there to round everything out rather than make the salad noticeably sweet.
And use fresh garlic.
This is not really the place for garlic powder.
Those tiny bits of fresh garlic mixed through the chilli oil are a big part of why the dressing tastes so good.
How Spicy Is It?
That depends almost entirely on your chilli oil.
Some chilli oils are mellow and fragrant.
Others can practically remove your eyebrows.
Start with two tablespoons and taste before adding more.
If you want a gentler salad, leave out the chilli flakes and use half of the fresh chilli.
For something properly fiery, add another spoonful of chilli oil right before serving.
What to Serve With It
This works especially well beside rich or savoury dishes because all that cucumber and vinegar cuts through them nicely.
Try it with:
- Korean beef bulgogi
- Sticky soy chicken
- Grilled steak
- Crispy tofu
- Fried rice
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Noodle bowls
- Dumplings
- Korean-style BBQ meats
- Salmon
I also happily eat a bowl of it straight from the fridge with rice when I want something quick.
Can I Make It Ahead?
A little ahead, yes.
Hours and hours ahead, not really.
You can blanch and cool the bok choy and make the dressing earlier in the day.
Keep both refrigerated separately.
Slice the cucumber and toss everything together closer to serving.
Once salt and soy sauce hit cucumber, the cucumber gradually starts releasing water.
The salad will still taste good later, but it loses some of that crispness that makes it so nice.
Storage
Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
The dressing will become slightly thinner as the cucumber releases moisture.
Give everything a quick toss before serving again.
I wouldn’t freeze this one.
Frozen cucumber has absolutely no interest in coming back as salad.
Q&A
Can I use regular large bok choy?
Yes.
Just cut it into smaller pieces so the stems and leaves cook evenly.
Baby bok choy is slightly easier because the pieces naturally stay neat and tender.
Do I have to blanch the bok choy?
No, but I prefer it here.
Raw bok choy is crunchier and slightly more cabbage-like.
A quick blanch softens the leaves while keeping the stalks crisp.
What chilli oil should I use?
Use one you already like eating.
A chilli crisp works too, especially if you enjoy the crunchy garlic and chilli bits.
If your chilli crisp is very salty, reduce the soy sauce slightly.
Can I add spring onions?
Definitely.
Thinly sliced spring onions work really well here.
Add them right before serving.
Can I use another vinegar?
Rice vinegar gives the cleanest flavour, but apple cider vinegar works in a pinch.
Use slightly less to begin with because it can taste sharper.
Can I make this without sesame oil?
Yes.
Just leave it out.
The salad will lose a little of that toasted nuttiness, but the chilli, garlic and vinegar still give it plenty of flavour.
Why is my salad watery?
Usually one of two things happened.
Either the bok choy wasn’t dried properly after blanching or the dressed salad sat around for too long.
Dry the vegetables really well and dress them shortly before serving.
Can I add protein?
Absolutely.
Cold shredded chicken, sliced steak, prawns or crispy tofu all work well.
You can turn it into a quick lunch bowl with rice underneath and the salad piled on top.
