Pat’s Bok Choy Salad

Terrific recipe! Ate far too much! This salad - for which I have to thank my dear friend Pat - has no taste of soy sauce and no “Chinese” taste. We gobbled masses of it down with Ron’s Barbecued Ribs (blogged Nov. 29, 2011). While the two dishes were a perfect pairing, the salad’s calcium- and protein-rich almonds, the starch from its noodles, and the vitamins and minerals of the bok choy and green onions, could easily have made it our main course!

Pat: The fickle finger of fate
 pointed us to a nudist beach

Pat and I go back many years, linked by our non-existent sense of direction. A few years ago, when Pat and I decided to take a beach walk, we had no idea we’d strayed onto a nudist beach until we belatedly noticed that everyone was wearing their birthday suits. The odds that it was actually all their birthdays being quite low, we couldn't have been more shocked. 

Realizing we were lost by the deer-in-the-headlights look in our eyes, a man bearing a map pointed to the direction we should exit the beach. When Pat and I simultaneously saw that he wasn’t pointing with his finger, we shrieked in panic, making a run for the crumbling cliff that towers above the beach. Hauling ourselves up like rockets, we clung to roots, scrabbled over logs, dislodged stones, and screamed without pause. We emerged at the top with twigs in our hair and with our primly-clothed bodies covered in dirt and mud. The bemused man with the map is probably still telling the story.

Pat’s Bok Choy Salad:

To Prepare the Salad:

5 baby bok choy, washed, blotted dry, root-end removed 

2-to-3 green onions, finely chopped

1-½ tbsp. butter or margarine

One 3-oz. (85 g) pkg ramen-style instant noodles (discard seasoning packet)

One 3-½ oz. (100 g) pkg natural flaked or sliced almonds

Coarsely chop cleaned baby bok choy into bite-sized pieces. Place in salad bowl, sprinkling with green onions. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. While butter melts, break ramen noodles into bite-sized pieces. Add noodles to skillet, tossing frequently until they begin to brown, about 5 min. Add almonds in final minute, quickly stirring until they start to brown. Add to bok choy and green onions, tossing well. 

To Prepare the Soy Dressing:

In a small lidded jar, combine 6 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, and 1-½ tsp. granulated sugar. Shake together well, pouring about half the dressing over salad in bowl. Toss salad until leaves glisten. Taste mixed salad, adding slightly more dressing, if needed. In the quantities given, this recipe serves 4-to-6.

Pat says the crispy noodles and nuts remain so the next day, so that nothing goes to waste. I wouldn’t know … we ate every morsel. Once you’ve got the basic dressing on hand, you can adjust this wonderful salad for a buffet - or for just one. Bon appétit!

Use 2 or 3 chopped green onions

Use 5 or 6 baby bok choy

Toss both greens together

These are ramen noodles! The package I bought cost 49 cents

Break up ramen noodles, browning with flaked almonds

With its glistening leaves, this salad looks and tastes great!