Korean Pickled Bok Choy (Soy Vinegar Chili Brine)

Name: Korean Pickled Bok Choy (Soy Vinegar Chili Brine)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: bok choy 500 g; Cheongyang chili 2 ea; soy sauce 150 ml; vinegar 100 ml; water 150 ml; sugar 60 g; minced garlic 1 tsp; sliced ginger 5 g

Quick answer

Active time: 28 min
Waiting: See the steps
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Thick white bok choy stems stay crunchy while the green leaves soak up the brine and soften, so one piece holds two textures.

Cheongyang chilies are sliced with their seeds and layered through the jar, leaving a clean, lingering heat in every stem. The ginger comes out after a 2-minute rest so its scent stays faint. Well-drained heads keep the brine clear, and turning them once after two days evens out the seasoning.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Cut 500 g of bok choy in half lengthwise from the base.

Wash several times in cold water and drain completely in a colander to prevent the brine from becoming cloudy.
2

Slice 2 Cheongyang chilies diagonally into 3 mm thick pieces.

Keep the seeds attached to ensure a clean and lingering spicy flavor throughout the pickled bok choy brine.
3

Layer the prepared bok choy neatly in a sterilized glass container, distributing the sliced chilies between the layers so that the heat can penetrate all parts of the stems.
4

In a pot, combine 150 ml soy sauce, 100 ml vinegar, 150 ml water, 60 g sugar, 1 tsp minced garlic, and 5 g sliced ginger, then boil until the sugar dissolves.
5

Once the sugar has dissolved and the spicy aroma rises, turn off the heat and cool for 2 minutes.

Remove the ginger slices to leave only a subtle, refined scent.
6

Pour the warm brine over the bok choy until fully submerged.

Seal the container tightly and refrigerate for 2 days until the seasoning penetrates evenly and the texture matures.