This bok choy salad is just SO good…perfectly crunchy, fresh, and truly refreshing. Crisp, raw bok choy (no cooking needed!) is tossed with toasted sliced almonds, sesame seeds, shredded carrots, celery, and green onions, then finished with a simple homemade sesame dressing that ties everything together with the perfect hint of tang.

Overhead view of hands holding a large white bowl filled with bok choy salad topped with toasted slivered almonds, sesame seeds, shredded carrots, and sliced green onions, with a small jar of toasted almonds, a bowl of julienned carrots, and a bowl of sliced celery on a countertop.
This bok choy salad features crisp raw baby bok choy, carrots, celery, almonds, and sesame seeds tossed in a simple sesame vinaigrette. Light, fresh, and perfect alongside tofu, fish, chicken, or steak.

The ultimate not-boring-at-all spring salad…

A few days ago, I was walking through the produce section when something caught my eye … baby bok choy!

Now, to some, that might just be a vegetable. But to this Vermont girl who has lived through a long, cold winter, it felt like a sign that spring is actually on its way (even though my walk this morning included snow… no, I don’t want to talk about it). So of course I impulse-bought it (like someone else might buy a pack of gum at checkout) and went home with dreams of a crunchy, fresh, springy bok choy salad on the brain. Because even if spring is taking its sweet time getting here, I’m going to eat like it’s already arrived.

And this bok choy salad? Oh, she delivered.

The crunch of all those finely chopped veggies and toasted almonds, the nuttiness from the sesame seeds, and that dressing… it’s just so good. Fresh, bright, and honestly a little uplifting.

I’ve never been a huge salad person, but this kind of salad is a game changer for me. Like my zingy carrot cucumber salad or fresh tomato corn salad, this isn’t a pile of leafy greens with a few sad toppings. This bok choy salad has texture, flavor, and personality. This is the kind of salad I actually look forward to eating.

This recipe is loosely inspired by my sautéed bok choy and the sesame dressing I use there—but made fresh and raw. One important note: make sure to clean your bok choy well after chopping. Like leeks, it can hold onto grit between its layers. I walk you through exactly how to do that in the recipe, but don’t skip it… unless you want an unexpected crunch (and not in a good way).

I’ve been eating this as a main with some air fryer tofu on the side, but it also makes a great side salad. Just know it’s best enjoyed right after dressing—once it sits, that crisp texture softens a bit. So prep everything ahead, then toss it together right before serving.

Hope you just adore it and feel the spring vibes from it too!

Let’s make this together. Just you and me…

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Hands slicing baby bok choy on a large wooden cutting board, with thinly sliced white stalks and chopped green leaves spread across the board on a countertop.
Thinly slice the leaves and tender stalks of the bok choy (both the white and green parts).
Hand holding a large glass bowl filled with sliced baby bok choy soaking in cold water on a countertop, with small bowls of julienned carrots, sliced celery, and toasted slivered almonds nearby.
Soak the sliced bok choy in a bowl of very cold water for a few minutes. Then scoop it out and dry it well in a clean towel or salad spinner.
Hand holding a glass measuring cup filled with dressing ingredients on a countertop, surrounded by small bowls and dishes of rice wine vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil, avocado oil, and garlic powder, with bowls of julienned carrots and sliced celery in the background. A whisk sits in the measuring cup.
Whisk together ingredients for dressing.
Overhead view of a large glass bowl filled with dried bok choy, sliced celery, sliced green onions, julienned carrots, toasted slivered almonds, and sesame seeds on a countertop, with a glass jar of toasted slivered almonds and a glass jar of sesame seeds nearby.
Add the remaining ingredients into a large bowl.
Two hands using wooden salad tossers to toss bok choy salad with carrots, sliced green onions, toasted slivered almonds, and sesame seeds in a large glass bowl on a countertop, with a jar of toasted almonds and a jar of sesame seeds in the background.
Toss everything together until well combined.
Hand pouring sesame dressing from a small glass measuring cup into a large glass bowl of bok choy salad with julienned carrots, toasted slivered almonds, and sesame seeds on a countertop, with a wooden salad spoon and jars of almonds and sesame seeds nearby
Pour the dressing over the salad right before serving and toss to coat.
Overhead view of a plated serving of bok choy salad with julienned carrots, toasted slivered almonds, sesame seeds, and sliced green onions in a white bowl with a fork on a countertop, beside a large serving bowl of the same salad with wooden tongs and a bowl of shredded chicken topped with green onions, with a small wooden bowl of sesame seeds and a linen napkin nearby
5 from 1 vote

Crunchy Bok Choy Salad with Tangy Sesame Dressing

Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American, Asian
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Author: Taesha Butler
This bok choy salad is just SO good…perfectly crunchy, fresh, and truly refreshing. Crisp, raw bok choy (no cooking needed!) is tossed with toasted sliced almonds, sesame seeds, shredded carrots, celery, and green onions, then finished with a simple homemade sesame dressing that ties everything together with the perfect hint of tang.
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound baby bok choy
  • 2 large carrots, julienned or 1 ½ cups shredded carrot
  • 4 ribs celery, thinly sliced on an angle
  • 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup toasted sliced almonds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten free option
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey, or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or neutral tasting oil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 small clove garlic, grated

Instructions
 

  • Thinly slice the leaves and tender stalks of the bok choy. Place in a bowl of very cold water for a few minutes. This will allow any dirt to fall to the bottom of the bowl and keep the vegetable nice and crisp.
  • Scoop the bok choy out of the water and dry in a clean kitchen towel or in a salad spinner.
  • Place the dry bok choy, carrots, celery, green onions, almonds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
  • In a small bowl or container, whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, oil, and garlic to combine.
  • Once ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Garnish the top with extra sesame seeds if desired then serve.
  • The salad is best served right after you add the dressing. However, you can store the chopped vegetables and dressing in air-tight containers in the refrigerator separately for up to a day. Make sure to whisk the dressing again before pouring over the salad.
Serving: 1.5heaping cups, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Sodium: 280mg, Potassium: 259mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 7534IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 157mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.