The first time I tasted this salad I fell in love with it. A salad with a lot of crunch is a happy salad in my book. This baby bok choy salad with almonds and ramen noodles crunches with every bite.
My dear friend Judy introduced me to the original recipe. She told me that the recipe was a longtime favorite of the Roanoke College community (Judy was a cataloger at the college). It originated with Jo Fintel, wife of the College’s 8th president, Norman Fintel. The recipe appears in the 1997 Roanoke College Cookbook, submitted with Jo’s note:
“I brought this salad to one of our Fortnightly potlucks after a W & L basketball game and got many requests for the recipe.”
Here’s my version of this popular recipe:
For the sesame dressing:
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds (available at Fresh Market)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
For the baby bok choy salad:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 package ramen noodles, crumbled, seasoning packet saved for another use or discarded
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Pinch of salt
- 3 bunches baby bok choy sliced
- 5 green onions, chopped
Melt butter in a frying pan. Add ramen noodles, almonds and salt. Stir and heat over medium low heat until ramen noodles and almonds are lightly browned. Remove from heat.
 In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, olive oil, red wine vinegar, black sesame seeds and soy sauce. Whisk to combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Place baby bok choy and green onions in a salad bowl, toss. Sprinkle ramen noodle almond topping on the salad just before service.
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @bubblybeeboop.
