Braised Shiitake Mushrooms

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 50 mins

Total: 70 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Attention, mushroom lovers and the shiitake-obsessed! I’ve got the perfect hearty meatless main dish for you using just simple and earthy ingredients. Fork-tender and juicy braised shiitake mushrooms are the stars here, paired with subtly sweet and delightfully crunchy baby bok choy.

This umami-packed dish has a yin-yang perfect balance of both taste and texture, making it a treat for almost any palate. The best part? This dish is super easy to whip up, even on busy weeknights, and for time-strapped moms like me who are trying to conquer a culinary world.

The Significance of Braised Shiitakes

This dish holds a special place in Asian cuisine and in my modern Asian kitchen; you’ll find variants of it served during significant events like Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and birthday celebrations.

In Chinese culture, shiitake mushrooms are symbols of longevity and vitality (and occasionally virility, but let’s keep things family-friendly), while bok choy signifies fortune and prosperity. Paired together, and sometimes with the addition of dried oysters or abalone, dried scallops, and fat choy (black moss), the result is a dish as delicious as it is auspicious.

How To Make and Serve Braised Shiitakes

For meatless nights at home, this is usually the centerpiece for my family’s meal, complemented and tempered by hot steamed rice, with a side of chili crisp oil. Preparing the sauce is a breeze — mix all the ingredients, stir fry the mushrooms and aromatics until the mushrooms turn lightly golden. Then you just pour in the sauce, cover with a lid, and let the heat and sauce work their braising magic.

Blanching bok choy takes only a few minutes, and that can be done right before you dish up the soft and juicy mushrooms. Finally, don’t discard the slices of ginger; they’ll be a little sweet, savory, and surprisingly delicious. Before we dive into the recipe, here’s a little culinary humor to wrap things up: why do mushrooms always get party invites? Because they’re such «fungis!”

With this dish up your sleeve, you’ll surely be the “fungi” of any potluck or dinner party.

Tips for Making Braised Shiitakes

Save time with fresh shiitakes—To save time, purchase fresh shiitake mushrooms that are firm, plump, and blemish-free, as dry shiitake mushrooms require at least thirty minutes of soaking in water to get rehydrated.
How to substitute dried shiitakes—Rehydrate 4 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water to cover. Use a plate to keep them submerged until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove any stems and lightly squeeze the mushrooms to remove excess water (you want the mushrooms to soak up the braising liquid). You can use the mushroom soaking liquid instead of hot water in the braising sauce.
How to choose bok choy—When buying baby bok choy, look for vibrantly verdant and unwilty leaves, and crisp stems. When stored properly, they stay fresh for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Use a dash of MSG—I highly recommend you have MSG in your pantry. A dash here and there in your savory dishes, like this one, will make your tastebuds sing.
Use dark and light soy sauce—Dark and light soy sauces provide balance in this dish and enhance the flavor. Dark soy sauce adds color, depth, and a sweet caramelized taste, while light soy sauce contributes a savory, umami element, resulting in a well-rounded and delicious dish, fun guys approved.
How to use rock sugar— If you have rock sugar, use that instead of the brown or granulated sugar. Use about two tablespoons and simply add it in chunks to the sauce. It will dissolve.

«This braised shiitake mushroom recipe is absolutely wonderful! A keeper, for sure. The tender, juicy mushrooms are the star of the dish, but the baby bok choy adds a mild, subtly lovely flavor and vibrant color. The recipe developer’s plating is beautiful and easy to replicate. I can’t wait to make this again.» —Diana Andrews

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Sauce

1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon brown sugar or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing or rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegan oyster sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon furu (fermented tofu), optional
1 teaspoon Chinkiang or rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon MSG, optional
Pinch fine salt
Pinch white pepper

For the Mushrooms and Bok Choy

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch crosswise slices
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups (1/2 pound or 226 grams) fresh shiitake mushrooms, hard stems removed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Dash of MSG or 1 teaspoon chicken or mushroom powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 pound (4 to 6) baby bok choy, trimmed, cleaned, and halved lengthwise through the stem
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water, optional
Thinly sliced scallions, optional
Black or white sesame seeds, optional
Fried garlic or fried shallots, store-bought or homemade, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Sauce

Gather the ingredients.
Whisk together 1 cup hot water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon optional fermented tofu, 1 teaspoon Chinkiang or rice vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon optional MSG, 1 pinch fine salt, and 1 pinch white pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Braise the Mushrooms and Cook the Bok Choy

Gather the ingredients.
Preheat a medium Dutch oven, or other heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons neutral oil, 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch crosswise slices, and 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped. As soon as the garlic is fragrant, add 2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) fresh shiitake mushrooms, hard stems removed and stir occasionally while they fry until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.
Pour the reserved sauce over the mushrooms, and add some hot water if there isn't enough to submerge the mushrooms by about three quarters.
Once the sauce boils, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Occasionally stir the ingredients with chopsticks or a spatula. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes. The mushrooms are ready when you can easily poke through them with a fork or chopstick.
While the mushrooms cook, blanch the baby bok choy. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 dash of MSG or 1 teaspoon chicken or mushroom powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.
Immerse 1 pound (4 to 6) baby bok choy, trimmed, cleaned, and halved lengthwise, and blanch until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain and arrange in a serving bowl or dish.
Check on the mushrooms. If the remaining sauce is too thin for your taste, feel free to mix in the optional 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Lay the mushrooms on top of the bed of bok choy. Garnish with the optional scallions, sesame seeds, and fried garlic or shallots. Serve and enjoy!

How To Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Try any of these recipe variations to make this dish your own.

Substitutes for bok choy—It’s fine to substitute the baby bok choy with broccoli or gai lan.
Use king oyster mushrooms—You can also substitute shiitake mushrooms with slices of king oyster mushrooms; just braise for 15 to 20 minutes instead of 30 to 45 minutes.
Add special ingredients—Feeling bougie and festive? Add dried oysters, dried scallops, and fat choy (or black moss) to this dish and braise with the mushrooms.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	18%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1077mg	47%
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 3g	10%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 30mg	150%
Calcium 117mg	9%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 640mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.