Miso-Glazed Bok Choy and Shiitake (70 Cal, Ultra-Low Oxalate)

Bok choy is one of the few leafy greens where the calcium is bioavailable. Spinach has more calcium on paper, but oxalates bind roughly 95% of it before your body can use it. Bok choy’s oxalate content is negligible, so you absorb most of the 120mg per serving listed above. Pair it with shiitake mushrooms — one of the only plant foods that contain meaningful vitamin D — and you have a calcium-plus-D combination at 70 calories per serving. The shiitake soaking liquid is liquid gold. Save it for dashi or any sauce that needs depth.

Ingredients

#

• 6 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
• 2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tbsp water

6 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp water

Instructions

#

1. Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 20 minutes until fully rehydrated and pliable. Drain and reserve the soaking liquid — strain it through a fine mesh sieve or coffee filter to remove grit. Slice the shiitakes.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
3. Whisk together white miso, rice vinegar, garlic powder, melted coconut oil, and water until smooth.
4. Halve the bok choy lengthwise. Toss the bok choy halves and sliced shiitakes in the miso glaze.
5. Arrange cut-side down on the sheet pan in a single layer. The flat cut surface of the bok choy should make full contact with the pan for maximum caramelization.
6. Roast for 15 minutes. The bok choy stems should be tender but not collapsed, and the leaf edges should be lightly charred.
7. Divide into four portions and store in deli containers. Store the reserved shiitake soaking liquid separately — it keeps for a week refrigerated or freezes well in ice cube trays.

Walford Notes

#

Ultra-low oxalate pairing. Both bok choy and shiitake mushrooms are classified as very low oxalate foods. This matters for anyone on a calorie-restricted diet where every milligram of mineral absorption counts. The calcium here is not theoretical — it is absorbed.

Shiitake soaking liquid contains glutamate, guanylate, and dissolved vitamin D. It is the foundation of dashi and works as a direct replacement for stock in sauces. Do not pour it down the drain.

White miso probiotics survive partially through sheet pan roasting because the interior of the glaze stays below lethal temperature for longer than the surface. This is not a guarantee of probiotic delivery, but it is better than cooking miso in a boiling soup.