To prepare the Chinese broccoli, slice off about ½ inch of the stems from the bottom end. Rinse them well.
With both of your hands holding the top portion of the leafy parts, carefully dip the stems into the boiling water. Hold your position and blanch the stems for about 45 seconds then release the entire broccoli bundle and blanch for an additional 15 seconds.
Use a large slotted spoon to scoop out the broccoli and shock in cold water. This will keep the broccoli crunchy and in deep green color. Gently squeeze the leafy parts to remove the water. Place them on a serving tray.
Combine homemade vegetarian oyster sauce with sesame oil and coconut aminos. Spoon the sauce over the Chinese broccoli one tablespoon at a time until your desired quantity. The more sauce the stronger flavor and saltier it will be.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if using. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
My vegetarian oyster sauce is made with shiitake, ginger and dates. It has no additives and preservatives. It’s a wonderful sauce for Chinese stir-fries, vegetables, and chilled side dishes. I highly recommend you give it a try. It’s easy to make!
Note: If you are using store bought vegetarian oyster sauce or the regular oyster sauce (with oyster extract), the store bought version is much saltier than my homemade version. A rough conversion is as follows: 1 tsp store bought oyster sauce = 1 tbsp I Heart Umami homemade vegetarian oyster sauce.
Alternatively, If you don’t have the vegetarian oyster sauce handy, substitute the 2-2.5 vegetarian oyster sauce in the recipe with 2 tbsp coconut aminos plus sea salt to taste.