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Have you ever taken a big ol' bite of something green, garlicky, and so ridiculously good that you have to pause and sorta reevaluate your life choices? That's for realsies about to happen to you when you make this stir fry rau muống (or pak boong, as it's called in Thailand).
Nourishing things like this probably shouldn't be this easy, but here we are. One pan, a handful of ingredients, and BOOM. Plus, it's ready in just 16 minutes, so you can go from "Ugh, what do I cook?" to "Why the actual heck haven't I made the Thai/Vietnamese version of broccoli rabe sooner?!" in no time.
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Rau muong-aka water spinach, morning glory, or ong choy-is a straight-up staple across Southeast Asia and Chinese cuisine, where it's pretty frequently stir-fried with fermented tofu or doused in a savory soy-based sauce.
In Vietnam, it's been a go-to green for generations, growing wild in rural areas and making its way into everything from curries like ca ri chay to stir-fries like this one.
It's a total workhorse in the kitchen: toss it into tom vegan tom yum soup for an extra veggie punch, mix it into stir-fried noodles, or if you're more into Thai cuisine, pak boong is perfect for leveling up the nutritional value of tom yum fried rice, vegan drunken noodles, and pad woon sen. Basically, if you need an easy way to sneak more leafy greens into your meals, this hollow-stemmed dark leafy green has got you covered.
This dish is an MVP in Vietnamese households, and for good reason…it absolutely SLAPS. Grab that wok, crank up the heat, and let's make some BANGIN' stir-fried water spinach, especially if it's your first time!
It's so good to find a new green to love! I'd never cooked with water spinach (labeled morning glory at my local store) before, and we loved this. While I'm sure the recipe would be great with any type of green, it's worth looking for the water spinach and trying it out. The recipe itself is, as always with this site, flawless.
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🥰 Why you'll adore this rau muống recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF: Like all my vegan Vietnamese recipes and vegan Thai recipes, Rau Muống brings serious flavor and texture-no chicken stock, shrimp paste, or fish sauce is needed.
🥦 Get Your Greens In: As someone who's been vegan for decades, I've always said that dark leafy greens are the real "meat" of a vegan diet. If you can't find water spinach, swap in Chinese broccoli, broccolini, or bok choy (which you can easily find in Asian markets).
⚡ Ridiculously Fast & Easy: One pan, a handful of ingredients, and 16 minutes-that's all you need to whip this up. Perfect for when you're short on time but still want something stupidly nourishing.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this one has been fine-tuned and validated by a massive team of recipe testers across the globe. No guesswork, just straight-up good food every single time.
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🥬 Pak Boong Ingredients
Water Spinach (Rau Muống)
Water spinach, known as rau muống in Vietnamese, is a semi-aquatic plant with hollow stems and great-tasting tender leaves. If you can't get water spinach at your local Asian grocery store, you can 100% make this recipe with Chinese broccoli, broccolini, or wok choy in its place.
Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
This sauce, which is made from mushrooms takes Rau Muống to the next level, adding a deep umami flavor that makes those garlicky greens even more addictive. It's not just for stir-fried water spinach-it also levels up noodle dishes like bihun goreng and mie goreng, plus Filipino favorites like adobong sitaw. No vegetarian oyster sauce lyin' around in your kitchen? Hoisin or kecap manis can be swapped in to get the job done.
White Pepper
White pepper offers a mild heat and smokier flavor compared to black pepper. It's commonly used in Asian cuisines like pad see ew, and vegan yakitori, and I even rock some in my vegan Alfredo sauce. Black pepper can be a substitute, as can a little gochugaru.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
📖 How to cook Rau Muống
Lock down this veggie dish like a pro by following these step-by-step photos and tips. Or scroll to the bottom for the easy-to-print recipe card!
Step One
Leaf It to Me:
Trim the tough ends from the water spinach, and cut the crunchy stems and leaves into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces.
Step Two
Shower Time:
Give your greens a thorough rinse under running water, then drain them thoroughly in a colander or wire mesh strainer.
Step Three
Fully Aromatic:
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Let it warm up for 90 seconds-it should be hot but not smoking. Toss in the grated ginger and sliced garlic. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes until they're fragrant and lightly golden.
Step Four
Spinach Me Right Round Baby Right Round:
Add the water spinach. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the leaves wilt and the stems turn tender.
Step Five
Saucer's Apprentice:
In a small bowl, mix the vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, lime juice, white pepper, and salt. Stir well until smooth.
Step Six
Coat Me Maybe:
Pour the sauce over the greens and stir well to evenly coat everything. Let it cook for just another 1-2 minutes so the stems absorbs the sauce.
Step Seven
Sprinkle, Sprinkle, Little Star:
Transfer to a serving dish and top it off with cilantro, fried shallots, and sliced chilies (if using). Or simply dunk bites into nam jim jaew, or Thai sweet chili sauce.
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💡Serving Ideas
Stir-fried water spinach is the ultimate healthy side dish for most Southeast Asian meals (especially Vietnamese and Thai spreads).
In a Vietnamese feast, it's right at home next to bánh tráng cuốn-fresh spring rolls packed with crisp Asian leafy greens. Serve it over steamed Vietnamese sticky rice with lemongrass tofu for protein. Drizzle 'em in vegan nước chấm, a tangy-sweet plant-based fish sauce.
On the Thai side, this perfect vegetable holds its own with bold dishes like Thai basil eggplant, packed with golden and creamy eggplant perfection. Or keep it classic and serve it over steamed coconut jasmine rice-the simple combo of garlicky greens and fragrant rice is straight-up comfort food.
Are you a spicy freak like me? Step it up a few degrees with some homemade sriracha, sambal oelek, or chili garlic sauce. Pair it with a refreshing plate of Thai papaya salad, tofu larb, or spicy Thai cucumber salad.
And when it's time to cool down? A tall glass of vegan Thai tea, or che ba mau is a killer way to finish your meal.
👉Top tips
- Maintain High Heat Throughout Cooking: Stir-frying is all about quick cooking over medium-high heat. This quicker cooking makes sure the water spinach retains its crispness and vibrant color, preventing it from becoming soggy and lifeless.
- Dry Your Greens Like You Mean It: Because the stems are hollow, chopped water spinach kinda holds onto moisture like a sponge, and excess water can lead to steaming instead of that perfect wok-fired sear. After rinsing, shake off as much water as possible before letting it air dry, and if necessary, pat the greens dry with a clean kitchen towel before throwing 'em in the pan.
- Boost It with Some Protein: Want to turn this into a full-on meal? Toss in bite-sized pieces of vegan fried chicken or Indonesian fried tofu for extra texture and protein.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Nope! While most of the water spinach is fair game, skip the tough, fibrous ends of the stems-they don't soften up much, even with high-heat cooking. If you've got a more mature bunch, sort through the leaves and ditch any that look dried out or wilted. Stick to the tender stems and vibrant leaves for the best texture and flavor.
Yes, stir-fried water spinach is prepared differently across Asia. For instance, in Malaysia and Singapore, it's often cooked with shrimp paste (belacan) in a dish known as kangkung belacan, while in the Philippines, it's sautéed with garlic and soy sauce in a dish called adobong kang kong.
Yes, water spinach is also known as morning glory, particularly in Southeast Asia. It's scientifically called Ipomoea aquatica and is related to, but not the same as, the common morning glory flower, which is common in the West.
🧊 Refrigerating
Let the dish cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. For the best result, eat it within 3 days-any longer, and you risk sad, soggy greens.
❄️ Freezing (But, Like… Don't)
Look, technically, you can freeze Rau Muống, but should you? That's a hard no. Freezing will zap that crisp-tender magic, and you'll end up with a culinary dumpster fire on your hands. Don't even think about it.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating
Heat a pan over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil. Toss in your leftover Rau Muống and stir-fry for one to two minutes until heated through.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating
Pop the Rau Muống in a microwave-safe dish and cover it with a plate or reusable cover. Microwave on medium power in thirty-second bursts, stirring in between, until warm. This is the fastest method, but expect softer greens-still tasty, just not quite as fresh and lovely.
✌️You'll love these vegan Vietnamese recipes too
Learn to make your fave Vietnamese street food bangers in this super-fun cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Rau Muống
Equipment
- wok optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound water spinach
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ginger grated
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar or coconut sugar, or palm sugar
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Optional Garnishes:
- Cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon fried shallots
- Sliced bird's eye chilies
Instructions
- Trim the tough ends from the water spinach and cut the stems and leaves into 3-inch (8 cm) pieces.
- Rinse the greens under cold running water and drain them in a colander or wire mesh strainer.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the water spinach to the pan and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until the leaves wilt and the stems become tender.
- In a small bowl, mix the vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, lime juice, white pepper, and salt.
- Pour the mixture over the water spinach and stir well, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until evenly coated.
- Transfer to an attractive serving dish and garnish with cilantro, fried shallots, and sliced chilies, if using.
Notes
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h says
It's so good to find a new green to love! I'd never cooked with water spinach (labeled morning glory at my local store) before, and we loved this. While I'm sure the recipe would be great with any type of green, it's worth looking for the water spinach and trying it out. The recipe itself is, as always with this site, flawless.
Carla says
I don't know what water spinach is, and likely cannot get it in my area. Could I use baby bok choy in this recipe?
Adam Sobel says
Yep. You could sure adapt this to work with just about any kind of greens
Reshyll says
I don't like spinach but this recipe made me LOVE it. It's just that good.