A Deliciously Tasty Bok Choy Soup Recipe
If you are looking for a soup recipe full of flavor and texture, add this bok choy soup recipe to your rotation of soups for lighter meals, and enjoy it when you need something to keep you warm. You may have enjoyed this soup as an appetizer, but it is easy to make at home and pairs great with a salad or soup for a complete meal. It is also a vegetarian or vegan dish that you can serve to accommodate all your guests.
What is Bok Choy?
The star of bok choky soup is the bok choy itself. It is one of Asia’s two leading leafy greens and a part of the Chinese cabbage family. Compared to other vegetables in the West, it resembles mustard, cabbage, and kale. The texture of the bok choy is crunchy and it tastes similar to cabbage when it is cooked down. It can be used as a side dish, a part of salad or in soups like this recipe. It is packed full of nutrients and one of the healthiest foods you can enjoy and each part of the plant is edible.
The History of Bok Choy Soup
In China, bok choy has had a long history in cuisines and is being used as a superfood for cultures and dynasties dating back over thousands of years. This Chinese cabbage was easy to grow and would grow in large amounts, making it ideal to feed families and keep them from starving.
Bok choy has also been used for its medicinal purposes in Chinese culture, which is where the bok choy soup recipe origins begin. Pairing this vegetable in a broth with other superfoods could help fight small illnesses and nurse family members back to health because it has lots of vitamins and minerals. Not only has it been used to heal, but it also is used to prevent sicknesses and keep the body strong.
Gather Your Ingredients
Whether you want to make this bok choy soup recipe for your health or just to enjoy the flavor, you do need to grab the ingredients necessary to develop the flavors and enjoy this Chinese classic.
- 20oz of baby bok choy
- Four garlic gloves
- One tablespoon of sliced ginger root
- 1/2 cup of shiitake mushrooms
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- Six cups of vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of diced scallions
- One tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
- One cup of ramen noodles
There are some substitutions you can make in this soup. If you want to keep it vegan or vegetarian, stick with vegetable broth or water for your soup. You can add seafood stock to your soup if you want more seafood taste.
Not all markets might have shiitake mushrooms, so you can sub these out for baby Bella or oyster mushrooms, depending on what is available. They will all keep to that texture and provide the Earthy taste you want in your soup.
Build Your Soup
Now that you have gathered your ingredients and your large soup pot, you can start building your soup and have it ready in about a half an hour.
1. Prepare the Veggies.
First, you need to wash the mushrooms and baby bok choy that you picked up at the market. Go ahead and give them a good rinse under cool water and dry them off. When ready, begin slicing the mushrooms into thin slices or chunky dice, depending on your preference.
You will want to half the baby bok choy so that they will cooked own at the same consistency in the soup. Also, take your garlic and ginger and cut them into small slices. This is important to get the flavor moving throughout the soup.
2. Saute First
In your large soup pot, add your olive oil and your toasted sesame seed oil to medium high heat. Give it about 30 seconds to warm up, and then add in the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and salt to taste. You want this to saute for about four minutes, allowing the flavors to marry together. Make sure to keep stirring so the garlic and ginger doesn’t burn.
3. Add the Broth
Turn the heat on your burner to high, then add in your choice broth. Give the mushrooms, seasonings, and broth a good mix, and let them get to a rolling boil. It will take about five more minutes to get the broth rolling.
4. Mix in the Rest
Once that broth has a rolling boil, make sure to add your halved bok choy to the broth. You want to put the stems down first since they are the most dense, and let them cook for a minute or two. Once the bok choy has been in the broth for a minute, turn the burner down to simmer and add in your ramen noodles. Cover your soup and let it simmer for ten minutes, stirring periodically.
5. Serve and Store
While waiting for the soup to finish, dice up some scallions and sit them on a dish on the side. Once your soup is ready, ladle it into soup bowls and allow your guests to add the scallions if they so choose to their dish.
Any leftovers you have from this soup need to be cooled down completely and can be stored in the fridge for the next few days. You can freeze the remaining soup in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to three months.
Make This a Complete Meal For All Diets
If you are vegan, you can add tofu to this soup and have a full meal to meet dietary restrictions. A poached egg and tofu are great options if you are a vegetarian and want additional protein. Those who enjoy seafood enjoy adding small shrimp to this dish to round out the meal. Others can enjoy small chicken or beef flavored with garlic and ginger.
For those on a low calorie diet, you can opt out of the ramen noodles and enjoy the broth and veggies for a healthy and low-calorie option. This is great for meal prepping or enjoying as a meal starter with guests.
