If you’re looking for a comforting soup that has wonderful healing properties and warms you up as it fills you up, this Bok Choy Soup is the perfect choice. It's a convenient dish, often ready in about 20 minutes, making it ideal for a quick lunch. This soup is a delightful blend of refreshing bok choy, aromatic spices, and savory broth, promising a nourishing and comforting meal. Plus, it's versatile enough to fit into various diets, including keto, low-carb, and paleo.
Understanding Bok Choy
Before diving into the recipes, let’s appreciate bok choy. Also known as pak choi, it is a type of Chinese cabbage that doesn’t resemble typical cabbage. One of the standout qualities of bok choy is its nutritional content. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like calcium and potassium. Moreover, it offers a unique, slightly sweet flavor and a pleasant crunch that holds up well when cooked. When choosing bok choy, look for bunches with bright green leaves and firm, pale stems. These are tender and sweet - ideal for soups. If using regular or large bok choy, no problem! After cutting, rinse thoroughly to remove any grit - especially near the base where dirt can hide.
Simple Bok Choy Soup Recipe
This recipe provides a light, brothy, and flavorful soup that’s easy to customize.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
- 1 bunch of bok choy, chopped
- 3 large eggs (optional)
- Green onions (scallions, spring onions) for garnish
- Optional flavorings: ginger, star anise, fresh garlic, lemon, soy sauce
Directions:
- Prepare the Broth: In a medium soup pot or saucepan, add the stock or broth and a few splashes of soy sauce (and any other optional ingredients). Bring to a boil.
- Cook the Bok Choy: Add the chopped bok choy, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook until the bok choy starts to change color and becomes tender (about 15 minutes). Note: if you use star anise, you will want to remove this after a few minutes of simmering and before adding the bok choy.
- Add the Egg (Optional): Reduce heat to a very low simmer. Slowly pour eggs in a small stream into the soup, stirring the soup gently with a fork. Let it stand for a few seconds until the eggs are done.
- Serve: Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
Keto Bok Choy Soup Recipe
This recipe focuses on being keto-friendly while maximizing flavor.
Ingredients:
- 18 oz bok choy
- Sesame oil
- Garlic, minced
- Ginger, minced
- Salt
- Mushrooms (Shiitake recommended)
- Olive oil
- Stock (Chicken or Vegetable)
- Coconut aminos (or light soy sauce)
- Takii shiitake mushroom seasoning or chicken bouillon powder (optional)
- Spring onions for garnish
- Soft poached eggs (optional)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Bok Choy: Slice the bok choy in half (or quarter if large). Rinse and clean under cold water. Set aside to drain.
- Sauté Aromatics: Preheat a medium-sized soup pot over medium-low heat. Add sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Sauté Mushrooms: Add the mushrooms and olive oil. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Simmer Broth: Add the stock and cover with a lid to bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes. Then lower the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add Seasonings: Taste the broth and adjust with seasonings. Add coconut aminos and shiitake mushroom seasoning to add depth and extra flavor.
- Cook Bok Choy: Bring the heat up to medium and add the bok choy. Place the bok choy stem side down first and leave the leafy parts above the broth so they look like they are standing upwards. Cook the stems for 1-2 minutes, then submerge the whole bundle, including the leafy parts, in the hot broth for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
- Serve: Season with another dash of toasted sesame oil and sprinkle with spring onions. Divide the soup into bowls and add a poached egg to each bowl, if using.
Tips for Perfect Bok Choy Soup
- Don’t Overcook: Overcooking is the most common reason bok choy turns mushy in soup. Add the stems first for 2-3 minutes, then add the leaves last for just 1 minute to keep everything tender and crisp.
- Enhance Flavor: If your soup tastes bland, use toasted sesame oil, sauté garlic and ginger first, and add shiitake mushroom seasoning, bouillon powder, or dashi powder for depth. A splash of coconut aminos or a few drops of light soy sauce also help boost flavor.
- Choose the Right Broth: A clean, flavorful chicken broth or a shiitake mushroom-based veggie broth works best. You can also stir in a spoonful of miso paste or dashi powder for extra umami.
- Add Protein: To make it more filling, add poached eggs, tofu, shredded chicken, or even dumplings. You can also add noodles for a heartier bowl.
Detailed Bok Choy Soup Recipe
This recipe will guide you through the process of making a flavorful and satisfying bok choy soup. It considers the importance of each step to build a rich flavor base.
Read also: Is Bok Choy Keto?
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Aromatics: Garlic, fresh ginger, and all spice
- Fresh, firm, healthy looking bok choy
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- Optional: Soba noodles, cooked chicken, pork, or beef
Instructions:
- Start the Flavor Base: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and star anise. Sauté the mushrooms.
- Prepare the Broth: Pour in the low sodium chicken broth.
- Cook the Bok Choy: Add the bok choy halves to the pot, positioning them with the white end submerged and the leafy parts hanging out of the broth. Let this simmer for 5 minutes.
- Finish the Soup: Add the prepared noodles, soy sauce, and fish sauce to the soup. Stir well to combine everything.
- Serve and Enjoy: Divide the soup between two bowls. You can add meat to the dish if you want to make it a more substantial meal. If adding chicken, you can cook the chicken in the broth as it’s simmering, before you add the bok choy. Chop it into cubes and make sure you’ve simmered the soup long enough to cook the chicken thoroughly, about 10 minutes instead of 5.
Variations and Add-Ins
- Add Meat: Enhance the soup by adding leftover chicken, pork, or beef.
- Noodles: Soba noodles are a great addition, but you can also use ramen or rice noodles.
- Poached Eggs: Add protein and a silky texture by poaching eggs in the soup.
- Vegetarian Option: Use vegetable broth and shiitake mushrooms for a rich, umami flavor.
- Spice it Up: Add a dash of chili flakes or a drizzle of sriracha for a spicy kick.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Chop the garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and wash the bok choy up to 1 day in advance.
- Storage: Soup is perfect for meal prep, and this Bok Choy Soup is no exception.
- Freezing: Bok choy doesn’t freeze well - it turns mushy and loses its texture.
- Reheat: When you’re ready to reheat your soup, pour it into a pot and warm it over medium heat until it’s heated through. Alternatively, microwave on medium for 1 minute, stir, then another minute until hot. Or reheat gently on the stovetop.
Why Bok Choy Soup is Great for Various Diets
Soups are great food to prepare when following any type of diet. This soup, in particular, is great for those following low carb, keto, clean eating, whole30, paleo, or primal diets. Soups can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, and warmed up for lunches, dinner, or snacks throughout the week. This soup can be made during any season.
Bok Choy Egg Drop Soup Variation
For a comforting twist, consider making Bok Choy Egg Drop Soup. It combines the simplicity, warmth, and flavor of egg drop soup with the added nutrients of bok choy.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
- 1 bunch of bok choy, chopped
- 3 large eggs
- Green onions (scallions, spring onions)
- Optional flavorings: ginger, star anise, fresh garlic, lemon
Directions:
- In a medium soup pot or saucepan, add stock or broth and a few splashes of soy sauce (and any other optional ingredients). Bring to a boil, add bok choy, turn the heat down to a simmer until bok choy starts to change color and becomes tender (about 15 minutes). (Note: if you use star anise, you will want to remove this after a few minutes of simmering and before adding the bok choy).
- Reduce heat to a very low simmer. Slowly pour eggs in a small stream into soup, stirring the soup gently with a fork. Let the stand for a few seconds until the are done.
Read also: Creamy Keto Soup
Read also: Delicious keto wonton soup