Warm and nourishing, this simple bok choy soup takes only 20 minutes to make, but tastes like it has been simmering for hours. Full of antioxidant-rich ginger and garlic and tender bok choy, this simple soup feels incredibly nourishing and is great in the winter months.
It can be lovely to make light soups like these. They are full of veggies and whole ingredients. It feels like a restart to your system.
Bok choy is great it stir frys and soups. The white stems remain firm but tender and the green leaves become silky when cooked. It is a main component in our family favorite Lions Head (Asian Pork Meatballs with Bok Choy).
This soup has ginger, garlic, and onions-- all very flavorful and fresh.
So next time you need a pick me up-- try this one out. For a nourishing soup with chicken added, try this Bone Broth Chicken Soup.
For more veggie filled soups, check out vegetarian rice soup with mushrooms, spicy cauliflower soup, and autumn kale and mushroom soup
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: This soup can be made in less than 20 minutes.
- Flavorful: Ginger and Garlic add a ton of flavor to this soup. Fresh or frozen are best, as they are they add the most lovely zest to the soup.
- Spicy: Thai chilis add a touch of heat. They can be omitted if you prefer no spice.
- Gluten Free: Rice noodles are naturally gluten free, making this soup great for those who are sensitive to gluten.
- Low Fat: There is just a touch of oil to saute in and then sesame oil for flavoring.
Ingredient Notes
- Garlic cloves: Use fresh garlic instead of jarred if possible, the flavor is different. The smaller you mince the garlic, the more pungent the flavor will be.
- Fresh ginger: I keep freshly grated ginger on hand in the freezer at all times, for recipes such as this one. Here's how you can easily freeze fresh ginger.
- Baby bok choy: Also called pak choy, pak choi, and bak choi, this vegetable is a staple in chinese cooking. It comes in both baby and full grown varieties, but the baby bok choy is more tender.
- Chicken stock or veggie stock: Use either store bought or homemade for this recipe. You can even make homemade bone broth in the slow cooker to use in this recipe for even more nourishment. Easily make this bok choy soup vegetarian and vegan by using vegetable stock.
- Thai Chilis: Add heat and color with a thai chili or two. You can also use red pepper flakes, jalapeno, or sambal oelek for a bit of spice.
- Star Anise: If you have never used star anise before, give it a try. It adds a lovely subtle licorice flavor to the broth. It is a staple spice in this Crockpot Chicken Pho Recipe.
- Rice noodles: My favorite or vermicelli rice noodles, which are similar to angel hair. They are the perfect addition to this bok choy noodle soup.
Variations
- Add protein: Add diced chicken, tofu, or shrimp to this bok choy soup recipe to make it more filling. You can even crack a few eggs into the soup, similar to how you would prepare egg drop soup.
- Skip the noodles: Make a low carb version of this soup by omitting the noodles.
- If you can't find bok choy, try another chinese cabbage, called napa cabbage, or baby spinach.
- Add shitake mushrooms or button mushrooms for more substance.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add in diced onions, cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
Step 2. Add garlic, ginger, green onions, and thai chilis, and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Step 3. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and star anise and bring up to a simmer.
Step 4. Clean and chop bok choy. You can either quarter the bok choy or cut into smaller strips.
Step 5. To simmering broth, add bok choy and dry rice noodles.
Step 6. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until bok choy is tender and the noodles are cooked. Remove star anise before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to clean your bok choy well before adding it to the soup. There can be sand and dirt between the bok choy leaves.
- Adding bok choy at the end ensures that it stays firm and bright green.
- Thai chilis can be pretty spicy, less is more to start. You can always dice some up and add later if you want more heat.
Recipe FAQs
This will depend on the size of the bok choy. You can halve or quarter small bok choy, but larger ones you will want to slice into 1 inch pieces, slicing perpendicular to the root. Both the bok choy stems and leaves are edible.
What does bok choy mean?
Bok choy is a mandarin word and translates to "white cabbage" in english. It is also known as a "cabbage spoon" or soup spoon due to its size and shape.
More Soup Recipes
If you tried this Bok Choy Soup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love to hear from you.
Bok Choy Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil or neutral oil like avocado oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 2 tbsp. ginger grated
- 3-4 baby bok choy quartered or chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 star anise
- 4 oz. vermicelli rice noodles
- 4 green onions mostly the whites
- 2-3 thai chilis optional
Instructions
- In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add in diced onions, cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic, ginger, green onions, and thai chilis, and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, and star anise and bring up to a simmer.
- Clean and chop bok choy. You can either quarter the bok choy or cut into smaller strips.
- To simmering broth, add bok choy and dry rice noodles. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until bok choy is tender and the noodles are cooked.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until bok choy is tender and the noodles are cooked. Remove star anise before serving.
Notes
- Make sure to clean your bok choy well before adding it to the soup. There can be sand and dirt between the bok choy leaves.
- Adding bok choy at the end ensures that it stays firm and bright green.
- Thai chilis can be pretty spicy, less is more to start. You can always dice some up and add later if you want more heat.
Becky DeSilva
I added two chicken breasts, cooked and shredded. It made for a delicious alternative chicken noodle soup that my family loved! Thank you, Sarah.
Sarah Baumeister
Thank you, Becky! I am so glad you all enjoyed it. Chicken is a great addition, I do that sometimes too.