Bok Choy Soup

(This recipe posted by Steliz rather than Stizzy.)

As requested by several (and enjoyed by several others this past
week), here is the annotated recipe for the Bok Choy Soup.

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Bok Choy Soup

(Source: Diabetes Forecast, March 2012, p. 58)

Servings claim: Eight 1-cup servings. Reality: served in a large bowl, 3-4 people can demolish the entire batch.

Minimal carbs; original recipe is 5 g per 8 oz serving. Lots of sodium…lower salt products can decrease this.

Preparation time (claim – 15 mins, count on 20+ for all of the washing, peeling, and chopping).

Ingredients & Directions: [1]

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp sesame oil


2. Add in & sauté until the mushrooms begin to brown:
• 8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced
  (thinly sliced baby belles can be a tolerable substitute)
• 1-4 garlic cloves, minced (varies by your test buds)
• 1-2 large shallots, minced
• 1 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger


3. The recipe has 2 scallions added in at the end for garnish. I added in
• 6-7 thinly sliced scallions to the veggie sauté. Great extra earthy flavor.


4. Heat up in a large pot.
• 6 cups chicken broth [2] [3]
  
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce


5. Add to the broth and let simmer on low heat for several minutes:
• 3-4 cups thinly sliced bok choy, cleaned, and tough stem ends discarded.


6. Stir the sautéed veggies in to the broth/stock.


7. Add:
• 1-2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1-2 tsp chili paste [4]


8. Ladle into generous bowls and garnish with scallions.


9. Squeeze lime wedges [5] over the top & serve.


10. Keep it warm in the stove; folks WILL be heading back into the kitchen for seconds.

Notes:

[1] Posted here are my variations on the original recipe. You will vary these, just as I did.

[2] The recipe calls for 6 cups of broth. Most boxed broths & stocks come in 1-quart quantities. Go ahead and plan to use 2 quarts (8 cups), and toss in extra veggies.

[3] I have made this two ways. The chicken broth was great. Equally great were two boxes of Emeril’s veggie stock with a couple tbsps of “Better than Bouillon” vegetarian “chicken-flavored” paste added in for amazing, vegetarian chicken flavoring.

[4] Roasted chili pastes have a much milder flavor that complements all of the earthy veggies. You will need more for the “zing” factor.

[5] Seriously, you will want the limes. Awesome, especially with Asian chili pastes.