Miso Soup with Bok Choy

Miso soup. No introduction needs to be made. Read on for a tasty and extremely healthy miso soup recipe!

Bowl of miso soup with bok choy in a bowl with a spoon on a table.

This soup is perfect for a cold day, a hot day, or really any day that you want soup. The savory miso with the bitter bok choy, topped with cilantro and green onions, make it a very well-rounded dish. We spent a few months in southern China and had a variation of this dish, however it was made with soy sauce and MSG. Soy sauce is not a good source of soy, and MSG isn’t healthy what-so-ever: enter miso. Miso is a paste made from fermented soy beans and rice. It is a fermented food, so it contains probiotics, making it great for your gut! Best of all, it has the umami taste, without the bad side effects of MSG or other processed foods.

This is a hearty, unbelievably healthy, cost effective meal that will both satisfy and make leftovers! Please enjoy!!

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Tbs coconut oil or ghee
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 head of bok choy, chopped and separated into white thick stocks, and green leaves
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into match sticks
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb cooked chicken (really any part of chicken as long as it’s eventually cut up)
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 package rice noodles or sweet potato noodles
  • 1 heaping TBS of miso paste
  • salt and pepper to taste (miso is pretty salty tasting so take it easy with the salt)
  • optional: bean sprout and green onion

Instructions

  1. Saute the chopped onion, the white parts of the bok choy, carrots, and the garlic in the Tbs of coconut oil or ghee. Cooked until onions transparent and carrots soft. Remove from skillet.
  2. While the vegetables are cooking, you can either boil the chicken, or also cook them on a skillet with salt and pepper. I have tried both and honestly enjoy both methods.
  3. In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil then turn down to simmer, add all the cooked vegetables, chicken, and also the green parts of the bok choy.
  4. Add 1 tbs miso paste to the pot and turn down the heat to low so the probiotics don’t die. Make sure to stir into the soup so it doesn’t stay chunky. Cook for 3-5 min.
  5. Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles, or follow the instructions on whatever noodles you bought.
  6. Add the cooked rice noodles to the soup and serve!
  7. In desired, add optional toppings: cilantro, green onions, bean sprouts, and jalapeños for a kick!