Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
Cream of Shanghai Bok Choy Soup
I love the simplicity and speed of this delicious, nourishing spring soup. Any bok choy variety will work here, but do seek out baby Shanghai choy for its exceptionally sweet and delicate flavor and pale jade green stems. Blanched for only minutes and then blended, the seasonings are minimal so as not to obscure its sweetness. To finish we brighten the soup with a splash of soy milk. Cream of Shanghai Bok Choy Soup whips up in a flash and makes a beautiful starter for your next dinner party or a simple supper. Garnish with a little soy yogurt and chives and serve warm to better appreciate its superb, nuanced flavors.
This soup is a nutritional powerhouse: With negligible fat or calories it is rich in vitamins C, A, K, and folate, and calcium, phosphorous, and potassium.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 4 for a starter, 2 for a main
1 to 1 ¼ pounds 2 to 4” Shanghai bok choy, blanched
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon granulated onion
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
About 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tablespoons shiro (mild, white) miso paste
Garnish with dots of a low-fat plant-based yogurt – I used homemade soy yogurt – a few chive leaves and a flower when in season.
Wash the baby bok choy well to remove any growing media. Blanch for 2 to 4 minutes or until tender. This is slightly longer than for other bok choy applications where we’d be looking for crispy-crunchy stems and scarcely tender leaves. Test as you go. Scoop out with a skimmer and plunge immediately in ice water to halt cooking and brighten its color to a brilliant emerald green. Allow to cool. Reserve ½ cup of the blanching liquid. Transfer the choy to a high-speed blender. Add the granulated garlic and onion, the nutritional yeast, white pepper, ¼ cup of the soy milk, and shiro miso.
Blend until entirely smooth and uniform, adding a little of the steaming liquid, if needed, to facilitate blending. The consistency of the soup should be velvety smooth, not too dense but not watery. Taste and correct seasonings as you like. It should be flavorful and balanced with a hint of each seasoning perceptible. The soy milk lifts and lightens the color and herbal notes of the boy choy. You may prefer to use more or less soy milk, according to your tastes.
To serve, warm the soup over low heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to steam but well before it reaches a simmer. Serve in warmed bowls.
Garnish with a spoonful of plant-based yogurt and a few fresh chive leaves and whole chive flower or chive petals strewn on top. Seve immediately.
