Asian Chicken & Bok Choy Soup

It’s getting closer and closer to the season of hot comfort foods, and with the nice cool evenings we’ve been having lately, soup has been back on the menu.

I got inspired to try making an asian soup when I saw baby bok choy at the grocery store.  I had never tried bok choy until this past summer, and I wish I had tried it sooner!  It’s surprisingly flavorful, and packs a lot of Vitamin C and A, amoungst other vitamins and minerals.  Between the bok choy and the soothing chicken broth, this is the perfect meal for anyone trying to fight the flu or keep from getting it.

This soup is especially great when paired with a side of shrimp fried rice, or as an appetizer before the main course, something to the tune of seared salmon on a bed of steamed chinese broccoli or asparagus.

You’ll Need:

– 4 chicken thighs
– 2-3 baby bok choys
– salt & pepper
– 1 garlic clove, crushed
– slice of ginger root (approx 1 & 1/2 tsp if using the powdered form)
– thin rice noodles (I use the Thai Kitchen brand, and use about 1/4 of what comes in the package)
– 1 tbsp olive oil

* serves several generous helpings for two people

To Start:

– follow these directions for chicken soup up to the 4th bullet point (don’t add the bok choy yet)
– let the soup simmer for approx 1 hour
– when the soup has done nearly an hour of simmering, use a separate bowl to soak the noodles in warm water for approx 10 mins
– take the chicken from the pot and cut into bite-sized pieces.  The meat should pull away easily and be nice and tender.  Add the cut chicken back into the pot, still on a low simmering heat.
– cut the end off the bok choy like you would a celery stalk, then cut horizontally down the stalk into bite-sized pieces
– drain the noodles and add them to the soup for the last 12 mins of letting the soup simmer
– add the bok choy to the soup in the last 8 minutes of letting the soup simmer
– serve!