Impressive Bok Choy Soup

This soup does not look spectacular. I wasn't even excited about it.

However, once I tasted it, I was blown away by how such a simple soup could taste so good. I think farm-fresh greens, homemade stock, and a lot of garlic played a major role. I would have added a half cup of couscous, but I didn't have any.

This soup also made me feel healthy and cleansed after a few weekend indulgences. I enjoyed it as a light dinner one night and for breakfast on the following two days. Does anyone else enjoy soup for breakfast?

Impressive Bok Choy Soup

1 (or more) red onion, sliced

Cantonese bok choy stems, chopped

few cloves of garlic, minced

homemade vegetable or chicken stock, or both

Cantonese boy choy leaves, torn into manageable pieces

coarse salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat some olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the red onion and boy choy stems until soft. Add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds. Add the stock and the bok choy leaves, and bring to a boil, then gently simmer it for 3-5 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper at each stage in the cooking process.

About the stock:

I took the veggies that I've been storing in the freezer in a bag and turned them into vegetable stock. This time around I had a lot of green onion tops and a lot of celery scraps. I didn't worry that green onions and celery might not make for a balanced stock, I just focused on turning the vegetables into stock. I always keep in mind that later on I can reinforce the stock with other flavors, like carrots and mushrooms.

Just to clarify, I placed the green onions and celery scraps into a stock pot, covered them with cold water and added a bay leaf, a few smashed cloves of garlic, and some black peppercorns. I would have added some thyme sprigs if my herb garden was up and running. Then I slowly brought the stock to a boil over low heat and then let it simmer very gently for a half hour or so.

I usually make stock after dinner, during dish clean-up, and into relaxation time. With the heat on low, the stock can do its own thing while I focus on other things.

One the stock cools I store it in quart containers in the freezer.