Bok Choy Chicken Soup

It can be beautiful when salty meets sweet.

Think french fries and Frostys.  Or salted caramel and milk chocolate.  Or bacon wrapped pineapple.

All of these treats are mouth wateringly good!

And so it is with Sweet and Savory Bok Choy Chicken Soup.  Sweet ingredients are seamlessly integrated into the savory base of chicken and broth.

And bonus… is there anything better than soaking up broth with crusty buttery bread?

Uh, maybe wine?

That’s in this soup too!!

Here’s how it all began:

My relationship with bok choy started when a neighbor gifted some to me.  I had never cooked with it before, but I happily accepted and turned to Google.

I was lucky enough to find a stir fry recipe from the Steamy Kitchen in which you heat oil and garlic in a wok or large skillet, then add bok choy and wine to make a delicious dish.

I love that recipe.

So fast forward to a day in which I realized I had bok choy in the crisper and it was use or lose time.  But, I was in the mood for soup.

A lightbulb went on.

The recipe I share today is a reflection of what I made that night.  I hope you enjoy it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 raw chicken breasts
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground mustard
¼ tsp marjoram
¼ tsp rosemary
⅛ tsp fennel
⅛ tsp black pepper
2 large carrots
1 onion
1 quart chicken broth
2 large baby bok choy stalks
1 cup cilantro leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
4 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp cold water

Here’s how you do it:

Chop chicken breasts into cubes.

Combine soy sauce, vanilla and syrup and set aside.  In a separate bowl mix together the dry spices: mustard, rosemary, marjoram, fennel and pepper.

Add wet and dry ingredients to chicken and stir.

Slice carrots into thin rounds and dice onion.  Add to chicken.

Transfer chicken and veggies to a large pot and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and raw on the outside.

Add chicken broth.

Cook over medium heat until the broth begins to gently boil, then turn heat to low-medium and cover.

Separate cilantro leaves from the stems.

Slice the leafy parts of the bok choy.  You will need to peel away the stalks as you go; they will reveal more leafy goodness within the layers.

Combine cilantro and bok choy and rinse in a salad spinner or colander.

In a large cold pan add olive oil and garlic, then turn to high heat!

Once the garlic begins sizzling and starting to brown, add the leafy goodness and stir!

Continue stirring over high heat for 15 seconds.

Add wine and cover for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and add to the soup in the pot.  Stir ingredients together and cover.

While the soup is simmering, combine 4 tbsp of cornstarch with 4 tbsp of cold water and stir.  This is called a slurry.

The slurry acts as a thickening agent to give the soup texture.

*Note: You can make slurry for other soups by using a ratio of equal parts 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water per 1 cup of broth.

Add slurry to the soup, stir and cover.

Let all of the ingredients simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

I hope you will love this sweet and savory soup as much as I do.  Enjoy it year-round especially in the blustery autumn, the snowy winter and the rainy spring.  Heck, even in the heat of the summer this soup may call to you!

Bon appétit!

Get the printable here ->Bok Choy Chicken Soup