Bok Choy Soup

So May 5th has come and gone and we are no longer keeping the fast. We found out after a couple of weeks that not eating meat was pretty simple, not eating any animal products was a little more than we could do at this time. Pretty early on we brought back milk, cheese, and eggs after having stomach cramps for several days. We did falter a couple of times when we went to cookouts, but the experience has substantially changed the way we view our eating. We have decided to eat far less meat than we were before the fast.

In addition to our realization I heard at work about Bountiful Baskets. It's a cooperative food buying thing where you pay $15 for a basket of mixed fruits and vegetables, usually every other week. It's really a crapshoot on what you get, but I've found some interesting things that caused me to flex my cooking muscles.

The first time we did this we also ordered an Asian vegetable add-on. We got bok choy. I have never eaten bok choy, so we were in for a challenge from the get-go. It has become a staple at our house now.

From the basket: bok choy, broccoli, shallots, ginger and celery

Seriously, that was the single best soup I have ever had. Bok choy, broccoli, celery, and shallots from the basket mixed with ginger-infused olive oil (with ginger from the basket), Morton's chili blend, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, dried dill and rosemary, and chicken broth. We topped it with a Mexican blend cheese, but it's good with goldfish crackers too.

I have messed with it a couple of times, but this was the best. Cauliflower instead of broccoli doesn't work. Vegetable broth instead of chicken broth didn't work for us. We've been able to salvage it when it was nearly inedible (due to cauliflower and vegetable broth) by adding tomato paste, mushrooms, and smoked salt. We've pureed it this last time which was okay, but I don't mind it being chunky. I've also added zucchini, romaine lettuce and traded onions for shallots which all seemed okay.

I got a version of this recipe online somewhere, but I've modified it extensively keeping only the ginger-infused olive oil and some of the vegetables. When it comes to recipes like this, I'm very much a cook without measuring.

Some ginger (make sure it's good quality, or a good part of a ginger root)

Olive oil (we use only good quality b/c who knows what's in poor quality olive oil)

Brown the ginger in the olive oil in the pot you'll use to make your soup, take out ginger

Chop up the leaves and upper stalks of a bunch of bok choy, the florets of broccoli, onion or shallots, some stalks of celery, and whatever other vegetables you want. I have filled my pot from half to near overflowing with vegetables depending on the time.

Add to the pot slowly, mixing some vegetable with the oil, if you want.

Add a carton of chicken broth and 6-9 cups (1.5-2 liters) of water

Add some a Tablespoon or so of Morton's chili blend (or your favorite chili blend) for a tiny kick

Add some Worcestershire sauce (I turn the bottle upside down and go around the pot a couple of times)

Add some dried dill weed (a few shakes)

Add some rosemary (I love love love rosemary. I use about 2 T cracked organic rosemary.)

Let simmer for 45 min to an hour stirring occasionally

Blend or not, according to your taste

Top with cheese, crackers, or your favorite topping