In China, soup is something that is always on the table, particularly at dinner. According to Chinese tradition, your dinner should always include at least three dishes and one soup (三菜一汤, san cai yi tang). This bok choy soup is super easy. If you have always wanted to do something different with bok choy rather than just put it in stir-fry, you need to try this bok choy soup. Chinese soups are usually made with simple ingredients and are very easy to make. My bok choy soup is no exception to this rule. Along with fresh bok choy, it uses ginger and zha cai (榨菜), a Chinese pickled mustard plant stem, for big flavor.
What is Zha Cai
Zha cai is a type of pickled Chinese mustard stem. It has a wonderful combination of spicy and sour and salty all together. It kind of reminds me of sauerkraut with a hint of hot chili pepper and sweetness. The texture is interesting, too. It’s crunchy but also tender. The only thing I can really liken it to is a pickle. Most people only know wonton soup, egg drop soup, and hot and sour soup from their neighborhood Chinese restaurant. While there’s no denying those soups are delicious, try my bok choy soup. It’s a simple recipe that will add more color and nutrition to your meal. Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking? Sign up my newsletter to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and recipe update! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Other Chinese soup recipes
Instant Pot Lentil Soup (Chinese Style)Napa Cabbage Soup with MeatballsOxtail SoupLotus Root Soup With Pork RibsWinter Melon Soup with Meatballs
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
