Shrimp and Bok Choy Soup

When I picked up a large bag of bok choy at the farmers market, I figured I'd cook it with chicken stock and garlic per usual. But, on second thought, I wanted to prepare it as part of the main attraction rather than a side. So, this soup is what I came up with: a super easy knockoff to make at home when dragging yourself out to an Asian restaurant is not an option.


Bring chicken broth/stock (I use canned), garlic and ginger to a boil. Drop in some shrimp and bok choy (cook shrimp 2 minutes to avoid overcooking). Chopped green onion is a nice, but optional, touch right before eating.

I was going to throw in some thin Korean noodles, but it turns out that 1 can of chicken broth is not much liquid. As I threw in half a pound of shrimp, the soup was filling enough for a lazy Sunday lunch. There are many ways to doctor this up further: fish sauce, chiles, Asian hot sauces, etc. An Asian granny would not be impressed with my soup, but I think it makes for an acceptable alternative to overpriced restaurant versions!