Bok Choy and Green Pea Soup - Quick, Easy, and Delicioius.

The weather is starting to warm up a little, but I'm still making soup. The last few weeks I had made vegetarian black bean soup and vegetarian lentil soup but now I wanted something lighter. I made a delicious bok choy and frozen green peas soup that hit the spot.

It's farmers market season, and this week I came home with a bounty of fresh produce—a large bunch of parsley, fragrant cilantro, a large Bok choy and plenty of crisp lettuces and salad greens.

Normally, I think of these ingredients for salads and cold dishes. But this morning, I woke up to a surprising 51-degree temperature. The house felt chilly, and suddenly a salad didn't sound appealing at all.

Instead, I found myself craving something warm and comforting.

So despite my refrigerator being packed with fresh salad greens, I headed to the kitchen to make soup. I remembered in the past, I had made a soup using romaine lettuce. I decided to keep my romaine for salads and try the bok choy for soup. 

The soup turned out light and delicious. I enjoyed it topped with some tofu cubes for added protein, and I was a happy healthy camper. (yes, I ate the soup initially for breakfast)

One of the things I love about shopping at farmer's markets is that the ingredients are so fresh and flavorful that even a simple soup can taste special. A handful of freshly grown parsley can brighten an entire recipe. Those leafy greens that were destined for salad found themselves simmering in a soup pot.

I had a bag of frozen peas in the freezer, so some of them went in the soup too. The soup cooked quickly (about 10 minutes) and was soothing, warming, and delicious. I pureed it and it was better than I expected. (Always allow soup to sit for a minimum of an hour or more for the flavors to mingle and intensify. 

Ingredients

5-6 cups of chopped bok choy

1 cup of chopped parsley or cilantro 

2 cups of frozen peas, divided

1 teaspoon salt, cracked pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder 

8-10 cups of water (start with 8 - add if needed)

Optional: Tofu cubes for a topping or add the tofu to the soup pot when done.

Directions: 

Sauté the bok choy. parsley or fresh cilantro, and 1.5 cups of frozen peas in a wide saucepan/soup pan until the bok choy begins to wilt, stirring occasionally. Add seasoning and water bring to a boil and cook for about 8 minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning to your liking. Puree (leaving a little soup chunky) with an immersion blender. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of frozen peas after pureeing. Allow to sit for at least an hour before serving. 

My Notes: 

1. This soup is vegan, gluten-free, and plant-based

2. Fresh mint leaves well with peas- I might garnish with fresh mint. 

3. I like to sauté my vegetables in 1/2 cup of water, but you do you!!

4. Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder- I just didn't have any.