Bok Choy Soup With Noodles

This simple bok choy soup is a light, delicately flavored soup made with ginger, garlic, bok choy, mushrooms and rice noodles. Ready in less than an hour, it's perfect on a chilly day or anytime you're feeling under the weather! Add cubed tofu, beans, or lentils for a light meal.

A bowl of bok choy noodle soup with mushrooms and star anise with a white spoon resting in the bowl.

Why You'll Love It

With a hint of warm star anise, plus ginger, garlic, and umami-rich mushrooms, this nourishing bok choy soup is delightful in its simplicity. But we also love how versatile it is!

You can add a spicy kick with hot peppers, chili flakes, cayenne, or your favorite hot sauce.

It's also fantastic with ramen noodles, or really any type of noodle or pasta you happen to have in the pantry. And speaking of ramen, be sure to try my cold ramen noodle salad next!

Bonus: This recipe is easier and faster than making pho, but with some of the same, familiar flavors.

As written, this recipe is vegan and gluten-free, but you can certainly customize it however you like. We're big fans of tofu and especially enjoy adding smoked tofu to this soup for a light meal.

If you're a fan of light and broth-y soups like this, be sure to try my slow cooker cabbage soup next!

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Why You'll Love It
About Bok Choy
Ingredients
How To Make Bok Choy Soup
Substitutions
Variations
FAQs
Top Tip
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Recipe
💬 Comments

About Bok Choy

A type of Chinese cabbage, bok choy is easily recognizable for its leafy green blades and long white stalks that come together in a bulbous base.

Here in the U.S. you may frequently see both full-size and baby bok choy in the grocery produce section. For many recipes, this soup included, you can use either variety.

They're essentially the same vegetable, with baby bok choy being a younger, smaller version of regular bok choy. Baby bok choy tends to be sweeter and more mild than the full-grown version, making it especially nice for salads.

Bok choy can be eaten raw or cooked and is great for stir fries and soups like this one.

Freshly washed and trimmed bok choy on a cutting board.

Ingredients

bok choy - You can use either full-size or baby bok choy for this soup. Since baby bok choy is more delicate, I usually reserve it for raw uses or quick stir fries.
shallots - Their mellow flavor adds a little something special, but yellow or white onion also works.
green onions - These add such a nice garden-fresh flavor.
mushrooms - The soup is especially delicious with the smoky flavor of shiitake mushrooms. Otherwise, look for baby bellas (cremini). They have a bit more flavor than white button mushrooms and are usually easy to find. If using shiitakes, be sure to pluck out and discard the woody stems.
ginger - Freshly grated ginger adds great flavor to the broth.
garlic - I used 5 medium/large cloves. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your tastes.
soy sauce - or certified gluten-free tamari
noodles - I used pad thai rice noodles for the soup because that's what I had on hand, but other varieties are good, too, such as udon and ramen.

See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.

Two bowls of noodle and bok choy soup against a gray background.

How To Make Bok Choy Soup

Begin by washing and chopping all of the fresh produce. Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat, and add a teaspoon of oil. Cook the bok choy undisturbed for about 30 seconds. Stir and cook for another minute or so, until dark green and wilted. Season with a pinch of salt, and transfer the bok choy to a plate.

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Next, you'll add the remaining oil to the pot, and cook the shallots, mushrooms, and half of the green onion until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic to the pot, and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Add the water, broth, soy sauce, and star anise. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Finally, add the dry noodles to the pot and cook according to package directions. When the noodles are nearly tender, return the bok choy to the pot to let it heat through.

Substitutions

The hint of licorice from star anise is mild, but if it's a flavor you don't particularly enjoy, feel free to skip it. In its place you can experiment with a few dashes of ground turmeric or Chinese 5 spice.

If you find yourself in the mood for soup and don't have bok choy, Napa cabbage is a good substitute.

A white bowl filled with soup with a pale green napkin resting next to it.

Variations

Add protein: For a more filling soup, simply add tofu or cooked beans or lentils. Try adzuki, chickpeas, or black eyed peas.

Different varieties of tofu work perfectly in this soup. Cubed soft or silken tofu is a nice contrast to the textures of the bok choy and mushrooms. Or try firm, extra-firm, or super-firm tofu.

Add the tofu while the soup is simmering. If desired, marinate the tofu first in a bit of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil for added flavor.

Make it spicy: To the saute, add diced hot chiles or a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flake.

FAQs

Do you eat all parts of bok choy?

Both the white and leafy green parts of bok choy are edible. After trimming off the base of the bulb, separate the leaves, and rinse well to remove dirt. Then chop the bok choy for salads, sautes, soups, and stir fries.

How long should you cook bok choy?

Since bok choy is safe to eat raw, many people prefer to only cook it briefly in order to maintain its crunch and crispness.

Top Tip

To prepare bok choy, first trim off the bottom of the bulb and separate the leaves. Rinse the leaves and stalks very well to remove dirt. You can also soak the leaves in cold water and give them a good swish to make sure they're clean and ready to be cooked.