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. 

Doggy In The Window- Popular song from the 1950's

I was walking around South Philadelphia the other day. It is an old established city neighborhood made up of mostly congested row houses. 

One house had beautiful window flowers and a dog looking out the window. It reminded me of the old song from the 1950's, "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window".  Do you know it? 

Some Trivia About The Song: 

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