Directions: |
Directions:Step 1 - TIPS - How to keep bok choy fresh
The main goal is to keep it as dry as possible in the refrigerator.
Grocery stores generally keep them somewhat moist, so when you first come home from the store, lay out all of the bok choy on a towel so they can dry.
Before placing it in the refrigerator, poke holes in a plastic bag and set a paper towel inside of it. This helps absorb some excess moisture.
Peel the outermost layers of bok choy stalks to make soup with. These layers are the firmest and most fibrous, so they work well with soups.
Step 2 - Prepare pork
To prepare our pork chops (4 oz), first need to trim away the fatty edges.
Then, cut the pork chops perpendicular to the muscle grains into a few pieces, and then into thin slices (about 2mm thick). This helps give the meat more of a tender chew when we eat it.
Next, marinate pork with cornstarch (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tsp), and water (1 tbsp). Stir the mixture until it’s fairly even, and add the pork. Using a bit of force, massage the pork for about 30 seconds to help the pork absorb the marinade.
Step 3 - Wash bok choy
You'll need to wash the baby bok choy (1 lb) thoroughly:
Peel away each individual stem, and toss them into a bowl of large water
Scrub your fingers along the bottom of each stem closest to the root. Dirt usually accumulates here.
Rinse under running water.
If you have time, soak the bok choy in water for 30 minutes.
Step 4 - Trim bok choy
The stalks of bok choy are all inherently different sizes, so we'll want to make two cuts for the bigger stalks:
one to separate the stalks in half
and another to separate them from the leaves.
Step 5 - Prepare soup base
Set your stove to high heat. In a pot, we'll bring water (5 cups) and chicken broth (14 oz) to a boil.
We'll also add oil (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), chicken bouillon (1 tsp) (optional), and a few slices of ginger (optional).
The salt and oil help to preserve the bok choy's color.
Cover, and wait for it to boil.
Step 6 - Cook bok choy
Once the pot has come to a boil, throw in our bok choy, starting with the stems/roots. These are thicker and take longer to cook.
Shortly after, throw in the leaves.
Cover, and wait for the pot to return to a gentle boil.
Step 7 - Cook pork
Once the bok choy has returned to a boil, add the pork slices a few at a time, making sure to separate them from one another. Add chicken bouillon (1 tsp) (optional).
Stir for a bit. After adding the pork chops, once the pot returns to a boil, the soup is ready to eat. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
Step 8 - Plate and enjoy.
If you're making this in a bigger batch, you may want to transfer the bok choy out of the soup, as it will start to lose its color and firmness the longer it sits in hot water.
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This recipe for Bok Choy and Pork Soup is from