Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy is a nutritious, comforting, and flu-fighting twenty-minute recipe made with a vegetarian broth, noodles, mushrooms, and baby bok choy. You can easily make this Bok Choy Soup your own by adding chicken, shrimp, spicy chilis, or other veggies.
The most popular recipe on my blog, this Bok Choy Soup remains a personal favorite thanks to its delicious simplicity. If you love this bok choy soup you may also enjoy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Kimchi Ramen Noodle Soup, or this fast and healthy 10 Minute Garlic Bok Choy Recipe.
I have made a lot of soup in my life. Creamy soups, brothy soups, vegetable soups, and meaty soups. I’ve made them all. However, if I had to pick one soup to eat for the rest of my life it would be this Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy. This Bok Choy Soup is that good.
Some of you may be wondering…why?
WHY THIS IS THE BEST GINGER GARLIC NOODLE SOUP WITH BOK CHOY
- The broth. The key to a delicious and memorable brothy soup is the broth. Unfortunately, achieving this wonderous broth often takes HOURS (learn how to make bone broth here!). The broth in this Bok Choy Soup? Twenty minutes, my friends. Thirty minutes tops.
- It tastes a lot like Phở. Ok, I know, this is basically the same as what I said above. But it deserves two points because it kinda blows my mind a little.
- It’s like chicken noodle soup…but better.
- This Bok Choy Soup will fight your flu. Now, I can’t claim that it will cure anything (I’m not a doctor), but things like ginger and garlic are there to help when you feel like crap.
- It’s completely customizable. In other words, you have the base, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go wild with it. This bok choy soup loves all the veggies and really loves shrimp.
INGREDIENTS IN THIS GINGER GARLIC NOODLE SOUP WITH BOK CHOY
- Shallots and green onions (white AND green parts)
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Low-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth/water to keep it vegan)
- Soy sauce (or Tamari to keep it gluten-free)
- Bok Choy
- Mushrooms
- Rice noodles
- Star Anise
That’s the basic overall list of what you need to make this awesome soup. You’ll also need salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.
What is star anise?
This is one of the most frequent questions I get from readers planning to make this recipe. Every other ingredient is fairly easy to find, but whole star anise? What’s this? Star anise is the seed pod from the fruit of the Illicium verum plant. Shaped like a star, star anise has six to eight points, each containing a single seed.
This Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy Recipe calls for 2 whole star anise. The star anise is not meant to be eaten. I repeat- you do not eat the whole star anise. Star anise provides wonderful flavor to soup, sauces, and marinades, but tastes horrible when eaten whole. Remove the seed pod after simmering the broth.
What does star anise taste like? Star anise is a mix of sweet, spicy (not the chili kind of spicy), and very similar to licorice. As someone who mostly hates licorice, I guarantee you won’t feel like your slurping a bowl of licorice (unless you forget to remove the star anise pods and bite into one).
No idea where to buy star anise? Most major supermarkets sell this must-have spice, but just in case,
If you are one of those people who absolutely HATE star anise, simply substitute with cinnamon sticks. The flavor won’t be quite the same, but it will still be delicious.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOK CHOY AND BABY BOK CHOY
Since several of you have asked, I did a little research and this is what I have found.
- Baby bok choy and Bok choy are basically the same things.
- The difference is that baby bok choy is harvested earlier producing smaller, more tender leaves.
- This means that baby bok choy is much sweeter than bok choy and is often served directly in soups (oh HAY!) or even in salads.
- Bok choy, on the other hand, is much heartier, perfect for longer cooking times as in stir-frys.
That said, this Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy could technically handle either baby bok choy or bok choy. Just remember that bok choy will be slightly more bitter and less sweet.
Bok Choy Soup Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I freeze this soup? Yes and no. Yes, you may absolutely freeze the broth. However, I do not recommend freezing this soup with the vegetables or the noodles. Fortunately, the vegetables and noodles in this bok choy soup take only minutes to heat together.
- Do I pre-cook the noodles? No no no no nooooo. Rice noodles cook super fast. Add the noodles to the broth just a few minutes before you are ready to eat.
- Does this bok choy soup taste good leftover? Similar to freezing, this soup can be eaten leftover but tastes best fresh- unless, of course, you make a big batch of broth and keep the vegetables and noodles separate.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS GINGER GARLIC NOODLE SOUP WITH BOK CHOY
“This was a-mazing. A lot of flavour and very little prep and cooking time. Makes you feel warm inside. Tasty, delicious and satisfying, yet light. This seriously picked me up!” -Emma
“This really was delicious. I used ramen noodles from a pack, I think any kind of noodles, even angel hair pasta would work well. I love bok choy but don’t usually buy it to fix just as a veggie. Now I have an excellent reason!” -Judith
“OMG! Thank you for this recipe, it is sooooo good! I couldn’t help myself and had a second bowl.” -Bonnie
For more bok choy recipes check out,
- Easy Sheet Pan Thai Chicken with Bok Choy
- Sweet Chili Tofu with Coconut Rice and Bok Choy
- Spicy Stir Fried Tofu with Bok Choy
- Udon Noodle Soup with Bok Choy and Poached Egg
- Spicy Stir Fried Tofu with Bok Choy
For more soup recipes check out,
- Easy Chicken Avocado Soup Recipe
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup
- Turmeric Broth Soup with Wild Rice and Vegetables
- Pho Recipe (How to Make Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
- Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Easy Six Onion Soup
DON’T FORGET TO PIN THIS GINGER GARLIC NOODLE SOUP RECIPE WITH BOK CHOY TO MAKE FOR A FAST AND EASY DINNER, WHEN YOU HAVE THE FLU, OR ANY OTHER TIME YOU WANT TO MAKE A BIG BOWL OF BOK CHOY SOUP.
If you try making this Bok Choy Soup Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
RECIPE CARD
Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 shallots - diced
- 1 bunch green onions - chopped, green and white divided
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoon ginger - fresh, minced
- 5.5 cups low sodium chicken broth - or vegetable broth for vegan
- 2 whole star anise
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce - or Tamari for a Gluten Free option
- 10 oz crimini mushrooms - sliced
- 6 oz rice noodles
- 1.5 heads bok choy - roughly chopped
- sesame seeds - for topping
- red pepper flakes - for topping
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-sized stockpot over medium heat.
- To the oil add the diced shallots and mix well. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the shallots turn translucent and start to soften. Stir often.
- Chop the end off of each green onion- dividing the white part from the green part. Chop and set aside the green part for topping. Meanwhile, finely chop the white part of each green onion.
- Add the white part of the green onions, minced garlic, and ginger to the shallots and mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes or until garlic and ginger is fragrant.
- Carefully pour the chicken stock or water (or mix) into the pot and bring to a simmer. To the pot add the star anise and soy sauce. Cover and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid from the pot and carefully remove and discard each star anise from the soup.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, uncooked noodles, and bok choy to the pot and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until noodles and bok choy are tender. Season to taste.
- Divide soup between bowls and garnish with sesame seeds, the green parts of green onions and red pepper flakes (if desired).
Video
Jessica's Notes
- Not everyone loves the taste of star anise. However, I find that it plays a crucial role in the flavor of the broth. That said, if you hate it or don't have any on hand, I have found cinnamon sticks to be a good substitute.
- Need a little protein? Don't be shy about adding some chopped chicken or shrimp to the soup approximately 5 minutes before serving (assuming the chicken has been previously cooked).
- For a lower sodium diet, you can substitute low sodium soy sauce, and/or substitute unsalted chicken broth.
- Garnish with Cilantro optional.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Georgia says
This was the easiest, most flavorful soup! I didn’t really measure anything and doubled ginger, garlic, added udon noodles instead, and some sriracha. Tipped with basil. Tastes SO close to pho that usually takes a day to make. Highly highly recommend!
Jessica Randhawa says
I appreciate the kind feedback and rating, Georgia 😀
Juliana says
Great recipe 🙂 The star anise makes such a difference to the richness of the broth. I also added some rice wine vinegar and a little extra soy sauce + ginger. Oh also I couldn’t find bok choy, so I added spinach during the last 2 min of cooking.
Hannah says
This was a very nice soup. I skipped the star anise because I don’t like liquorice and I didn’t feel like it was missing anything. I followed the rest of the directions exactly and it came out delicious! Peeling ginger sucks, but when it was done the broth was so good that I think it’s worth it to use the fresh ginger. Thanks for this – I’ll definitely make it again.
Gema says
This soup is so nourishing and delicious! *I used buckwheat noodles because it’s what I had, but other than that, I followed it exactly, and it was super yummy. I also want to add that I chopped up and added the roots of the green onion, too, along with the white part of it, as it is a very healing ingredient in traditional Ancient Chinese Medicine!
Thank you for this delicious, healing soup recipe!
Geo says
Great recipe! I made it like 3 times already. Somen noodles work great for a more filling soup. They only take 2 mins to cook so I just add them in whenever reheating.
Devaney says
I haven’t tried this soup yet but I wondered what kind of rice noodles you use for this soup. I’ve never used rice noodles in my 40 years of cooking and there seems to be several different kinds of rice noodles. Thank you!
Jessica Randhawa says
These Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Rice Noodles work great 🙂
ALISON ANWAY says
I’ve now made this recipe about 7 times and we love it. When my hubby sees that I’ve bought baby bok choy he is ecstatic.
We have experimented with adding shrimp, shredded chicken, more garlic and found we love it all.
The only recommendation I would suggest is to cook noodles separately so you can place the noodles in individual bowls then fill bowl with broth contents. This way you can save leftover broth contents and not have mushy noodles.
Jessica Randhawa says
Thanks for the ecstatic review and rating, Alison 😀
Leya says
Super tasty! I added a lemongrass bundle, sesame oil, some shrimps, and sm soft boiled eggies, and it was immaculate
Dharma says
You Rock !!! It’s a keeper a the base, broth is magic you can actually add anything!!! This helps keep me eating as I have a problem with getting enough calories . Awesome Sauce 🌱
Christy says
Just harvested my first successful crop of book choy here in MN in early Nov and this was the perfect way to use it! Absolutely delicious following your recipe exactly. I used Zoup bone broth boullion which is delicious and GF. The star anise gave such a good “pho-ish” flavor for those who love pho. Next time I think I will use more broth and more bok choy and a bit more garlic and ginger since I love those flavors. Excellent recipe thank you so much!
Grigor says
Great soup with lots of flavor.Perfect for light evening meal with rice noodle or not.Good for diet without noodles.
Megan Oliver says
Amazing hearty, umami soup! Tastes so much better than the time and effort put in! I added a softly boiled egg as protein for a vegetarian and it was delicious.
Melissa says
This soup is magical!!! Being gluten free, I am hesitant to eat out at asian food restaurants. And now I know what to do with Bok Choy.
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Hilary says
This was soooo good! Made this tonight for the family and they loved it so much, many compliments! Didn’t have whole anise, used anise seed with a loose tea bag that I floated during the simmer. Added shrimp at the end. So very yum and will make again for sure!
Sally says
Can Anise Extract be substituted for the seed pod? If so how much? Thanks!
Jessica Randhawa says
While I have not tried this substitution, 1 teaspoon of anise extract for 1 teaspoon of star anise looks to be the normal ratio.
Sally says
Thank you! I’m going to try this tonight.
Sally says
Thank you so much, Jessica, for the assistance in the anise substitution with extract. Of course, not knowing how the pod would taste, this was an outstanding addition that I would have hated to miss! My husband absolutely loved this soup. We made it together and had a great time. Thanks for such a great recipe. We’re adding it to our regular choy repertoire. We grow a couple of choy varieties and are always looking for great recipes! This is #1 for us. I’m off to check out your other bok choy recipes! 🙂
Jeannie says
Can I add chopped fennel instead of star anise?
Jessica Randhawa says
Star anise has a very unique flavor, and I have not tried this substitute, so I am not sure how it will go in this recipe. If you try it, let me know how it goes 🙂