Description
This Winter Warmer Soup is a comforting and nourishing dish perfect for chilly days. Packed with aromatic spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic, along with fresh vegetables including bok choy, mushrooms, and celery, it offers a soothing yet flavorful broth served over delicate rice noodles. Whether prepared on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, this recipe is quick, easy, and ideal for a healthy, cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 4 baby bok-choy, rinsed, washed, and slit into the middle (cut into bite-sized pieces if needed)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cups mushrooms, quartered
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 5–6 peeled and finely diced or minced garlic cloves
- 1–2 inch piece of grated ginger root
- Handful of cilantro, chopped
Liquids & Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon oil (optional – see note for oil-free cooking)
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock or water
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Red chili flakes or chili garlic sauce, to taste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Other
- 1 cup thin rice noodles
- 2–3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Rinse and slit the bok-choy, dice the onion, quarter the mushrooms, finely chop the celery, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and chop cilantro for garnish.
- Sauté vegetables (Stovetop or Instant Pot Sauté): Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Instant Pot on high sauté mode. Add onions, mushrooms, and bok-choy. Sauté until mushrooms release water and darken, and flip bok-choy to char both sides. Remove from pot and keep aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same pot, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add celery, bay leaves, garlic, and ginger. Sauté on low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until softened and fragrant.
- Add spices: Stir in turmeric powder and ground black pepper carefully on low heat for 30 seconds to avoid burning.
- Add liquid and simmer: Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock or water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer gently for 20 minutes on stovetop, or close Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 5 minutes with sealed vent.
- Release pressure (Instant Pot): After cooking ends, allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes then manually release remainder. Open lid carefully.
- Season and assemble: Turn off heat and season soup with salt and lime or lemon juice. Stir in cooked bok-choy, mushrooms, and rice noodles.
- Serve: Ladle hot soup with noodles and vegetables into bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro, red chili flakes or chili garlic sauce, and a sprinkle of ground black pepper. Enjoy your nourishing winter warmer soup!
Notes
- Oil is optional; omit or substitute with a splash of water or broth for oil-free cooking.
- Adjust seasoning like salt and chili according to taste preferences.
- Use low sodium vegetable stock to better control salt content.
- Rice noodles should be cooked or softened as per package instructions if needed before adding to soup.
- This soup can be customized with additional vegetables or proteins to suit your preference.
- Store leftovers refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop and Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Keywords: Winter soup, warming soup, bok choy soup, turmeric soup, ginger garlic soup, healthy vegetable soup, Instant Pot soup, Asian vegetable soup
