Bok Choy Miso Soup

This bok choy soup is loaded with vegetables and it's absolutely delicious! Made with tender bok choy, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, fresh cilantro, and barley in a flavorful miso broth. Ready to eat in one hour! 

I like to eat soup all year round, not just when it's cold out. When it's chilly, I lean towards making heavier soups like this vegan lasagna soup, wild rice soup, or creamy lentil chickpea soup. During the Spring and Summer I always make this delicious bok choy soup!

This bok choy soup is on the lighter side because it doesn't have a heavy cream broth, but it's still super filling because it's packed with vegetables and barley. The simple miso broth is super flavorful and the fresh lemon juice, ginger, and cilantro leaves really take it to the next level. This soup is definitely not lacking any flavor!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This bok choy soup is very easy to make. It can also be made in the slow cooker. Here's the ingredients you'll need to make it and substitutions if you need them.

• Barley - You could also use wheat berries, rice, quinoa, or orzo.
• Onions - Use a yellow, sweet, or white onion. Leeks or shallots would also be delicious.
• Mushrooms - I used cremini mushrooms in this soup, but you could also use white button, portobello, or shiitake mushrooms. Frozen or canned mushrooms are great too. 
• Garlic - I used fresh garlic, but you can also use dried. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.
• Bok Choy - I used baby bok choy. Sliced napa cabbage, green cabbage, or kale can also be used.
• Red Chili Flakes - I only used a pinch for flavor, it doesn't make the soup taste spicy at all.
• Miso - I used white miso paste because it has a mellow flavor. It tastes very salty, so you probably won't need to season with extra salt.
• Ginger - Fresh ginger adds sooo much flavor! If you use dried, start with ½ teaspoon.
• Lemon - Lemon juice is a big part of the broth. You could also use lime juice.
• Cilantro - Fresh herbs always elevate a dish! Don't use dried cilantro for this recipe.

How to Make It 

Saute the diced onions in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, until the onions are translucent. Then add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic and let it cook until the mushrooms start to brown.

While the onions, garlic, and mushrooms are cooking, cook the barley in a seperate medium-sized pot. When it's done cooking, drain any excess water and set it aside.

Next, add the chopped bok choy, ginger, mushroom broth, and water to the pot. Bring the soup to a low simmer and then reduce the heat and let it cook until the bok choy has softened a little but try not to overcook it. The bok choy should still be bright green and it will be tender and easy to chew.

Take the soup pot off the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes. Use a ladle to remove one cup of the broth from the soup pot and put it into a bowl. Let the liquid cool down for a few more minutes and then stir in the miso paste. Don't add the miso to boiling liquid.

Let the bok choy soup cool down a little bit more and then stir in the miso broth that you just made, lemon juice, and the roughly chopped fresh cilantro.

To serve the bok choy miso soup, put a ½ cup of cooked barley in each soup bowl and then serve the soup on top of it. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Put all of the soup ingredients except for the miso, cilantro, green onions, and lemon juice into a large 6-quart slow cooker. Add an extra 2 ½ cups of water or mushroom broth for the barley to absorb while it cooks. Set it to cook for 3 hours on high.

Check it at 3 hours and carefully remove 1 cup of the broth from the pot. Put the reserved broth into a small bowl and let it cool down. Once cooled, add the miso and stir until it has dissolved into the liquid.

If you're happy with the consistency and texture of the barely after 3 hours, add the cilantro, lemon juice, and miso paste mixture. Stir it in, garnish with green onions, and serve immediately. 

Serving Suggestions

Baked potatoes or sweet potatoes and a slice of crusty bread are my go-to choices to serve with this bok choy miso soup. You could also serve any of the following veggie dishes with it.

• Roasted Lemon Garlic Asparagus
• Roasted Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
• Lemon Tahini Courgette Salad
• Pesto Veggie Bake

Recipe Variations

• Plant-Based Protein - If you want to add extra plant-based protein to the soup, white beans or chickpeas would be a delicious addition.  
• Pasta - Instead of the grains, serve the soup with your favorite type of ramen noodles, tortellini, gnocchi, or orzo,
• Make it Spicy - Add more chili flakes or 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce.
• Vegan Meat - Make it even more filling by adding sliced vegan sausages or cumbled impossible meat.

How To Store It

Store the leftover cooked barley separately from the soup so the grains don't absorb all of the miso broth. If you store them together it will have more of a stew-like consistency until you add more liquid.

You can freeze the bok choy soup for 2-3 months. When you're ready to eat it, put the container in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a little bit more broth or water if it's too thick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Success Tips 

• Use small heads of bok choy instead of the larger heads of mature bok choy, because baby bok choy has a sweeter and more delicate flavor. Pick heads with lots of green leaves if possible.
• Dirt tends to get trapped in the tight layers of the bok choy leaves. To clean it, I slice it first and then soak it in a bowl of fresh water. Move it around with your hand so the dirt will fall off and sink to the bottom of the bowl.
• Cook the barley separately from the soup so it won't absorb all of the soup broth. Store it in the fridge separately also.
• Don't add the miso to the boiling soup, it will kill the probiotics in the miso. Add it at the end once you've taken the soup off the heat.
• Miso tastes very salty, so wait to add more salt to the soup until after you add the miso and taste it to see if it's necessary.

Want More Delicious Soup Recipes?

• Lemon Vegetable Orzo Soup
• Hearty Cabbage Soup
• Zucchini Potato Soup
• Lentil Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Tomato Basil Soup