Spicy Pork Soup
with zucchini noodles / baby bok choy
A rich soup base made of aminos, ginger, and garlic helps to build flavor in this quick-cooking weeknight soup without the need for a long simmer time.
Smarts #1: If you’re making a non-spicy version of this soup, you may need to increase the amount of aminos used to make up for that spicy flavor element. You can always taste and add more miso or spice at the end of cooking.
Smarts #2: This recipe could be made in the Instant Pot. For tips, join the Cook Smarts Instant Pot Facebook Group.
Ingredients
- Baby bok choy - 12 oz, halved (sub regular bok choy, chopped)
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Oil, toasted sesame - 1 tsp
- Ginger, fresh (opt) - 1 tsp, grated
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Bragg's / coconut aminos - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Vinegar, rice - 2 tsp
- Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/2 tsp
- Zucchini - 12 oz, spiralized, sliced into noodles with a peeler, or cubed
- Limes - 1, wedges
- Green onions - 2 stalks, chopped, green and white parts separate
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Pork, ground - 1 lb
- Stock, any type - 4 cups
- Coconut milk, light (14 oz / 397 g can) - 1 can
- Sesame seeds, white or black (opt) - 1 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Ginger / Garlic - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make soup base - Combine ginger, garlic, aminos, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Bok choy - If using baby bok choy, slice in half lengthwise. If using regular bok choy, chop. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Zucchini - Turn zucchini into 'noodles' with a spiralizer or peel off strips with a peeler. (Note: If you prefer, you can also just slice the zucchini into cubes.)
- Limes / Green onions - Prep as directed.
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Make
- Heat a Dutch oven or wok over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil (portion for bok choy) and sear baby bok choy on both sides (if using chopped regular bok choy, saute it) until tender, ~4 minutes total. Season with some salt as it cooks. Drizzle toasted sesame oil over bok choy and set aside.
- Reduce heat under the Dutch oven to medium.
- Add cooking oil (portion for soup) and then white parts of green onions and pork. Saute pork, breaking it apart, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess oil.
- To pork, add soup base and saute for 1 minute.
- Pour stock and coconut milk over pork and bring to a simmer. Place a lid on the pan, leaving it slightly ajar to prevent the soup from bubbling over. Simmer soup for 10 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Add zucchini to soup and simmer just until zucchini is tender, ~1 minute for zucchini noodles (4 to 5 minutes for zucchini cubes).
- Remove soup from heat and squeeze half of the lime wedges over top. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed - add more aminos for more salty / savory flavor, some hot sauce if you’d like more heat, and some more lime juice if you’d like it more sour.
- Divide bok choy between large bowls. Ladle hot soup over top. Finish each bowl of soup with green part of green onions and sesame seeds. Serve remaining lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
44 reviews
Delicious! Kids like it too. Doubled the coconut milk, reduced the stock to compensate, doubled the soup base. Don't forget the lime juice!
0 HelpfulThis was good- I used Soba noodles instead because that’s all I could find at the store. We also added mushrooms and an extra heaping TBS of miso. I didn’t add any salt! It was plenty salty. Also, I skipped buying the mirin and used rice vinegar like the recipe suggested and I’m glad I did because it tasted just fine. I don’t need any more bottles of things I’ll only use twice in a year sitting in my fridge, haha! It was difficult not knowing whether to use a fork or a spoon though! But I’d make again. Was good.
0 HelpfulVery flavorful, quick to make if soup base made in advance. Next time will add a little more miso, red pepper, and another vegetable.
0 HelpfulDelicious! The only changes I made was to use rice noodles and add some more red pepper (we like things spicy). Otherwise followed the recipe as is. Sooooo yummy and 2 portions were perfect for a weeknight meal.
0 Helpful