What You’ll Need
3 Bunches of Baby Bok Choy (you can use regular Bok Choy, if you’re into that sort of thing)
3 Bunches of Green Onions (never too many of these tbh, if you buy organic, they are large and in charge, while the conventional look like they’ve been on a soup cleanse since they sprouted)
1/2 Shallot
⅔ lb of Ground Pork (Whole Foods Mild Italian is Muh Fav)
2 Bunches of Kale
1 Bag of English Peas
1 Bag of Stringless Snap Peas (during my tests, some of my so called “friends” didn’t like these, but I make the calls here, so they’re on the list)
1 Bunch of Spinach (if you don’t like clumpy veggies, don’t add this, but you’re not as healthy as me, just know that)
1 Packet of Chives (if you use more than 1/3 of these, you’re off base)
2 Waxy Potatoes
1 Case of Shiitake Mushrooms (any mushroom will do, but I’m a spy kids fan, so shiitake it is)
2 tablespoons of Butter ( so here’s the thing, I use salted, does it even matter? Probably not, don’t @ me, I’m not a chef)
Olive Oil
One Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper (be careful these little bastards will cross you when you least expect it and then you’ll have to add cream to your soup to make it edible, not speaking from experience, because I’m a professional, but still not a chef)
Parmigiano Rind (my favorite part of this recipe, prepare to have your mind blown #thankscarla)
1 Box of Orecchiette (did you know orecchiette means “little ears” I always knew my Italian relatives had a hard time listening…)
1 Lemon (this is one of those recipes where you will be left over with a eggshell colored lemon, and so you just decide to throw it in the garbage disposal because you can’t stand to look at it without it’s zesty skin)
¼ Cup of White Wine (another ingredient you’ll only use a portion of, what you choose to do after you add it, is up to you. Don’t you DARE drink the rest of the bottle so your incapable of tasting this creation)
Flaky Sea Salt (pretentious salt? check.)
1 Container of Veggie or Bone Broth ( I like to make the soup with half broth/half water)
Garlic Powder
Ground Ginger
We’ll start this off by giving credit where it’s due, to the magnificent Carla Lalli Music, and her brilliant cookbook “Where Cooking Begins”. A great book for me, a self proclaimed beginner, as confirmed by my fiancé who eats many of the meals I make, poor guy… I’ve probably made this soup too many times, each time a little differently, just for you (you’re welcome fans), to get to what I think, is this perfect iteration. While the soup is intended to be healthy, I’m pretty sure I’ve gone and screwed that up with some of my alterations, but alas, the vegetables are still there so we’re all good. Admittedly, I’m the kind of gal who could eat soup and salad for every meal, indefinitely. In fact, my simpleton pallet can oftentimes be an incendiary between said fiancé and I midst the universally relatable “what do you want for dinner” conversation. That being said, here’s “a soup for even the soulless”, by kat.
How Many Humans Does This Feed? Four. or two, very hungry individuals
Here’s How You Make It – I have A.D.D. so when I read recipe’s I have to re-read the line 9727145 times and am perpetually convinced that I’ve missed or measured something incorrectly. With that in mind, I tried to keep this as simple and foolproof as possible for you, my fans.
Step 1: take all of your veggies (kale, bok choy, english peas, green onions) and take em to whatever bathing station you have situated in your kitchen. Wash ’em right, keep it light, we’re just getting started.
Step 2: grab your green onions, and you guessed it, slice the scallion whites crosswise into skinny “rounds”. Take the green portion and set them aside
Step 3: Take Bok Choy & Kale and slice diagonally into ¼ -inch pieces, set aside
Step 4: Grab the stringless snap peas – trim and cut in half lengthwise
Step 5: Shred mushrooms into your desired size, I suggest in half.
Step 6: Locate your shallot, cut it in half and mince that cutie like its a clove of garlic
Step 7: Cue the mom from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “I peel the potatoes”. Peel and cut into ½ thick rounds. Set aside.
Step 8: In a skillet over medium heat, season, brown and break up your 2/3lb of ground pork – set aside
Step 9: In a large pot ( I use a dutch oven, don’t overcomplicate this, just get a large vessel for you to throw everything) melt your 2 tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Once melted, grab the scallion whites and minced shallot, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes look shiny- for a couple of minutes.
Step 10: Add a pinch and I mean PINCH of crushed red pepper, and ¼ cup of wine. You’ll cook this until half of the wine disappears (aka reduces), how sad, for three minutes (keep your heat on medium).
Step 11: Take your broth or stock of choice (I use chicken broth) and pour into the pot, add water until you have about 2 quarts of water.
Step 12: Take your Parmesan Rind, and drop her in the pot, the flavor this creates will take any cheese lover to places they never knew they were missing.
Step 13: Take your ⅔ of seasoned and browned ground pork, and add to the potato mixture. Stir and turn up that heat to high, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, we want to be sure those potatoes are cooked!
Step 14: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your Orecchiette and set a timer for 3 minutes less than what the package recommends for cooked pasta. If you feel you don’t have enough liquid in the soup, or want some extra flavor, reserve some of the pasta water and add to the broth.
Step 15: Drain pasta and plop it in the soup. Leave soup on simmer for two minutes to allow the pasta to finish cooking, and flavors to blend.
Step 16: ALMOST DONE! Thinly slice scallion greens, and stir them together with some finely chopped chives. Dress with 6 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Step 17: Serve into obscenely large bowls and scoop your green onion “garnish” on top of each of the bowls and wait for the soup to cool down before you stuff your face.
E N J O Y
A Soup For Even the Soulless
Serves 2-4
- 3 Bunches of Baby Bok Choy
- 3 Bunches of Green Onions
- 1 Shallot
- ⅔ lb of Ground Pork
- 2 Bunches of Kale
- 1 Bag of English Peas
- 1 Bag of Stringless Snap Peas
- 1 Bunch of Spinach
- 1 Packet of Chives
- 2 Waxy Potatoes
- 1 Case of Shiitake Mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons of Butter
- Olive Oil
- One Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
- Parmingiano Rind
- 1 Box of Orecchiette
- 1 Lemon
- ¼ Cup of White Wine
- Flaky Sea Salt
- 1 Container of Veggie or Bone Broth
- Garlic Powder
- Ground Ginger
- Step 1: Veggie Prep
- Grab your green onions, and you guessed it, slice the scallion whites crosswise into skinny “rounds”. Take the green portion and set them aside
- Take Bok Choy & Kale and slice diagonally into ¼ -inch pieces, set aside
- Grab the stringless snap peas – trim and cut in half lengthwise
- Shred mushrooms into your desired size, I suggest in half.
- Locate your shallot, cut it in half and mince
- Step 2: Cue the mom from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “I peel the potatoes”. Peel and cut into ½ thick rounds. Set aside.
- Step 3: Cooking Time
- In a skillet over medium heat, season, brown and break up your 2/3lb of ground pork – set aside
- In a large pot ( I use a dutch oven, don’t over complicate this, just get a large vessel for you to throw everything) melt your 2 tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Once melted, grab the scallion whites and minced shallot, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes look shiny for a couple of minutes.
- Add a pinch and I mean PINCH of crushed red pepper, and ¼ cup of wine. You’ll cook this until half of the wine disappears (aka reduces), how sad, for three minutes (keep your heat on medium).
- Take your broth or stock of choice (I use chicken broth) and pour into the pot,add water until you have about 2 quarts of water.
- Take your Parmesan Rind, and drop her in the pot, the flavor this creates will take any cheese lover to places they never knew they were missing.
- Take your ⅔ of seasoned and browned ground pork, and add to the potato mixture. Stir.
- Turn up that heat to high, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, we want to be sure those potatoes are cooked!
- Step 4: Pasta Time
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your Orecchiette and set a timer for 3 minutes less than what the package recommends for cooked pasta. If you feel you don’t have enough liquid in the soup, or want some extra flavor, reserve some of the pasta water and add to the broth.
- Drain pasta and plop it in the soup. Leave soup on simmer for two minutes to allow the pasta to finish cooking, and flavors to blend.
- Step 5: Serving
- Thinly slice scallion greens, and stir them together with some finely chopped chives. Dress with 6 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Serve into obscenely large bowls and scoop your green onion “garnish” on top of each of the bowls and wait for the soup to cool down before you stuff your face.
