It’s fall and the weather is starting to change which means it’s cold and flu season. This also means it's soup season. I’m trying desperately to keep germs away from my family but it’s an uphill battle as my baby insists on putting anything and everything into his mouth. It’s gross. I know that one day he’s going to catch something and it’s going to take us all down.
I’m the worst when I’m sick. It never fails that everyone around me will be sick for two days and I will be sick for two weeks. I’m trying to prepare and have healthy and easy soup recipes ready to go for when the dreaded flu hits our home. This is definitely one of those recipes. It’s super easy and the broth tastes really amazing . . .
So, I think I may have jinxed myself. The very night I wrote this, my son woke up with his first cold. It’s not the flu but it was a bad cold that ended up taking down not only my son but also my husband and I. We weren’t thrilled to be sick but we were very happy to have this recipe. We ate nothing but this soup for 3 days and it was so satisfying. I swear it was the reason we got better in a week and not a month.
Turmeric adds a lot of flavor to my homemade chicken broth. It’s a really satisfying soup. The dish is supposed to serve four but my husband and I ate the whole thing in one night. It was that good.
The turmeric also adds color to the soup. Keep that in mind because you’ll need to wipe that up immediately if it gets on your counter or anything else because it will stain. I have white counters and this stuff is worse than red wine when it comes to stains.
Shrimp Bok Choy and Turmeric Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt plus additional for serving
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper plus additional for serving (optional for AIP, AIP Reintroduction)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 6 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Carrots sliced
- 1 pound Shiitake Mushrooms stems removed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 6 heads Baby Bok Choy bottoms chopped off
- 1 pound Shrimp
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic then sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add in salt, pepper, turmeric, chicken broth, carrots and mushrooms then bring to a boil
- Reduce heat and then let simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
- Add bok choy and shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Add salt and pepper to taste then serve.
Notes
The soup was too bland. I added a tad of vinegar and a drop of soy sauce. It still needs something. I just don't know what! The mushrooms, bok choy and shrimp are delicious though!
I'm sorry you thought that it was too bland. If you added frozen shrimp (not defrosted) then it may have watered it down. But mushroom, bok choy and shrimp are a classic combo. It's yummy!
I made this exactly as written except I had baby bella mushrooms and large bok choy. It is so yummy and earthy...definitely will make it often.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.
I thought it was good but needed less salt and a little more seasoning. Turmeric by itself is more about color than taste. Yes bloom the turmeric before adding the broth. I also suggest 1/2 t of Garam masala along with the turmeric. A foundation of good homemade stock makes this a wonderful soup or meal.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Feel free to adjust the seasonings according to your tastes. Please note that garam masala contains spices that are not AIP friendly and therefore not allowed on the AIP diet.
can you save some time using an instant pot for the first few steps?
I think you could but I've never tried it. The carrots would be done in only 1-2 minutes in the instant pot. I'm not sure it would actually save time though. The time it takes to heat up and then release the pressure may be equal or be longer than the 20 minutes it takes to cook this soup on the stovetop.
Can this be done in a crock pot and cook all day; or will the bok choy be awful?
Honestly I think it would take longer to cook in a crock pot. It's also not the type of recipe where you dump all the ingredients in and let it sit. You need to add them in separately so they don't overcook.
Delicious - a quick recipe with a lot of flavor. My father & husband loved it.
I'm so glad your family enjoys it. It's a favorite of my husbands as well.
In India, they seem to universally believe that the health benefits of turmeric only come when the turmeric is fried; every use of turmeric has it added to the oil before the onions. "Raw" turmeric has no medicinal properties, they seem to all agree. Anyhow, cooked turmeric tastes better.
I liked the recipe fine, but i didn't bother trying it as written; i tossed the turmeric into the oil at the end of 1. or at the beginning of 2.; one heats the oil, adds the turmeric, lets it darken past golden, then one adds the onion (with half of the salt), then the garlic.
Otherwise, 5 stars!
I'm glad you liked the recipe. Turmeric is a wondrous thing!
Hi Beth,
I have to agree with this comment, many spices release their aroma much better if heated (all essential oils come out). It stands especially for turmeric, cumin and coriander (seeds). I also had not any idea of this until I came across of a recipe of cream of tomato soup with butternut squash. There, turmeric and ground cumin needed to be "roasted" in oil before adding onion and even the smell of roasting spices was fabulous, not speaking about the taste of the soup. Anyways, I have not prepared your recipe yet but it sounded so good, I already bought the baby bok choy and other ingredients and will make the soup tomorrow 🙂
You're welcome to add the spices in first and let them cook before adding the chicken broth. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Just finished a huge bowlful - it was delicious but a tad too much chili. Will cut that back a bit but will be making it again soon!
That's wonderful! There's no chili in the recipe though. It tastes great without it.
Can’t wait to make this soup. Are you using precooked shrimp or raw?
Use raw shrimp. I used red shrimp which is why it already looks cooked even though it's raw.
My family and myself are in love. Such a delicious dish. I added some organic miracle noodles. All of it blended very well.
That makes me so happy! The noodles sound like a great addition.
Just made your recipe it is wonderful waiting for my husband to get home from work I know he will love it. I added broccoli more carrots and Chicken with the shrimp and ginger it taste so good will be making this again for sure Thanks for sharing.
Hi Susan. Thank you very much for your comment. It means the world to me that you appreciate the recipe as much as my family. These comments keep the blog going. Let me know if you need anything.
I loved it, thank you so much!
I'm so glad. Thanks for letting me know.
Just tried this! Easy cheap healthy yummy Love! I used curry & cumin as I didn't have turmeric on hand. Turned out sooo good! Thank you! 🙂
That's great! The spices are an interesting twist. I bet it was delicious!
This soup was great. I added some extra flavor (not because it needed it-but bc I love Asian flavors) fish sauce, ginger and red chili paste) excellent with a squeeze of fresh lime juice!
Hi Crystal,
Thanks for the feedback. I'm so glad you liked this dish! I love the addition of fish sauce, ginger and red chili paste. They all sound delicious!!
Bon Aippetit!
Beth
I too love soups, so filling healthy and what the whole family needs on a cold winters day. Great post I will defiantly be trying some!
Great! I hope you all enjoy.
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading?
I'm trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it's the blog.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
This website is photo heavy. I try my best to optimize the photos so that they load quickly without loosing image quality. That being said, sometimes when you have a slow connection, the images will take a little longer to load.
It was absolutely delicious! Skipped put on the mushrooms cause Hubby doesn't like them but I can't wait to make it again with mushrooms.
That's great! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hello,
Just wanted to say I love it!!! I adapted it a bit as I wasn't sure how my husband liked turmeric... I only put in about 1/2 teaspoon and did not put the oil as I was trying to save calories and just put a bit of water in the pot with the garlic and onions until I had my carrots ready. This is my new favourite soup and that is saying something as I make a lot of soup. Thank you!!
I'm so glad you liked it! My husband wasn't so sure about tumeric either but now he loves it. I'm glad the recipe worked out without the oil. Good job!!
Simple dish but oh so good! The shrimp and bok choy play really well together and the turmeric gives the broth a wonderful color and richness. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I'm so glad you liked it! It's a favorite of mine and my husbands and I'm glad to share it with you.
Sorry, I didn't find this very good.
I'm so sorry that you didn't like it. I guess it's not for everyone. My husband loves it but dad said that it wasn't his favorite! I hope you find something else that you enjoy on the site.