Salad soup.

I know Salad Soup sounds gross, bringing to mind soggy and limp leaves of romaine floating in broth.  But trust me, this is a tasty soup that is versatile and, I promise, void of soggy lettuce leaves.  I came up with this for those winter days when you really want the crisp, crunchy goodness of a salad but it's too chilly outside to eat a plate of cold greens.  It's salty, a little sweet, warm, crunchy and filling satisfying many cravings in one big bowl.

The soup is based around the method of Japanese clear soup or Vietnamese pho with some flavors borrowed from the rest of Asia.  Thanks to lots of rich greens it is nutrient dense and low calorie.  It's also a quick meal, especially if the prep is done on the weekends and then all you need to do is assemble the pieces.  This would make a great dinner party, allowing each guest to add what they want to their bowl.  Added bonus: the recipe is Whole30 compliant and easily made vegan.

Below I have written out the basic veggie version, but you could easily add in some tofu pieces or strips of cooked chicken for a little protein.  Or if you really want to get fancy (and make my new favorite version of the soup) swirl a beaten egg or two into the broth when it is heated for an egg drop soup effect.

Note that the broth of this soup is front and center, so now would be a great time to use a flavorful, homemade stock.  The veggies do add plenty of flavor, so canned would do in a pinch, just make sure to taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Also, leeks can be tricky to work with.  There is often dirt hiding inside the many layers so make sure to wash them well.  Some people prefer to use only the white ends.  I don't mind the greens, though because they are tougher they take a little longer to cook.  Because of the fresh garnish, this soup is best eaten immediately, but I have done the chopping and sautéing ahead of time, then simply heated the stock and assembled later on with success.

Enjoy!

Salad Soup

Prep: 10 minutes Cook time:  20 minutes
generously serves 2

For the soup:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, plus 1 teaspoon, if needed
1 yellow onion, sliced in half moons
2 small leeks sliced
2 baby bok choy, quartered
4 cups broth of choice (homemade or canned; chicken, fish or veggie)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

Garnishes (pick and choose at will):
fresh spinach leaves
Noori strips (Roasted, shredded seaweed)
tofu chunks
sliced, cooked chicken
bean sprouts
celery ribs, sliced in long, thin strips
green onion, sliced
cilantro, roughly chopped
fresh basil leaves
lime slices
sesame oil
chili flakes or sriracha

Heat coconut oil in large pan over medium high heat.  Add onions and leeks and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until onions are translucent and leeks are tender, about 8 minutes (a few tablespoons of water may be helpful to cook the leek greens, in this case cook until water has evaporated).  Move onion and leeks to one side of the pan and increase heat.  Add additional oil, if needed.  Place bok choy pieces cut side down in pan.  Cook until whites are lightly browed on each side and greens are softened, about 1 minute per side.  Divide vegetables among soup bowls.  Meanwhile, heat stock to boil in separate pot.  If using egg: lower heat until stock is still hot, but not boiling.  Slowly pour in beaten egg while stirring the stock.  The egg with separate and flower out.  Remove from heat.  In soup bowls, top leek and bok chop with spinah leaves, Noori, chicken and/or tofu if using.  Then pour hot stock over top, leaving room for other garnishes.  Top with other fresh garnishes as desired.