Garlicky Bok Choy Ramen

Looking for a rainbow of fresh, garden goodness that's almost as satisfying to prepare as it is to devour? Then this hearty soup is for you!

Many people ask, isn't it hard to follow a fully plant-based diet? The answer is emphatically, "Absolutely not!" Following a plant-based diet just changes the way you spend time preparing your meals. Rather than skinning, sanitizing, deboning, de-fatting, tenderizing, and temperature-checking meats, people who follow a whole-food plant-based diet spend most of their time chopping vegetables. This may sound like a drag, but try it for a while! It's incredibly satisfying to have an array of vibrant fresh vegetables in front of you and it's also pretty relaxing and grounding to spend some time rinsing and chopping all this healthy goodness to feed to your loved ones. Ok. Enough woo woo. We just really enjoy preparing this meal and hope you will too!

Note: if you dislike tofu, feel free to substitute it with snow peas, shelled edamame, green beans, or garden peas.

This recipe is adapted from ForksOverKnives.com.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 min

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 2 - 2" knobs of ginger root (peeled and grated)

• 6 cloves garlic

• 16 cups vegetable broth

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar

• 8 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

• 9 oz. dry ramen noodles

• 4 large carrots (peeled and cut into diagonal slices)

• 1 block extra-firm tofu (cut into 1/2" cubes)

• 2 heads of baby bok choy (sliced in halves)

• 1 bunch of fresh asparagus (tough white parts removed, chopped into bite-size pieces)

• 14 oz white mushrooms (sliced)

• 1 bunch scallions (diced)

• 2 limes (plus 1/2 additional lime as garnish for each bowl)

Directions

1. In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant (about 2 minutes), then add broth, vinegar, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Add noodles, carrots, and tofu and simmer uncovered for another 8 minutes. Then add mushrooms, bok choy, asparagus, scallions and simmer for 2 more minutes. Then stir in the juice of 2 limes.

3. Serve in shallow bowls with a half of a lime on each bowl to be squeezed in right before consuming. Enjoy!