bitter greens soup

This soup has few ingredients, but each one plays a crucial role. The bitter greens are offset by the punchy ginger, flavors that move within you the moment they are taken. To me, it is a familiar flavor; we enjoy our soup in the morning and the evening, equal parts food and nourishment.

For this soup, you can use any leafy bitter green. I got mine from an Asian vegi stand at the farmer’s market. You can use mustard greens, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), yu choy (a darker thinner bok choy), collards, or kale. I used mustard greens, a distinctly bitter and soft vegetable that imparts its signature flavor. 

Warming ingredients such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, and chicken support the body's qi, circulation, and digestive fire, while bitter greens help encourage the smooth movement of Liver qi and clear excess heat that can accumulate during periods of stress. Foods like these are traditionally used to support patterns associated with emotional constraint, irritability, PMS, breast tenderness, digestive discomfort, physical tension, and fatigue. Together, they help nourish while encouraging movement—supporting the body's ability to process stress, maintain healthy circulation, and move through periods of stagnation with greater ease.

To the soup I add ginger and turmeric. Ginger breaks up stuck energy and strengthens the "Middle Jiao" (the spleen and stomach for digestion), while turmeric dissolves blood stasis reducing cramping and associated pain. I like to smash them in my mortar and pestle to bring out the juices. I keep them in large pieces so I can remove them from the soup. 

For the base, I keep it simple, a chicken leg - sweet, pure, flavorful without being overpowering. You can also use pork bones. I sear off the ingredients, which clouds the broth slightly but I find that it brings outs of the flavors. 

Ingredients

1 chicken leg (thigh and drumstick)

3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and smashed

2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and smashed

1 large bunch or 8 cups bitter greens mustard greens, washed dried and roughly chopped into 1.5” pieces

2 T avocado oil

8 cups filtered water

Salt or fish sauce to taste

Directions

Heat a large stock pot on medium high. Add the oil and let it heat up for 2 minutes. Add the chicken leg, skinside down, and the smashed ginger and turmeric. 

Sear the chicken and aromatics until they develop a golden color before flipping, 2-3 minutes per side. 

Once both sides are seared, add the water and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. 

Add the mustard greens to the soup and simmer for another half hour. The greens will darken and soften. Add salt and or fish sauce to taste.