The pressure builds and you start counting down minutes until you eat. You feel that little hiss of the valve as the pot seals up tight, holding all that broth depth inside. It’s kinda like the kitchen suspense before a good meal, you know what I mean?
As the cooker purrs, you catch all those smells of garlic and ginger mingling together. It’s that tender pull you get when you know soup’s gonna be perfect and cozy. You find yourself checking the sealing ring just to make sure no steam’s sneaking out, that’s how you roll.
With every moment ticking away, your mind wanders to how the bok choy will soften just right, just like the mushrooms and noodles soaking up the broth. You remember the quick release step, gotta be careful not to lose that precious soup juice or you’ll cry later. Soup prep sometimes feels like a countdown to a little happy dance.
What Makes Pressure Cooking Win Every Round
- Fast cooking means you get dinner on the table quicker without losing flavor.
- The sealed environment traps all the broth depth so every sip tastes rich and satisfying.
- You don’t gotta babysit it, just set the timer and chill or prep your sides.
- The pressure cooker’s quick release lets you control cooking so veggies stay tender but not mushy.
- Using the sealing ring tight ensures no steam escapes and no flavor leaks out, keeping soup vibrant.
Pressure cooking is such a game changer! If you’re looking for even more kitchen hacks, check out our Classic Crockpot Pierogi Casserole with Kielbasa for a comforting slow cooker dish that pairs well with soups like this.
Your Simple Ingredient Checklist
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for that smooth sauté base.
- 3 diced shallots to add sweetness and depth.
- Green onions chopped, separating whites for cooking and greens for garnish.
- 4 cloves of minced garlic, because duh, garlic makes everything better.
- 2 tablespoons of fresh minced ginger giving the soup a zing.
- 5.5 cups of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth if you want vegan vibes.
- 2 whole star anise that’ll sprinkle warmth and a bit of sweet licorice flavor.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari if gluten’s your enemy.
- 10 ounces of crimini mushrooms sliced nice and thin soaking up all the broth tasty goodness.
- 6 ounces rice noodles to slurp your way happy.
- 1.5 heads of bok choy, roughly chopped so you get leafy crunch with every bite.
- Sesame seeds sprinkled on top for texture and red pepper flakes if you like a little kick.
Keep these ingredients on hand and you’re mostly set. Everything blends together kinda like a cozy team working to make this soup sing. Got all these assembled? Let’s get cookin.
The Exact Process From Start to Finish
- Heat the olive oil in your pressure cooker over medium heat, just like you would on the stove.
- Add diced shallots plus the white parts of the green onions. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes until the shallots get soft and kinda golden.
- Stir in minced garlic and fresh ginger. Let it cook for another 1-2 minutes until the kitchen smells dang good and fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and toss in the star anise. Close the lid, seal the valve, and bring the cooker to high pressure. Cook for about 10 minutes to build all those broth flavors.
- Quick release the pressure carefully so you don’t lose steam or soup. Open the lid and stir in soy sauce and sliced crimini mushrooms. Let it simmer without lid on for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms get that tender pull.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice noodles separately according to the package and drain ’em.
- Add the roughly chopped bok choy to the soup, simmer for 2-3 minutes until just wilted. Remove star anise, ladle soup over noodles in bowls, garnish with green onion tops, and sprinkle sesame seeds and red pepper flakes if you like.
Master the art of quick and tasty meals by exploring more with Cheesy Kielbasa Hashbrown Casserole – the perfect companion for your weeknight dinners.
Smart Shortcuts for Busy Days
- Use pre-minced garlic and ginger from the store to save chopping time when you’re rushing.
- Grab pre-sliced mushrooms or even mixed veggies from the produce section to speed up prep.
- Cook noodles ahead of time and keep ‘em in the fridge for quick assembly later.
- Swap star anise with a dash of Chinese five-spice powder if you want no-fuss flavor.
- Use frozen chopped bok choy if fresh isn’t handy, it still cooks up great and keeps the soup tasty.
Your First Taste After the Wait
You lift your spoon, it’s steaming hot with broth and noodles. That first sip hits with the warm ginger garlic kicking in perfectly to shake awake your taste buds.
The mushrooms soak in the soy sauce, soft but still holding some bite. The bok choy brings a light crisp freshness you gotta love.
The stock feels deep and layered, like it’s been simmered all day long but you know you did it in a flash with that pressure cooker.
You can’t help but smile at how easy it was and how dang good it tastes after just a short count down from that valve hiss moment.
Your Leftover Strategy Guide
- Store any leftover soup in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently so the noodles don't get mushy and the bok choy stays fresh.
- Freeze the broth separately from the noodles if you want to keep things tasting fresh longer. Noodles tend to get mushy in the freezer.
- When reheating, add fresh bok choy or some green onion tops to bring back that fresh crunch and bright flavor you love.
The FAQ Section You Actually Need
- Can I use other types of noodles? Yeah, you can swap rice noodles with soba or even ramen noodles. Just adjust cooking times so they don’t get mushy.
- Is this recipe vegan? If you use vegetable broth and tamari instead of chicken broth and soy sauce, yep. It’s totally vegan-friendly.
- What’s the sealing ring for? It’s what keeps your pressure cooker airtight so all that steam and broth depth stay locked in while cooking.
- Can I skip star anise? Sure, but it adds that subtle sweet licorice hint. You can replace it with a pinch of Chinese five-spice or just leave it out.
- How do I know when the soup’s done in the pressure cooker? When the timer hits and the valve hiss stops, that’s your sign the pressure’s dropped and the broth’s ready with deep flavor.
- What’s quick release exactly? It’s the way to let the steam out fast when your cooking time is up. Gotta be careful here so soup doesn’t splash or boil over.
Hungry for more warm meal ideas? Our Easy Marinated Cheese Appetizer with Salami & Green Olives makes a great starter that complements this hearty soup perfectly.
Ginger Garlic Noodle Soup with Bok Choy (Bok Choy Soup)
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 shallots diced
- 1 bunch green onions chopped, white and green parts separated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
- 5.5 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 star anise
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 10 oz crimini mushrooms sliced
- 6 oz rice noodles
- 1.5 heads bok choy roughly chopped
- sesame seeds for topping
- red pepper flakes for topping
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in your pressure cooker over medium heat.
- Add diced shallots and the white parts of the green onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in minced garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in broth and add star anise. Seal and cook under pressure for 10 minutes.
- Quick release pressure, then add soy sauce and sliced mushrooms. Simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes.
- Cook rice noodles separately according to package directions and drain.
- Add bok choy to soup, simmer for 2-3 minutes until wilted.
- Remove star anise. Ladle soup over noodles in bowls.
- Garnish with green onion tops, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes to taste.
