Bridget is one of Spira’s Karma-Yogi. She helps us keep our facility spotless as well as giving front desk support to the teaching staff. Bridget is also a mom and a Licensed Nutritionist. She sent me this recipe a week ago, I made it last night, it was amazing! Make sure to pick mild Kimchi, and mild to medium gochujang if you have trouble with hot-spicy. I went with the mild version and it was still very hot to me. :- )
Kimchi Pork Soup from Bridget.
“I had a friend in high school that introduced me to kimchi, a staple food in her culture, and I fell in love. Her mom is from Korea, and I have fond memories of the delicious kimchi soups and stir fry’s she used to make. Since then I’ve enjoyed trying many different fermented foods, and in my opinion, the more potent/stinky, the better. Nowadays you don’t even need to go to a specialty Asian market to buy kimchi, I found some at Costco! Local grocery stores sell all kinds of fermented foods including sauerkraut (many different flavors), kimchi, kombucha, pickles, miso, tempeh, and plain yogurt. Oh! And they are loaded with vitamins, and probiotics that may improve digestion and boost immunity. If you’re feeling inspired, fermenting food at home is easy (and cheap!). This recipe is inspired by the many kimchi soups, and recipes/stories I’ve enjoyed over the years. If meat isn’t your thing, firm tofu is an excellent substitute. This soup is a huge crowd pleaser, and very easy to make.”
Ingredients:
Kimchi Pork Soup
4-5 cups kimchi, homemade or store bought
2-3 Tablespoons coconut, or avocado oil
5 cloves of garlic and 1.5 inches of ginger minced
2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces
2-3 teaspoons maple syrup, optional
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2-3 Tablespoons gochujang (Korean chile paste; available at Asian markets and some local grocery stores)
1 large head bok choy, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bunch kale, chard, or collards stemmed and cut or ripped into bite sized pieces
Optional toppings: coco aminos or tamari, sliced green onions
The procedure
In a large pot, or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning as necessary until it starts to brown, about 6-8 minutes, add minced garlic and ginger, as well as maple syrup and cook a few more minutes. Maple syrup is optional although it helps caramelize the pork and balance the heat from the kimchi.
Add the stock and gochujang paste to the pot, bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to low, cover and cook until the pork is very tender, about 45 min – 1 hour. Gochujang paste is also optional, but gives the soup a really nice depth of flavor.
Add the bok choy and kale, stir and cook just until wilted, a few minutes.
Turn off, and remove your pot from the heat. Stir in kimchi and let it sit for a few minutes allowing the flavors to come together. Adding kimchi after cooking retains a lot of the nutritional benefits. Although it is excellent re-heated the next day or two sooo Enjoy!