This soup is incredibly satisfying on a chilly spring or fall evening. With a surprisingly complex-tasting broth and lots of fresh veg, I find this soup is reminiscent the flavours and textures found in wonton soup. I just love turnip greens (including their tender stems) in this recipe, but if your greens look a little ragged or you want to skip the turnips altogether, I’m pretty sure you could substitute them for bok choy, spinach, chard, mustard greens or even kale. We adapted this recipe from Tumbleweed Farm, a CSA farm in Oregon.
Heads up that the soy pickled eggs need at least an hour to do their thing, so if you can start them earlier in the day, or the night before it will make everything come together much faster.
Soy Pickled Eggs
4 eggs
2 cloves of garlic, peels and crushed (or 1 Tbsp garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Soup
1 pound ground pork (or about 3 pork sausages, casings removed)
2 tablespoons finely minced or grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
hefty pinch of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves or stalks of green garlic, finely chopped (white and pale green parts only)
1 bunch of turnips with their greens, turnips cut into 1/2 inch chunks and greens roughly chopped
4 cups water or stock
1 Tbsp miso paste or 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
Optional Additions
kimchi
fermented chili paste
noodles – instant ramen or sweet potato noodles
Gently lower eggs into a large saucepan of boiling water. Cook 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool until you can easily handle them. Peel the eggs and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring garlic, pepper flakes, soy sauce, vinegar and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium size saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the eggs. Let the eggs marinate in the mixture for at least one hour or in the fridge overnight.
Mix the pork, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl until combined.
Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring often. Add the pork and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat a bit and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink. About 5-7 minutes. Or until crispy browned (my preference), about 12-15m.
While the pork is cooking, get a pot of boiling water ready for your noodles of choice. If using ramen, they only take a few minutes, so wait until the soup is nearly ready before cooking them.
Add the 4 cups of water or stock and turnips (reserving the greens for later) to the pork and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the turnips are fork tender, about 5 minutes. Add the turnip greens, miso paste/soy sauce and give the pot a good stir. Simmer for about 5 minutes longer to let the flavors meld. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
Serve the soup topped with the quick pickled eggs and garnish with fermented chili past and kimchi if desired.