I always want something light after the gluttony of holiday meals, so this week I cooked up some easy Asian food. This egg drop soup comes together in just a few minutes and has endless possibilities. I added mushrooms and spinach to try to sneak in some veggies, but if you just want a plain, brothy soup, you can leave them out. If you want something heartier, you could even add some noodles.
It's been a cold, rainy day and this soup is just what I needed to warm me up inside and out! Plus, it's so easy that I was able to whip it up without exhausting myself, despite being under the weather!
STEP 1: Peel the ginger with a vegetable peeler and then grate it into the soup pot using a fine cheese grater. Slice the green onions and mushrooms. Add them to the pot along with 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Saute the vegetables over medium heat until slightly softened (5 minutes).
STEP 2: Add 8 cups of water, 2 Tbsp. of chicken soup base (or 2 large bouillon cubes), and one Tbsp of soy sauce. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a rolling boil.
STEP 3: While waiting for the soup to boil, make a slurry with the corn starch and just enough water to dissolve it (about 2 Tbsp). When the soup reaches a boil, stir in the corn starch slurry. This will thicken the soup very slightly, giving it just a tad more body than plain broth.
STEP 4: Whisk the two eggs in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of water. Turn the heat from the soup off and wait for it to stop boiling (one minute or less). Using a large spoon, swirl the soup in the pot and slowly drizzle in the whisked eggs. Do not stir the soup for at least one minute while the eggs set. Allow the swirling current to slow to a stop on its own.
TIPS: The speed at which the soup is swirling and how quickly you pour in the eggs will determine the size of the egg "threads." If you want larger or thicker egg threads, don't stir the soup as fast and pour the egg in faster. Do NOT pour the eggs into a rapidly boiling soup or else it will break apart into very small pieces and you will not have egg threads.
Perfect for a cold rainy day!
Step By Step Photos
Start by prepping your vegetables. First, peel the ginger (using either a vegetable peeler or scrape with a spoon) and then grate using a fine cheese grater. Grate it right into the pot so that any juice that drips off falls into the pot. Slice the green onion and mushrooms. Add them all to the pot with a little bit of vegetable oil.
Saute the vegetables just until they begin to soften - about five minutes.
Add 8 cups of water and 2 Tbsp of chicken base. Or, you can add 6 cups of chicken broth (homemade or store bought) and two extra cups of water. Also add 1 Tbsp of soy sauce.
Turn the heat up to high and allow the soup to come to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, create a slurry with the corn starch and just enough water to dissolve it.
When the soup reaches a boil, stir in the corn starch mixture. This will thicken it very, very slightly. If you want it thicker, just dissolve another Tbsp of cornstarch into a bit more water and add it as well (some asian restaurants have fairly thick egg drop soup).
Turn the heat off and prepare the eggs. Whisk the eggs with a couple of tablespoons of water. The water makes them easier to pour in slowly instead of having a large glop fall in all at once.
When the soup has stopped boiling, swirl it in the pot with a large spoon. The swirling action creates the egg "threads."
Slowly drizzle the egg into the swirling soup. If you want thicker egg threads, pour it in faster and/or wait until the soup slows down a bit. Don't stir the soup for a minute or so after drizzling in the egg so that it has time to set. It's okay if it's still swirling, just don't disturb it more.
See? I made pretty thin egg threads. I know some of you egg-haters out there are probably gagging a this point... but it's good. I swear!
If you're adding spinach, this is the time to do it. Just stir it into the hot soup and allow it to wilt (this only takes about a minute).
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