Thursday, January 5, 2012

Swirly, Twirly, EGG DROP SOUP!

Have I ever told you about my families addiction to Asian cuisine?  It is out of control, and it literally is all my husband ever wants to eat.  I am so scared to try cooking it, I feel like I need to be some well trained, seasoned chef to make most of it, otherwise it just falls into the "mall Chinese"  or "mall Japanese" food category!!  We have a favorite place we go each Monday for lunch, they know what table we want and they know what we want to drink, etc...  We even have Chinese food on Christmas Day because my husband and son LOVE "A Christmas Story" and of course we all know they end up having to eat Chinese food on Christmas Day.  It is now a family tradition.

 
Being the soup fanatic I am, I have tried Hot a Sour soup a couple of times.  I never seem to get it quite right.  I don't know why I can't, I just can't.  So tonight, I decided it was time to give Egg Drop Soup the old college try.  Surprisingly it turned out well.  I mean my track record isn't so great making Asian soups, lets face it. 

I took many helpful pieces of advice from many people.  I HAVE tried it before, just in my opinion, unsuccessfully.  Although I know there aren't supposed to be like any scrambled eggs in the soup, I kind of dig it when I get a coagulated hunk of silky egg!!  I have looked at a few recipes, and decided to take what I like about the recipes, the advice, and just make the dang soup again, once and for all.  Now one of my favorite parts of egg drop soup is that I LOVE scallions and put a TON in.  Well friends, guess who thought she had some and didn't?  Yea, you are right.  Me.  I did toss a little parsley on top, so unauthentic I know, but I needed some color and that is what I had.  Don't hate on me for it....just pretend it never happened!

This is so quick and easy you will wonder why you never tried it.  It had a slight amount of thickness to the broth, but not slimy.  Just had great flavor.  Lets see what you will need...

You will need...
4 cups chicken stock
2 eggs *I had an extra egg white I used as well*
1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch (heaping)
1/4 cup cold water
salt and pepper to taste

First thing to do is add your cornstarch to your cold water and stir until cornstarch dissolves into it completely.

Set aside.  Crack your eggs in a bowl and scramble them with a fork or whisk.  I added a small amount of black pepper to them as well.

Add your stock, soy sauce, and ginger to a medium saucepan and heat until boiling.  While stirring, add in water/cornstarch mixture and keep stirring while it boils for a minute.  Shut off heat.  IMMEDIATELY take a fork or chopsticks and start stirring in a circle, while the broth is circling the pan start pouring in the eggs, do not stop stirring!  When the eggs are in, the soup is done!  Serve with scallions!

I love fresh cracked black pepper on this and you might need a small pinch of salt.  

Time for me to go clean up, my husband is still recovering from the fact I served this as a starter for a meatloaf dinner.  HEY, I just like to keep things interesting.  Leave me alone!

Your "egg drop soup extraordinaire" chefwannabe
Chris
 
Ps.  My husband LOVES wontons in egg drop soup!

3 comments:

  1. http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesesouprecipes/r/hotsoursoup.htm
    i have an addiction to hot and sour soup, but live in a town with 1) no good Chinese restaurant and 2) no groceries that carry the mushrooms or lily buds needed for the recipe... so, I SERIOUSLY load this recipe with portabello mushrooms and chopped radicchio in place of the lily buds... and I double the vinegar to make up for the lack of acidity in the replacement ingredients. Just thought I'd share! :)

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    Replies
    1. I will try your ideas! I am so glad you shared them, and I think they are genius! Thanks for reading!!

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  2. I've been making this HOT SOUR SOUP for years and its the easiest and yummiest I've ever had. Give it a try.

    Hot and Sour Soup

    4 c. beef broth
    3 TBS soy sauce
    1/2 c.button mushrooms, diced
    1 tsp garlic chili sauce (Use this to taste. For Alex, I didn't want it too hot)
    1/4 tsp pepper
    1/4 c. white vinegar
    1/3 c. bamboo shoots, julienned
    3 oz. block tofu, cut into 1/4 inch dice, optional
    2 TBS cornstarch
    2 TBS cold water
    1 egg beaten
    3 green onions, diced

    Bring broth to a simmer in a 2 quart saucepan. Add soy sauce, mushrooms and garlic chili sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add pepper, vinegar, bamboo shoots and tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add to soup and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Pour beaten egg in slowly and stir soup in one direction. Stir to combine. Take off heat. Serve w/ garnish of green onions.

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