I was delightfully surprised recently when I made this soup for the first time.
First, the broth is very flavorful–rich in cilantro, ginger and garlic flavors.
Secondly, the fork technique for adding the beaten egg is genius. It’s fun, too. In the recipe, you mix cornstarch and Shaoxing wine into a slurry. Seperately, you beat two eggs with a bit more cornstarch. You mix the two and then (wait for it!) pour the egg/cornstarch mixture into the simmering soup through the tines of a fork. The fork pour causes the egg mixture to form ribbons in the soup. Magic. Who knew?
For variety, I’m thinking this broth would be great with noodles and a ramanesque presentation.
This recipe is from The New York Times. This is a link to the original recipe: Egg Drop Soup.
Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.
Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 4 C. flavorful broth
- 1/2 C. water
- 1 clove garlic (sliced)
- 12 sprigs of cilantro
- 1 4-inch piece of fresh ginger (sliced)
- 20 whole peppercorns
- Salt
- 1 T. plus 1 t. cornstarch
- 1 T. Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 eggs
- 4 green onions (sliced thin on a bias--for garnish)
- Freshly-ground white pepper
Directions
- Step 1 Combine water and broth and heat. Add garlic, cilantro, ginger and peppercorns to hot broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Step 2 Strain the solids out of the broth and return strained broth to the pot. Taste for seasoning.
- Step 3 Combine Shaoxing wine and 1 T. cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Step 4 Whisk eggs with the remaining 1 t. cornstarch. Combine with the wine/cornstarch mixture.
- Step 5 With your broth over a low simmer, stir the soup until you have a little current in the soup liquid. Pour the egg mixture through the tines of a fork into the soup. This will form ribbons of egg in the soup. Let the soup sit for a few seconds and then stir to break up the egg in the soup.
- Step 6 Serve garnished with green onions and white pepper.
