Savory and aromatic flavor with beautifully formed egg flowers.
Watching the beautiful egg drop soup being made at a breakfast stall, many people have probably tried to recreate it at home, only to end up with a messy bowl of egg clumps instead. This seemingly simple bowl of egg drop soup actually requires quite a bit of technique!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
1 egg
Tomatoes and seaweed, each to taste
dried shrimp a pinch
The fresher the eggs, the better.
Seasonings
Salt, sesame oil, white pepper, chopped cilantro, and chopped scallions — each to taste
Instructions
Instructions
Preparation
Step 1: Slice the tomato into thin pieces, tear the seaweed into pieces, and place them in a bowl along with the dried shrimp. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and scallions, then add salt, white pepper, and sesame oil to taste (Image 2).
*Place just a small amount of each base ingredient in the bowl, as the final step involves pouring the egg drop soup over them; adding too many base ingredients will significantly lower the soup's temperature.
② Beat the eggs in a bowl until well blended and set aside (Figure 3).
*Beat the eggs thoroughly until the yolks and whites are fully combined.
Beat the eggs and pour them into the boiling soup in a slow, steady stream, stirring gently to create delicate egg ribbons.
③ Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the water surface become still.
*The amount of water used to poach the egg flower can be slightly more, ensuring the overall temperature is high enough to quickly cook the egg flower without making the soup cloudy due to low temperature.
*The most important thing when making egg drop is to never add the beaten eggs while the water is at a rolling boil, as it will immediately scatter the egg flowers. Instead, bring the water to a full boil, then reduce the heat to low so the surface is calm, and only then pour in the egg mixture to create beautiful, delicate egg ribbons.
Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the water in a thin, steady stream while stirring in a circular motion, and the egg flowers will form (Figure 4).
*When pouring in the beaten eggs, do so in a steady, circular motion, keeping the flow as consistent as possible so the egg flowers form evenly and beautifully. Do not dump all the egg liquid in at once, as that will instantly lower the water temperature, preventing the eggs from cooking properly and making the soup cloudy. Also, once the egg flowers have formed, never stir them with a spoon, or they will completely break apart.
*If you're worried the egg flowers won't be fully cooked or the broth won't be hot enough to dissolve the base ingredients, you can briefly turn up the heat at the end to raise the temperature, but do not let it come to a boil—just a few seconds is enough.
Pour the beaten egg drop soup into the bowl with the base ingredients and serve.
*You don't need to pour all the soup into the bowl—just make sure all the egg flower is transferred, and the remaining liquid can be left behind.
Take your soup to the next level
There is another method for making egg drop soup, where the key lies in thickening the broth with a cornstarch slurry. After thickening, pour in the beaten eggs and stir in one direction to combine. The most important point is that to achieve beautiful egg flowers, the fewer ingredients in the broth, the better. If the soup is packed with ingredients, the egg liquid will be broken apart by them upon entering the pot, rendering any technique useless. This is also why the main recipe uses plain water to make the egg drop soup, then pours it into a bowl. For egg drop soup made with a cornstarch slurry, the method from the main recipe cannot be used; the only way to ensure quality egg flowers is to keep the ingredients in the broth minimal.