First things first: When I was a kid, I used to love egg drop soup. The glorious simplicity of chicken broth and scrambled egg always struck me with how something so basic could taste so good. Then, at some point, it seemed like every single Chinese restaurant in the country started getting their egg drop soup from the same supplier. Instead of something that looked obviously made in-house, I kept getting these bowls of thickened radioactive waste. The texture and color were completely off-putting, and the flavor wasn’t much better. So, I gave up this tasty treat from my younger days. Until now, bitches! This recipe from my grandmother is almost exactly how I remember the legendary egg drop soups of yore.
A caveat before we get started: The recipe calls for 3 cups of broth, but I could only find it in packages of 2 or 4 cups, and I didn’t have any chicken stock left in my freezer. No matter—I think I prefer it this way, because it makes the texture of the water/flour mixture not so obvious, and there’s more chicken flavor.
Here’s what you’ll need:
3 Cups Chicken Broth
¼ Cup Flour
1 Cup Water
½ tsp. Salt
1 Egg, beaten
In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil over medium heat.
In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and water until smooth.
Slowly pour into hot broth and whisk until smooth.
Reduce heat to a simmer and slowly drizzle beaten egg into broth while stirring constantly.
Now, all I need to do is get my hands on an egg foo young recipe that doesn’t use industrial sludge for the gravy and I’ll be a happy man.
I never realized it had a starch slurry, but it makes sense. Also:
Pretty sure all parts of Wyoming are godforsaken. Except maybe Yellowstone, but that place smells like hell.
The mountainous parts of the state are wildly beautiful, but ranch country….
I like all your soup recipes!!
I’m sure egg drop soup is not strictly Chinese cuisine. I love how simple and satisfying it is. If you want to go the extra mile you could make Pfannkuchensuppe/Flädel which is German pancake soup.
Interestingly enough, my grandmother’s recipe box is almost entirely bereft of traditional German recipes. Even though her parents had emigrated here, they did a pretty thorough job of integrating the kids into all things American. Which makes sense considering all of the anti-German discrimination during the early part of the 20th Century.
Italians have stracciatella which is pretty much the same but also has Parmesan and escarole or spinach.
I like egg drop soup but always order the hot and sour soup when given the option at Chinese restaurants. When I’ve made that, the key with the beaten egg is to only stir in one direction as you pour it in.
I think I’ll make this today.
It’s easy as pie–er–soup.
I had no idea it was this easy. Now I’m gonna have to make it!
I have veggie stock in the pantry, assuming it would still work with that, just less chicken flavor?