Quail Egg Drop Soup
- Prep time: 10 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Serves: 2–4 people
If you’ve been to a Chinese restaurant, chances are you’ve tried egg drop soup at some point. If you haven’t — you’re missing out. But fear not! We’ve put together this simple recipe that rivals the best restaurant soups.
Thin, silken strands of delectable quail egg are waiting to be gobbled up. Make sure to stir the pot slowly — not too rapidly — as you add the eggs. You want enough movement to make ribbons, but not so much that the egg dissolves into wisps that are barely there.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- Soy sauce, to taste
- 12 quail eggs
- 1/2 block (7 to 8 oz) extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch, divided
- Scallions and/or chives, for garnishing
- Enoki mushrooms, if desired
Instructions
Warm the stock or broth. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with soy sauce as needed.
Add tofu and simmer for 5 minutes. Enoki mushrooms can be added as well.
Place the eggs and 1 tsp of the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until well-combined.
Whisk more cornstarch into the broth. Place the remaining 1 tbsp cornstarch in a small bowl. Scoop out 1/4 cup or so of the broth into the bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour this mixture back into the broth and let it simmer for a minute or two until the broth no longer tastes starchy.
Drizzle the eggs into the hot broth. Holding the fork used for whisking over the bowl, pour the eggs slowly through the tines, stirring the broth gently with your other hand with a wooden spoon as you pour. Let the soup simmer undisturbed for a few seconds to finish cooking the eggs. Serve immediately, topped with chopped scallions and/or chives.
