If hot and sour soup and corn egg drop soup had a baby. This easy vegetarian recipe has double protein from extra firm tofu and eggs, comes together in one pot and only takes 15 minutes.
The inspiration for this corn and napa cabbage egg drop soup comes from two classic Chinese soups… and the contents of my fridge. Kitchen sink cooking is sometimes the most practical form of cooking in my opinion.
Corn and egg drop soup is one of those classic dishes beloved by children. I myself have fond memories of having sweet corn and egg drop soup at Chinese restaurants. Perhaps it’s the slippery mouthfeel, but I’ve alway found corn and egg drop soup similar to another Chinese classic: hot and sour soup.
I wanted to make something comforting reminiscent of corn and egg drop soup, but with added veggies and protein. I also wanted it to be spicy (but not sour), like hot and sour soup ( — so good for decongestion!) On top of the corn soup base, I added thinly sliced tofu and cabbage along with a healthy dose of white pepper.
I used baby napa cabbage, but regular napa cabbage can be used instead – just adjust the amount accordingly. If you don’t have napa cabbage, substitute other veggies as you like (think carrots, mushrooms, tender greens). I would julienne (thinly slice) whatever veggie chosen for optimal cooking time and texture.
the egg drop or “egg flower” technique
There is a beef noodle shop I frequented in Taiwan where you can add an order of egg flower to any soup or soup noodle. Their egg flower was so pillowy and soft, the strands were buttery but held together like folded linen. For savoury soups, I prefer my egg flowers to be big flat ribbons, instead of broken up thread-like strands.
While I aspire to one day make egg flowers like that beef noodle shop, I am far from a master at making egg flowers. A myriad of advice can be found: some people say to stir the broth in a circular direction before drizzling in the egg; some people say to stir while pouring; some people say to warm up the egg, or to beat a bit of cornstarch into the egg. The important thing I think, is to steadily drizzle the egg instead of pour it in all at once and to use relatively low heat, instead of a rolling boil.
Corn and Napa Cabbage Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 1.5 L broth see notes
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
- 1 small (or half a medium) baby napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 1/2 package extra firm tofu (or equivalent to 200 g) thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 eggs
- sesame oil or chilli oil optional
- sliced spring onion/scallions to garnish optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil frozen corn and broth until corn is cooked.
- Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until roughly half the corn has been blended.
- Return soup to medium high heat, add thinly sliced baby napa cabbage and tofu and cook until cabbage is soft and cooked through (approximately 5 minutes).
- Season with white pepper powder and salt to taste.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix corn starch with 2-3 tbsp water. Add the corn starch slurry to the pot of soup, mix well and bring to a boil. The soup will have thickened after boiling. Check the consistency and thicken with more corn starch slurry if you prefer a thicker soup.
- In the same small bowl or cup, beat the eggs. Lower the heat, then drizzle in the beaten egg in a circular motion. Stir once the egg has solidified, then serve.
- (Optional) garnish with sliced scallions and sesame or chilli oil.
Notes
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