Egg Drop Soup (Mama Fang’s Version)
Storytime
Egg drop soup, also known as egg flower soup, is a classic soup found in Chinese-American and Chinese restaurants. Growing up, my brother and I raced to grab egg drop soup as it came out of the kitchen at our parents’ buffet. Our goal was to get as many eggs as possible. Some siblings fought over who got the last piece of candy from the candy jar. We fought over egg drop soup (thanks for letting me win a lot of those fights, East).
When my parents sold the buffet, I remember feeling sad about no longer having egg drop soup readily available. It was such a staple of my childhood. You know that feeling when you drink the first sip of a Coca-Cola? That “Ahh” feeling? After my first sip of egg drop soup, I’d feel, “Ahh, I’m home.”
Although there is no longer a buffet in our family, there is Mama Fang (妈咪). 妈咪 doesn’t say “good morning” when she first sees me in the morning. Instead, she asks, “Do you want egg soup?” I think ya’ll know what my answer is.
The recipe below is my interpretation of what Mama Fang makes. She doesn’t measure anything nor write down her recipes. While that can be frustrating at times, I’ve learned to embrace it as it forces me to observe Mama Fang intently and ask questions, ultimately strengthening our bond.
Before we dive into the recipe, please trust your palate. What tastes good to me might taste different to you. Feel free to adjust the recipe to make it tasty for you! Comment below with your changes – I’d love to hear your feedback and give your version a try.
Grocery List
- Eggs, 2
- Green onions, 1 bunch
- Cilantro, 1 bunch
- Kadoya Sesame Oil, 1 bottle
- Three Crabs Fish Sauce, 1 bottle
- Asian Taste White Pepper Powder, 1 jar
Instructions
First, prepare all the ingredients. Beat the eggs with a fork or chopsticks. Then chop your green onions and cilantro. Whenever I chop these two herbs, I go ahead and chop it all the way through so I have it ready for other meals throughout the week.
Second, get your water ready and put it in a pot. Whenever I’m cooking soup, I like to use my serving bowl as my “measuring cup.” I put a little bit more water than what I actually want to compensate for the water evaporating as it boils.
Once the water boils, put in the bouillon powder, sesame oil, and fish sauce. We do not measure anything in my household when cooking, so usually, I would just pour it straight into the pot and adjust to taste.
But to provide a visual of how much I usually use, I poured them the sesame oil and fish sauce into standard spoons for reference. We store the bouillon powder in a spice jar, which comes with a spoon. It’s approximately a teaspoon. I used a dash of white pepper powder.
Stir it and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Then pour the beaten eggs into the pot. Stir as the eggs hit the water, so it doesn’t get too chunky (although sometimes I like it like that). I like to add green onions and cilantro at the end. I add to my stomach’s desire. Here’s the final product:
Egg drop soup traditionally has cornstarch, which is why it’s usually thick. The thickness doesn’t make or break it for me, so I often omit it to expedite the cooking process. Another ingredient that is commonly found in egg drop soup that I left out was turmeric or yellow food coloring, which gives the soup, you guessed it, the bright yellow color people associate the soup with.
妈咪 sometimes adds tomatoes to her egg drop soup. If the soup is going to be my entree, I add bean thread noodles.
I am nervous about publishing this recipe. It doesn’t follow an exact formula nor does it look like what you might find at a Chinese restaurant. Some may say this isn’t authentic, but it is authentic to me. Cooking is a form of expression. In my household, it’s often an expression of love and care. I feel loved and cared for whenever 妈咪 cooks me this soup. I love you, 妈咪.
Fanny Fang
Chief People Officer
