Purple Laver & Egg Drop Soup
紫菜蛋花汤
English: Purple Laver & Egg Drop Soup
Chinese: 紫菜蛋花汤
Pinyin: zicai danhua tang
Literal: Laver seaweed and egg flower/egg drop soup
We are often promised 15-minute meals that will transform our weeknight cooking, yet few rarely deliver, unless you’re the Flash in the kitchen. But egg drop soups are dependably quick and this one can be on the table in under 10 minutes, a small comfort at the end of a long day.
It is a gentle bowl with only a few ingredients, but deeply soothing. The pleasure however, lies in the small details: using a good stock is the base, and pouring the egg slowly as you swirl the soup so that the egg blooms into delicate whips, it’s this danhua or ‘egg flowers’ that give the soup it’s name. The sheets of dried purple laver 紫菜| zicai), a thin, papery seaweed related to Japanese nori, soften almost instantly in the heat, lending a subtle savoury depth and a taste of the sea. A pinch of white pepper, a few drops of sesame oil, and a scattering of scallions are all that is needed to bring the bowl into balance.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 large handful (5g) of dried purple laver seaweed (紫菜)
1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
3-4 thin slices of ginger
1 tbsp of cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water, mixed into a slurry
1 ½ tbsp of light soy sauce
Salt, to taste
A few pinches of white pepper
To Finish
1 tsp sesame oil
2 scallions, finely chopped
A few drops of Chinese black vinegar (optional)
Method
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them until just combined. Don't over-beat. Pour them into a jug with a pourable spout. This makes it easier to pour a thin stream into the soup.
Tear the seaweed into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Add the stock and ginger slices to a wok or medium pot and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes, allowing the ginger to infuse, then discard the ginger.
Make your cornstarch slurry, give it a final stir and then pour into the simmering stock whilst stirring the stock constantly. The broth will turn from watery to slightly glossy in about 30 seconds. It should not be gloopy, just add a nice texture and will suspend the egg flowers better.
Make sure the soup is at a gentle simmer, not a boil. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup, moving the jug clockwise into the stock as you pour. Do not stir the liquid. Let the egg set for 5-10 seconds. If you stir, you’ll end up with tiny specks of egg instead of large silky “flower” ribbons.
Turn off the heat and add the dried seaweed, the soy sauce, salt and white pepper.
Give the soup one gently stir to mix everything and then ladle into bowls. Garnish with the sesame oil, scallions and vinegar if using.
Note:
Many home cooks make this soup with water and no stock at all. My wife actually prefers the clean flavour of a water-based soup.
For a more substantial meal, feel free to add some cubes of tofu, a diced tomato or even some minced pork.
