ginger-infused egg drop soup
27. Mar, 2011 
6 Comments
I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately (and the weather itself has been gloomy and rainy) and for me soup is the ultimate comfort food. Sick comfort food is different from hung-over comfort food, or homesick comfort food or winter comfort food, though. The thought of anything buttery or too thick is just a little overwhelming when I’m feeling woozy as it is. It’s more helpful to have a light meal that feels cleansing and rejuvenating, and no one knows how to do that better than the Chinese.
I’ve been learning a little bit more about Eastern medicine from my sister, who is studying acupuncture in Arizona. Each time I talk to her about recent lessons she comes up with a nugget of wisdom to help me take care of my body by being more balanced and aware of what it needs. I’ve been trying to take her lessons to heart (and stomach) through yoga and exercise, personal reflection, and of course, the right foods.
Ginger is especially good for digestive issues, as well as headaches, heartburn, regulating the menstrual cycle, and generally alleviating pain. It also has a unique flavor that adds a refreshing spice to soups and curries. Another of my favorite uses is in Ginger, Carrot and Lentil Soup, which uses a similar ginger-broth base.
I prepared a big batch of the ginger soup broth to store in the fridge and heat up on the stove as I needed it throughout the week. Once it’s lightly simmering, crack an egg over it and stir in the egg whites for one minute and it’s good to go.
This is also the FIFTIETH RECIPE on the blog! I’m also bringing this dish to Cocina\’s Sunday at One and Souper Sundays.
Ginger Infused Egg Drop Soup
Makes 3-4 servings. Prep time: 5 minutes. Total time: 20 minutes.
- 1 inch cube of fresh ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or 4 cups of water with 2 cubes of bouillon)
- 2 cups of water
- 1 carrot
- 1 small white onion
- salt and pepper
- 3 egg whites
Peel the ginger and roughly cut it into chunks. The bigger the chunks, the easier it is to fish them out later, so don’t worry about being meticulous about it. Peel the carrot and finely chop it into cubes no bigger than a square centimeter. Peel and dice the onion.
In a pot, add the vegetable broth and water and cover it over high heat until little bubbles form. Add the ginger, carrots and onions, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer on low for 12-15 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Using a spoon with holes, scoop through the vegetables and pick out the ginger.
At this point, set aside any soup you want to save for leftovers (so that you don’t have stale egg in your leftover soup).
If you’re eating the whole batch, crack three eggs into a separate bowl pouring in only the egg whites. All at once, add the bowl of egg whites to the simmering soup and stir using a wooden spoon until the trails of egg whites start to turn white and firm, about thirty seconds. Immediately pour into bowls and enjoy.
In late February I developed a flu that had me in bed for days and the only thing that helped me was chicken broth infused with ginger. It is not only delicious but also so nutritious. Weeks later when the boyfriend got the flu I made soups using infused broth and he loved it. Thank you for sharing this delicious looking soup.
Angie @ Sundays at One Food Club.
This looks like the perfect restorative soup for sure. Thanks so much for sharing it with Souper Sundays. I hope you come back and join in again soon.
Aloha,
Deb
I love a good egg drop soup, but have never made it myself. This version with the ginger sounds like the perfect tonic for winter.
I came to your site because I saw egg-drop soup, and I’m Chinese so I’m always curious to see when people do Chinese recipes (: That does sound yummy (:
My mother taught me how to make egg drop soup with chicken stock, and the whole egg beaten and whisked in. This is a lovely version and so healthy with the GINGER, which is a favorite herb of mine! So comforting! Your sister is a smart one :0)
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