Egg Drop Soup with Fried Wonton Croutons

The Best Egg Drop Soup

I don’t know why this soup isn’t consistently delicious, everywhere it’s served because it’s not that difficult to make. My daughter loves this soup but she too prefers the soup from one specific Chinese restaurant over any other so, I decided to make it the way she and I both like it. I can tell you that this is probably the Best Egg Drop Soup recipe and it only gets better, the longer it simmers.

It’s got all of the basic vegetable ingredients, including carrot, corn and peas. Other than the egg ribbons, that I teach you how to make, firm Tofu is the preferred protein in this soup and you can garnish with green onion and/or add it directly to the soup. I also show you how easy it is to make the crispy wonton croutons we all love to crunch on in our soup.

MSG is in this recipe and you really shouldn’t worry about it because this soup is good with or without it. However, You really shouldn’t be concerned with all of the misconceptions about this ingredient and HERE’S WHY. Also, know that Chinese restaurants use it in almost everything and it’s one of the reasons their food tastes so much better than your homemade Chinese cooking. MSG achieves that Umami that we all crave in food and if you read the article I linked above, you’ll understand more about it.

Egg Drop Soup Ingredients:

1 pkg Wonton Wrappers, fried crunchies (optional)

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Ginger, freshly chopped
2 qt Chicken Broth
2 tbsp Rice Cooking Wine
2 Eggs
2 tsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp MSG
1/4 cup Corn Starch, mix with 1 cup of the Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Corn
1/4 cup Frozen Peas
1/4 Carrots
8 oz Tofu, firm, cubed slices
2 Green Onions, chopped

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Oil for Frying, 350° Fahrenheit

2 Eggs, for egg ribbons, soup should be boiling. Add Corn Starch after.
1/4 cup Corn Starch, pre-mix with 1 cup of the broth and stir in last.
Just watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show yo exactly how to make this Egg Drop Soup.

Hot and Sour Soup

The Best Hot and Sour Soup

This soup became one of my all time favorite Asian recipes almost 25 years ago. My cooking training originated in a Chinese Bistro so I learned how to cook Chinese food, right. Much like Sweet and Sour sauce, this soup has a hot and sour combination. The heat comes from the rice vinegar, chili paste and white pepper and you can add as little or as much of each ingredient you want.

In this recipe I use Beef broth to achieve a flavor that, to me, seems richer than using the traditional chicken broth. Because I use 2 quarts in this recipe, it might be a good idea to use one of each if you prefer your soup a bit more fare or just chicken broth altogether.

6 whole shitake mushrooms weighing approximately 8 oz altogether.

The vegetable base is a simple mix of carrot, bamboo shoots, black fungus, Shitake mushrooms and spring or green onion. I use firm tofu, cut into cubes, for the protein but it’s not uncommon to add thinly sliced and pre-cooked pork or chicken. If you’d like, you can ditch the protein altogether, even.

I want to stress the importance of NOT substituting the Rice Vinegar for any other. It will not taste the same. Rice vinegar is salty and has almost a Fish Sauce quality to it. So using plain white, apple cider or even black Chinese Vinegar is not going to achieve the taste you’d expect from your local Chinese Buffet, Restaurant or take out.

The video will teach you everything else you need to know, including the secret to making those amazing Egg Ribbons we all love so much in our Egg Drop and Hot and Sour soups. If you’re interested in other Asian Soup recipes, check out my Miso Soup, Wonton Soup or my Red Sauce Wonton’s recipe.

How to make Hot and Sour Soup video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Hot and Sour Soup Ingredients:

1 tsp Fresh Ginger, chopped
2 qt Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Black Bean Garlic Sauce
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce
1 tsp Chili Paste

1/2 cup Carrot, shoe string slices
8 oz Mushroom, Shitaki
8 oz Tofu, firm and cubed slices
2 oz Black Fungis

2 tsp Sesame Oil
1/4 tsp White Pepper

2 Eggs, for egg ribbons, soup should be boiling. Add Corn Starch after.
1/4 cup Corn Starch, pre-mix with 1 cup of the broth and stir in last.

1 tsp MSG, optional but really brings out the flavor.

Garnish with 2 Green Onions, chopped into scallions.
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste.

Just watch the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this amazing Hot and Sour Soup.

Red Sauce Wontons

Red Sauce Wonton Pic — Red Bowl with 5 steamed pork wontons, spicy red sauce, topped with chopped scallions and cilantro.

The Best Wontons Recipe

If you like Chinese Wontons, you’re going to love this Red Sauce Wontons recipe. It’s generally sweet and spicy but you can control exactly how much you want of each, easily. It’s true that this recipe was once on P.F. Chang’s menu. I’m not quite sure if it is anymore but I’ve broken down a restaurant size recipe and created this family size equivalent with medium heat. So feel free to adjust the Chili Oil, Chili Paste and sugar to your desired preference.

3 recipes similar to P.F. Chang’s: Wonton Soup, Pan Fried Potstickers and Shrimp Dumplings with sauce.

Recipes made with Wontons

You can turn this dish into a spicy wonton soup, if you prefer, and I tell you how to do that below the ingredients. If you’re looking for more of a traditional Wonton Soup recipe, however, CLICK HERE. You might also be interested in my Pot Stickers and my Shrimp dumplings recipe. They’re both amazing and I show you how to make a dipping sauce with the dumplings recipe.

Pot Stickers are also called Gyoza, which is seasoned and flavor ground pork, wrapped in a round wonton wrapper and shaped like a crescent moon, steamed, then pan fried. Shrimp Dumplings are very similar, only those wonton wrappers are square and are stuffed with seasoned and ground shrimp, instead, then steamed and pan fried. Oh, and did I mention the Dipping Sauce? Mmm, mm, mm!

How to make Spicy Szechwan Red Sauce Wontons video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Red Sauce Wontons Ingredients:

Wontons
1 pkg Wonton Wrappers
1/2 lbs Ground Pork
1/4 tsp Powdered Ginger
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Oyster Sauce, optional

Red Sauce
1 cup Soy Sauce
3 tbsp White Vinegar
1 tbsp Chili Oil
1 tbsp Chili Paste
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tbsp Canola Oil

Garnish
2 Green Onions, chopped
1 Bunch Cilantro, chopped

Serve 5 Wontons with 2 oz of Sauce and Garnish with Green Onion and Cilantro.

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and follow the instructions to make this wonderful Szechwan recipe, Red Sauce Wontons. Make it a soup by adding more wontons, to each bowl, and a ladle or two of hot Chicken Broth.