Drop In An Egg For An Effortlessly Upgraded Canned Soup
The prospect of heating a can of soup can feel tedious, monotonous, and uninteresting. Yet that is no reason to lose faith in this convenient lunchtime option. There are plenty of exciting ways to transform canned soup into a dazzling meal. One such upgrade is the addition of an egg. Egg drop soup, also known as Dàn Huā Tāng in Mandarin, means "egg flower soup." It refers to dropping a raw egg into hot soup and is a brilliant source of inspiration for your seemingly unimaginative canned versions.
Not only does the egg revitalize the taste of canned soup by adding substance and intrigue, but it can also create an eye-catching and appetizing pattern on the surface. You may consider egg drop soup a Chinese takeaway classic, but there is also an Italian version, traditionally found in Rome, which incorporates grated cheese into the egg drop mixture. In other words, various methods and styles of dropping an egg into soup exist. So why not canned soup too? It's time to get inventive and elevate the taste and flavor of that canned pantry staple.
A simple take on a Chinese classic
First, you need one fresh egg per 1-2 cups of broth or canned soup and 1 teaspoon each of vinegar, oil, and water mixed in a separate bowl. The vinegar prevents the eggs from clumping and scrambling. The water and oil assist in the thinning and smoothing process, respectively.
When pouring the egg drop slurry into your canned soup, make sure the soup is at a boil and, while stirring, slowly pour the egg drop mixture in. It's essential not to over-stir the soup during the egg drop, as you could start to lose those wispy strands created by the egg mixture. It's also much easier to pour the egg drop from a pitcher or jug, as you can easily manage the flow and speed. If you've followed this process correctly, you'll immediately start to see beautiful yellow and white egg clouds rising to the surface of the soup.
How many ways can you drop an egg?
While over-stirring the egg drop is not advised, stirring it slowly or fast will give you varying sizes of egg strands. It's handy to experiment and see which you prefer. If you'd like a thick sheet of egg resting on the soup, make the egg drop slurry without the vinegar and begin pouring once the soup is warmed and rested. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the soup, moving in a circular motion. Allow the egg to set, then gently gather it toward the center of the soup pan, creating a thicker strand of egg.
An egg drop can deliciously elevate chicken soup, whether that's canned Cream of Chicken or Chicken Noodle. Canned soups with cream can be thick already, and you may wish to thin the base of the soup with extra broth before adding the egg drop. Otherwise, if your canned soup has a more broth-like consistency, thicken it with a bit of cornstarch first. This egg drop method is an excellent way to enhance canned soup effortlessly, but don't hesitate to get creative and experiment with various soups and egg styles.