Were you actually expecting something more complicated? Who needs complicated these days, right? Simple and easy sounds better. Well, so long as it’s tasty, of course.
Soup has got to be one of the simplest courses to prepare, and if you have good ingredients, it’s even easier.
So, shiitake…
Can’t it be some other mushroom variety? Why not? But mushrooms are not created equal if we talk flavor. In Asian cooking, enoki and shimeji are more often associated with soups but shiitake does taste richer than both. And that rich flavor is multiplied if you use dried shiitake.
How to rehydrate dried mushrooms
Yes, you just soak them in water. But what should be the temperature of the water? And how long do they need to soak? How do you know when they are sufficiently rehydrated?
Canned white asparagus is used here and there is a subtly sweet soaking liquid in the can. You may add that to the soup. Measure and subtract from the amount of chicken broth. Or don’t use less chicken broth but, rather, add more starch so that the broth does not thin out too much.
One last thing before the recipe. The broccoli.
I know that florets are prettier but the stem, when properly prepared, is not only edible but delicious too. You should consider not throwing it away.
Broccoli stems are edible and nutritious
Facebook feeds of friends are filled these days with snapshots of price tags of vegetables in the market. Per kilo, yard-long beans cost more than pork belly. Broccoli is more expensive than sirloin beef.
Shiitake, white asparagus and broccoli egg drop soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken bone broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- salt
- pepper
- 6 shiitake mushrooms (caps only), thinly sliced
- 1 can white asparagus drained
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
Instructions
- Reserve half a cup of broth. Pour the rest into a pot and heat to boiling point.
- Stir the starch in the reserved broth until completely dispersed. Pour into the broth. Cook, stirring, until the broth is thickened and clear.
- If the broth is unseasoned, add salt and pepper at this point. Start with a tablespoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. You can add more later, if needed.
- Add the sliced shiitake, white asparagus and broccoli to the broth. Stir.
- Lower the heat, cover the pot and cook the soup for seven to ten minutes.
- Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Turn off the heat. Drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup. Stir immediately for wispy eggs. Or let sit for a few seconds before stirring for chunkier eggs.
