Seaweed Egg Drop Soup

A perfect and delicious Chinese Seaweed Egg Drop Soup starter that everyone can make in less than 15 minutes. It is healthy, quick, and easy to make, making it perfect for busy, cold, and rainy weather.

It can be made in many variations, including adding your choice of meat, vegetables, and mushrooms for more health benefits. This recipe features dried seaweed to add more flavor and texture to an Egg Drop Soup with more added health benefits.

Why You Will Love This

• Egg drop soup is always a staple on the menu at Chinese restaurants across the country and it's surprisingly easy to replicate in our own kitchen with little effort and fewer ingredients than you might imagine.
• This Chinese home-style seaweed egg drop soup is savory, delicious, and perfect for rainy and cold days or just when you crave a healthy quick soup to make in 15 minutes.
• If you like more soup recipes, be sure to check out my Hot and Sour Soup, my Vegan Mushroom Soup, and my Chicken Macaroni Soup.

ingredients

• Chicken Stock - Gives more flavor. No chicken stock or broth? You can simply use water and bullion powder.
• Seaweed - For this recipe, look for seaweed labeled “dried laver” and sold in large round cakes. If you can't find the round cakes, you can also use the square sheets. You can easily find seaweed products at Asian Grocery Stores.
• Dried Small Shrimp - Found in most Asian stores. You can skip it and the seaweed soup is still going to be delicious.
• Salt and Pepper - To taste. Some other seasonings you might want to add are garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, or turmeric powder. You can also use fresh.
• Sesame Oil - For some nutty flavor.
• Chopped Green Onions - For garnish, color, and flavor.

Instructions

This Chinese Seaweed Egg Drop Soup is super quick, simple, and easy to make. Be sure to prepare all the ingredients on hand. Chop your onions and tear seaweed into pieces, you can use scissors for convenience. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl. Set aside.

In medium heat, add the chicken stock or water to a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Add in the dried shrimp (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir and bring it to a boil again.

Slowly pour beaten eggs and, stirring until they form thin ribbons. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Then add pieces of seaweed. Be sure to adjust your seasonings accordingly. Remove from the heat.

Drizzle sesame oil and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Types of Seaweed

All the seaweeds sold in the store are edible and they can be classified by color. The most commonly eaten types are red, green, blue-green, and brown. That’s right––as of now currently, no known poisonous seaweeds are in existence. Common types of seaweed are:

• Nori. A color red algae and one of the most popular to make sushi because it is commonly dried sheets.
• Sea lettuce. This seaweed also called sea lettuce that usually eaten raw and added to salads.
• Kelp. It is a brown algae usually dried into sheets and rehydrate to add to soups and many other dishes.
• Agar and carrageenan. These jelly-like substances obtained from algae are used as plant-based binding and thickening ingredients in a variety of foods.

Benefits of Seaweed

Is seaweed healthy? Absolutely! Seaweed is a great source of iodine, which helps support our thyroid gland to function properly. It also contains other vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, B vitamins, zinc, and iron. It is also rich in anti-oxidant which help to prevent us from aging and damaging cells.

Storage and Reheating

• Storage: Once it is cold, transfer to an air-tight container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for 5 days. If you wanted to keep it longer, you can store soup in the freezer for up to 6 months as long as you store it in an airtight container that is freezer friendly. If you want to use a mason jar, be sure to leave 1-inch empty space on the top of the glass to avoid shattering the glass. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator the night before using it.
• Reheating. To reheat, transfer in a saucepan and reheat until warm thoroughly.