Layout:
Home > Very Cost Effective, Easy Egg Flower Soup

Very Cost Effective, Easy Egg Flower Soup

August 29th, 2012 at 11:12 pm

I don't have a lot of energy this week. Part of it is that I've been battling some kind of stomach bug off and on since coming back from vacation and part of it is putting food up for the winter. Today I made a very cost-effective lunch for my family that took me all of ten minutes, which is about what my brain could handle. Serves 4 (3 ladelfuls per bowl, DS had two bowls). You do need 3 hands for this or a way to prop the fork up later.



Egg Flower (or Drop) Soup

1 quart (4 cups) of chicken broth
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
5 eggs
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper (or black if you don't have white, it's just for aesthetics)
1 tsp corn starch (optional, for thickening, it didn't seem to make a difference to me so I will leave it out next time)

In a bowl take 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Mix in corn starch. Set aside.

Mix eggs well. You want them very runny. Set aside with the fork you used to mix them.

In a pot combine chicken broth, scallions, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute.

Have someone hold a fork over the pot or somehow prop it over the boiling broth. While stirring with one hand slowly pour the egg through the fork. Do not stop stirring while you pour. This creates the ribbon effect. Otherwise you will just end up with blobby eggs in the soup. Stir hard for one minute after you are done adding the egg, then add the broth/corn starch mixture and allow to boil for one more minute while stirring gently. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste (I added a bit more salt. This is by nature a blandish soup so salt is necessary.). Soup is done.

This soup probably cost me about 25 cents. That is because the green onions came from my garden, the eggs came from Mom's chickens (free), and the broth is stock that I made previously (and froze) from leftover chicken carcasses and vegetable peelings that I had saved in my freezer. But even if paying for it, it wouldn't have been too expensive and is a nice, high protein lunch.

One variation on this is to add peas and carrots. I didn't have any, but a cup or so would have been a good addition while adding about 50 cents to the cost of the soup. Just use the canned kind and boil for a couple minutes longer before adding the egg.

Pricing it out:

$0.39 for 1 bunch of green onions (farmstand price)
$0.85 for five eggs (based on a $2 dozen)
$1.99 for 1 quart of chicken broth
$0.15 for salt, pepper, ginger, corn starch (which is likely on hand anyway)
---------
$3.38 for four servings or 84 and 1/2 cents per serving.

Of course if you make your own practically free broth from leftover chicken carcasses and vegetable scraps and peelings you save from other meals, you will bring this down to $1.39 or almost .35 per serving. Not bad and surprisingly filling (from the egg).

5 Responses to “Very Cost Effective, Easy Egg Flower Soup”

  1. Homebody Says:
    1346278713

    Aaah not feeling well, that explains it!! Sorry, hopefully you will feel better soon.

  2. LuckyRobin Says:
    1346282495

    LOL, yes, HB, me and my egg flower soup when I'm sick is practically a legend. Although I do eat it when well, too, I swear! I decided it was a lot cheaper to do this than my usual getting a gallon from the Chinese place. Also, they've changed the recipe since the owner retired and the kids took over and it's not as good anymore and I don't feel like driving anywhere right now, either.

  3. mamasita Says:
    1346286626

    Thanks for sharing the recipe. My kids and I love egg drop soup, but I think we will start to call it egg flower soup!

  4. Homebody Says:
    1346292715

    DH makes hot and sour soup when we are sick with colds....or stops on his way home to pick it up. It does seem to help my cold feel better. What really helps is a shot of Fireball Whiskey in a cup of Good Earth Tea! Haha

  5. Looking Forward Says:
    1346476338

    Thanks for the recipe. Smile

Leave a Reply

(Note: If you were logged in, we could automatically fill in these fields for you.)
*
Will not be published.
   

* Please spell out the number 4.  [ Why? ]

vB Code: You can use these tags: [b] [i] [u] [url] [email]