Okra Egg Drop Soup

Okra, Scallions + Egg Flower in golden turmeric broth

The famous sliminess of okra is the perfect substitute for the cornstarch used in traditional egg-drop soup recipes. If using store-bought stock, do the math to figure out how much sodium is already in it (2000 mg = 1 t. kosher salt).

1 qt. chicken stock infused with turmeric root
¾ t. salt
½ t. sesame oil
Scant ⅛ t. white pepper
2 c. very thinly sliced okra
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. sliced scallions

Add golden stock to 2 qt. pot, bring to a simmer. Taste stock for salt, add ¼ t. if needed. It should be well-seasoned, but not salty. 

Add sesame oil and white pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, add okra. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes until okra has given up its slime and is tender but not mushy. Reduce heat to medium.

Place ladle in the pot. Slowly pour egg into stock, using the ladle to swirl the egg ‘flower.’ Add scallions, stir very gently. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into two bowls, serve immediately.

Golden turmeric broth: Peel a 2-3 inch piece of turmeric root and slice it into thin rounds. Bring 1 quart of chicken or vegetable stock to a simmer. Add turmeric slices, reduce heat to low and cover. Steep turmeric 20-30 minutes. The broth should be deeply golden, but not reduced. Remove turmeric from broth and discard.

I prefer to use clarified chicken stock for this recipe. Chicken broth is more opaque (it’s made with bones + meat), so use chicken stock (made with bones). Clarifying the stock with an egg white raft before infusing it with turmeric will give you a perfect gem-like golden broth.