A Sneak Peek at the New Cookbook
Today I’m excited to share a recipe from my new cookbook – Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More. This recipe is one that I’ve been enjoying quite often since developing it, because it’s delicious and so easy to make. My goal with the book was to create recipes that are true to the spirit of home-cooked Chinese cuisine and celebrate the richness of Chinese plant-based ingredients, and this recipe is a prime example of that approach. It uses one of my favorite forms of tofu known as yuba or “tofu skin” in place of the egg and the broth is rich and comforting. Other recipes you’ll find in the book include:
BBQ Char Siu BunsMushroom Fried RiceKung Pao TofuBang Bang King Oyster MushroomsChinese Stir Fried Okra
The official release is September 20, 2022 and you can find it at every major book retailer.
What Makes Vegan Egg Drop Soup Great
As an adventurous omnivore, I’m pretty particular about vegan food. And I wouldn’t share a vegan recipe with you if it wasn’t something I myself would enjoy eating. I can tell you that this vegan egg drop soup is worth your time for several reasons:
Ingredients for vegan egg drop soup
A Brief Yuba Explainer
If you aren’t familiar with yuba, you are in for a treat. It’s tofu that is made in the form of very thin sheets. There are a few different varieties that are quite different from each other. It can be dried, semi-dried, or fresh – and this dried/fresh factor will determine the texture.
Dried yuba sheets may be found in packages on non-refrigerated shelves. They may take the form of long sticks. I don’t recommend dried yuba for this because its texture can be quite tough.Semi-dried yuba sheets are usually found refrigerated or frozen. They may be in very large, thin, and flat packages and have a shiny look. They have a bit of bounce to their texture and are good for this recipe.Fresh yuba sheets also come refrigerated or frozen, and they may be available fresh and unpackaged. They have an opaque beige look. The texture will be very tender and they are good for this soup, though they may fall apart a little bit and they may not have the ribbon-like appearance you see here.
A Note on Mushroom Powder
I used mushroom powder as my broth base in this, since it is a vegan alternative to chicken powder which is frequently used in Chinese home cooking. It has a great umami character to it and I use it in all sorts of dishes as a savory flavor booster. In this vegan egg drop soup in particular, I wanted a broth base that would have a clear, non-cloudy appearance, so the mushroom powder was perfect for it. I realize that it’s quite salty and might not be to everyone’s liking, so you may want to try some alternatives:
Skip the mushroom powder, use vegetable broth instead of water, and add salt to tasteUse miso instead of mushroom powderUse vegetable broth base (e.g. Better Than Bouillon brand)
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Mixed spicesGinger and green onion (white part)Yuba sheet Sesame oilMushroom powderGreen onion (green part)
NOTE: I separated the yuba sheet to give the soup the best apparence when I was doing the cookbook photography. This step is usually not required because the yuba sheets usually separate themselves when you add to the soup.
How to cook vegan egg drop soup
Final Thoughts
Even though it’s a really simple one, this vegan egg drop soup is one of my favorite recipes from the upcoming book. It, like all the recipes in the book, uses real Chinese ingredients and flavors and an approachable cooking method to make tasty plant-based dishes that you can easily work into your weekly rotation. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you do, check out my book for much more in the same spirit!
More delicious plant-based recipes
Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir FryEasy Tofu and Celery SaladAir Fryer Sweet Potato FriesSheet Pan Vegetable Chow MeinDa La Pi (大拉皮, Northern Chinese Potato Noodles in Sesame Sauce)
