Over the years, my family’s tastes have changed and I’m so happy the kids now like to venture out to experience new things. One type of food that always gets an “all hands raised” at our house is Asian cuisine. A go-to meal that gets the whole family involved is Egg Drop Soup and Pork Dumplings. Both of these dishes are easy and fun to make because everyone gets involved, prepping and cooking together. Either of these recipes can be prepared and eaten separately or combined to make a filling and satisfying meal.
Egg Drop Soup & Pork Dumplings
By: Tonya Baldessari
Egg Drop Soup Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
2 green onions, chopped. Separate the white parts from the green as you chop.
salt and white pepper
3⁄4 cup enoki mushrooms or sliced shiitake mushrooms (optional)
Egg Drop Soup Directions:
- Make a quick slurry of cornstarch and a little chicken broth. This helps dissolve the cornstarch and keeps it from clumping up when you add it to the soup. Set this aside.
- Add the chicken broth, ground ginger, soy sauce, white part of the onions, and mushrooms to a saucepan; bring to a boil.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the broth.
- Turn off the heat and slowly stream in the beaten eggs while stirring the soup in one direction. It may take a couple of times before you get the hang of how fast to stir and pour to achieve the desired thickness of egg ribbons. This is the magic of egg drop soup, so make sure the family gathers around the pot for this part!
- Add the tops of the green onions and salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Pork Dumplings with Ginger & Green Onion
Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork (or use chicken instead)
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger—don’t skimp on the fresh ginger, the flavor really pops!
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 bunch of green onions (6-8), trimmed and sliced. Use both the white and green parts. Reserve some for garnish.
1 package of 50 gyoza wrappers
vegetable oil
Optional add-ins: 5 ounces of cabbage, 2 Shiitake mushrooms
Garnish Ingredients:
reserved sliced green onions
sesame seeds
Dipping sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup Tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions:
- You can make these dumplings up to a few hours ahead of cooking. Freeze them if you need to make more than a day ahead of time.
- Put the pork or ground chicken in a large mixing bowl, breaking it apart as you add it to the bowl.
- Add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sliced green onions. At this step, you can add the optional ingredients to the mixture. Gently mix the ingredients together without compacting the meat. Use your fingers or two forks. Wrap and refrigerate the meat until needed.
- To make the dumplings, dip your finger in water and run it around the edge of the round gyoza wrapper. This softens the wrapper so it can be cinched closed. Place a small amount of the chilled meat, about 1 tablespoon, in the center of the dough, and fold it in half, pressing the center top together firmly with your fingers. Make small pleats, three on each side, to make a half-moon shaped dumpling.
- In a large skillet, with a tight-fitting lid, coat the bottom with oil. Heat the oil on medium-high until hot. Add the dumplings, flat bottom side down, into the pan. Allow some space between the dumplings and cook them in batches. Cook for about two minutes, without moving, until they are a nice, golden brown on the bottom.
- Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and cover with the lid. Let the dumplings steam for about five minutes, or until the meat is cooked thoroughly. Be sure it reaches 160 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the dipping sauce together with a whisk.
- Serve the dumplings immediately. Garnish them with green onions, sesame seeds, and dipping sauce.
I’ve been married to my amazing husband, Dan, for 29 years.We have traveled all over the world in this amazing Air Force life and after 29 years decided to retire in beautiful Colorado Springs.
We have two wonderful children.Chris is our oldest and just graduated from college and is now a worship leader at a wonderful church.Alex is our daughter and she’s our sunshine! She’s a Sophomore in high school and is a lover of all things Jesus, art, music, volleyball, and animals.
Now that my littles are not so little anymore I love to help women care for their families while making their homes a safe haven to create many healthy memories.I also love spending my time volunteering, cooking, creating, and loving the women that God has put in my life.
- Egg Drop Soup & Pork Dumplings - March 15, 2021