A Chinese style egg drop with shredded kanikama, sweet corn kernels and scallions in chicken broth slightly thickened with starch. It’s “crab” and corn soup for people with crab allergy.
I used to be allergic to crustaceans so this was the only version of crab and corn soup that I could tolerate. I have overcome my allergy to shrimps… but crabs? I don’t know yet. I’m willing to find out but, along with so other seafood, we can’t find crab these days. So, it’s imitation crab and corn soup for us.
Imitation crab? Yes. You might know them as “crab sticks” but they really aren’t supposed to be sold with that label anymore. Misleading because they contain no crab meat. And just how are “crab” sticks shredded to such thin pieces? Here’s an illustration.
Every piece of “crab” stick is covered with plastic wrap so you have to peel that off first and discard it. Take a “crab” stick and lightly press it with your fingers from top to bottom. It will open up and you can easily separate the shreds inside. The outer red portion, you will have to tear into matchsticks. Just tear it like you’re tearing a piece of paper but in thinner pieces.
The broth is chicken bone broth. I poached chicken a day earlier, saved the cooking liquid and kept in the freezer. That was what Alex used when she made this soup. But why is the broth thickened with starch? To prevent the egg from sinking to the bottom.
“Crab” and Corn Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken bone broth
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup sweet corn kernels (if using canned, drain well)
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions separated into white/light green and dark green portions
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn starch
- 4 pieces kanikama (imitation crab sticks) separated into thin strips
- 4 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a boil in a sauce pan. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the corn and white/light green portion of the scallions. Simmer, covered, for five minutes (a few minutes longer is using fresh raw corn).
- Disperse the starch in two tablespoons water and pour into the soup. Stir until the broth is clear and slightly thickened. Cover and simmer for another five minutes.
- Stir in the kanikama and dark green portion of the scallion stalks. Allow to boil gently for half a minute. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream over the entire surface of the soup. Count 10 seconds before stirring gently (see tips for making wispy or chunky egg drop soup).
- Taste your "crab" and corn egg drop soup one last time, and add more salt and pepper if needed, before serving.
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