If you work from home and want a quick healthy lunch, a bowl of this egg drop pesto soup will be your new best friend. It's filling, healthy and delicious. It literally takes less than 10 minutes to make with just a few everyday ingredients.
This egg drop pesto soup recipe was born out of necessity. I'd planned to make some nettle soup, as the weeds are rife in the garden at the moment. But I'd left it too late, and was starving hungry. I wanted something filling, including protein, that would be ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. So I cobbled together my defrosted stock, an egg and some pesto that I had in the fridge. And I was bowled over by how tasty and delicious the end result was.
For this soup recipe, beaten egg is stirred into hot stock, where it quickly cooks into thin ribbons. Egg drop soup is an incredibly popular traditional Chinese soup, and many other cultures have a similar version. But combining an egg drop soup with pesto??? Bear with me on this one… it's a quick and easy way to add tons of flavour with a pungent mix of oil, herbs and parmesan. It also adds a bit of green goodness, and lends colour to what could be rather a bland looking bowl of soup.
Ingredients
This soup just needs 4 basic ingredients: stock, cornflour, eggs and pesto. Depending on the stock that you are using, you might also want some seasoning. I've made the recipe for just one portion, as it is so useful when you're looking for a quick, easy lunch solution. But it's incredibly easy to scale up, so don't let that put you off.
Stock: Homemade stock is ideal for soups where the broth is a key component. Homemade stock is also super rich in nutrients. If you ever cook chicken on the bone, make sure to keep the bones to make stock. (If you don't want to make stock straight away, you can always throw them in the freezer for later.) However, bought stock will also be just fine if that is what you have on hand. Chicken or vegetable stock will both work well.
Cornflour: cornflour is an easy way to thicken the soup slightly, which will help to hold the cooked egg better. The texture of the thickened stock will be like a thin gravy. Cornflour is incredibly easy to use. As long as you add it to a cold liquid, you'll end up with a silky smooth texture. If you don't have any cornflour, it's not essential, you'll just end up with a slightly thinner soup.
Eggs: you'll need one egg per serving. Eggs are really nutritious, and because they contain protein will help to fill you up.
Pesto: Any pesto will be fine. I used this homemade nettle pesto. But the traditional basil version will work really well too. You'll only need 2 teaspoons of pesto per person as it's quite strong in flavour, and you don't want your soup to end up too oily.
Seasoning: It's best to taste your soup before you add any extra seasoning, as the combination of stock and pesto may provide enough seasoning. But if you need more, add either a splash of soy sauce, or some salt and pepper.
Recipe tips for egg drop pesto soup
So far as easy soup recipes go, egg drop pesto soup is right up there. It'll be ready in under 10 minutes, and you just need a pan, a spoon and a small bowl or jug.
Add the cornflour into cold stock. (If you are making up stock with an instant cube and boiling water, add the cornflour separately to a small amount of cold water, then add it to the stock). Bring the stock mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, beat the egg in a small bowl or jug until the yolk and white are well mixed.
Then stir the simmering stock vigorously in one direction, you'll end up with a kind of whirlpool effect. Slowly pour in the beaten egg. It will form ribbons, and cook very quickly.
Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto and any further seasoning if required. Enjoy:)
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Adding an egg to soup is a great way to add some extra protein and keep you fuller for longer. Pesto is a good source of healthy fats, and is rich in antioxidants.And if you use a good quality stock, you'll be adding even more nutrition.
Other healthy soups that you might also enjoy:
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Recipe
Egg Drop Pesto Soup
Ingredients
- 250 ml Stock Chicken or vegetable
- 2 teaspoon Cornflour Optional
- 1 Egg
- 2 teaspoon Pesto
- Salt and pepper or soy sauce Optional, see notes above and taste before adding
Instructions
- Place the cornflour in a cold pan and stir in the cold stock. (If you need to make up your stock with hot water, add your cornflour to a little cold water first, and then stir it into the made up stock). Place over a medium heat and bring the stock up to a simmer, stirring occasionally
- Meanwhile, beat the egg in a jug or small bowl until the white and yolk are mixed
- Stir the simmering stock vigorously in one direction - you'll get a kind of whirlpool. Slowly pour in the beaten egg which will quickly set in ribbons. Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto. Taste and season if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is for guidance only.
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