Vietnamese Crab and Asparagus Soup (Sup Mang Cua)
A simple, elegant egg-drop soup often served at weddings. It's easy to make at home and perfect for a cold winter day.
Ingredients
- 5 cupsstock (beef/pork/chicken/vegetable)
- ½ cuplump crab meat
- 10hardboiled quail eggs
- 2beaten egg whites
- 12 ozwhite or green asparagus (see notes)
- 3 tablespoonstapioca flour
- 4 tablespoonsroom temperature water
- thinly sliced cilantro or green onions
- ground white pepper (can substitute with ground black pepper)
- sesame oil
Directions
- 1
If using white fungus, soak the whole flower in hot water for 10 minutes. Once soften, remove the rough middle section, give it a good rinse a couple of times then chop it up finely and set aside. Wash the asparagus and remove any rough ends. Thinly slice it into concentric circles then set aside.
- 2
In a medium stock pot, heat up your choice of stock. Once it comes to a boil, add cooked crab meat, breaking it to thin strips with your fingers. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- 3
Add a bit of salt and MSG, if needed. Keep in mind that store-bought stock and some crab meat may already be salty so you may not need to season as much or at all. It’s best to taste-test. If making this with my homemade pork stock, no need for extra seasoning. When making this with my favorite store-bought Korean beef bone soup broth (Jay One brand), which comes slightly seasoned, I use two bags of the stock (17.6 oz each) and add 1 teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon MSG.
- 4
Add hardboiled quail eggs. While gently stirring the pot in one direction, add the beaten eggs in a slow stream to get long strands of cooked eggs.
- 5
Cook for 10 more minutes or until broth thickens.
- 6
Turn off the heat. The residual heat will cook the asparagus.
- 7
Ladle into small bowls. Garnish with cilantro or green onions, a sprinkle of ground pepper, and a drizzle of sesame oil.