West Lake Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces ground pork or minced beef fillet, or white fish fillets, such as cod or flounder, roughly chopped

• Kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or tamari

• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or sake or rice wine vinegar or mirin

• 6 cups homemade bone broth or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth

• 5 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with 1/4 cup water, to form a paste

• 4 egg whites, lightly beaten

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 1/4 cups finely chopped cilantro

• Directions

  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine meat with 1 teaspoon salt, soy sauce, and rice wine and set aside.

     

  2. Combine broth and cornstarch paste in a 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until broth comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Reduce heat to a bare simmer.

     

  3. Add the marinated ground meat stirring to break it up as you add it (stir gently if using fish). When the meat or fish is just cooked (about 30 seconds for meat or 2 minutes for fish), add egg whites by drizzling them into the simmering broth and stirring the broth around slowly with a pair of chopsticks. When egg whites are solidified, about 30 seconds longer, turn off the heat. Add white pepper and more salt to taste. Add chopped cilantro and stir around to incorporate. Serve immediately.