I love nothing more than a heart-warming soup, even in the (albeit late) summer time. But during the summer, I opt out of the hearty, dense loaded soups that could moonlight as a chili if you use less chicken broth you know what I mean? Instead, I Iike broth-forward, light soups that still hit all the right spots.

This is one of those. If you haven’t tried the Hot & Sour Soup, you can start there as it’s a great entry point into egg drop soups. This one isn’t hard but I know the egg drizzle can be intimidating from first hand experience. 

This version came from a desire to incorporate more protein into meals. I would always accompany the Hot & Sour Soup with a side of chicken larb or skewers but was tired of feeling like I was making two meals for the price of one. Then I remembered how much I love a good meatball soup. Why not add the meatballs in to the soup, upping the protein and making it hearty enough to not need additional dishes? Genius if I saw so myself! While I was at it, I might as well add more vegetables in there. 

My father-in-law recently told me that research shows you should try to eat 30-40 different types of vegetables a week for a good digestive system. That seemed like a crazy high number to me until I realized that most salads incorporate 5-8 different veggies. And soups are a great and wildly easy way to increase that number! And if you are like my father-in-law and are “allergic” mushrooms, you can simply omit from the recipe and it tasties all the same. Though I will say… it’s a delicious way to realize you may in fact like mushrooms eating them this way!

INGREDIENTS

For the meatballs – 

1 lb. ground chicken

1 cup shredded carrots

¼ cup cilantro

¼ cup chopped green onion

1 tbsp. fresh ginger (finely chopped or shaved)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 egg

1 tbsp. Tamari soy sauce

salt, pepper, red chili flakes

For the soup – 

8 cups chicken bone broth (I usually just use 2 standard boxes)

1 red bell pepper

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups shiitake mushrooms

3-4 green onions

3 eggs

1 lime

¼ cup tamari soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. fresh ginger

1 tbsp. sesame oil

Additional toppings: cilantro, green onions

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400F. 
• Mix together all the meatball ingredients. 
• Roll into 1-in balls and line up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 
• Bake for 25 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, roughly chop the bell pepper, green onions, and shiitake mushrooms if not already sliced.
• In a large soup pot, warm sesame oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, carrots, and ginger, gently stirring for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add chicken broth, tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Bring to a soft boil. 
• Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and once the broth is lightly boiling, slowly pour the eggs into the broth, using a fork to stir it into ribbons. 
• Reduce the heat and add in the green onions, mushrooms, and lime juice. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. 
• Gently drop the meatballs into the soup. 
• Serve with extra green onions and enjoy!