5 minutes to turn your spinach salad into a Chinese soup
Popeye eats spinach because of the vegetable's health properties. In China, no one needed a cartoon to recognize the benefits of this leafy green — which you can find everywhere, such as in this simple soup.
Soup is essential in Chinese cuisine. A meal just isn’t complete without a bowl of hot liquid. Chinese soups are often light and healthy, low on calories. Savory or sweet, many soups are made according to theories from traditional Chinese medicine. For example, this spinach egg drop soup 菠菜蛋花汤 (bō cài dàn huā tāng) — which takes almost no effort to make.
Spinach is often used in Chinese home-cooked meals. It adds not only color and flavor but also health benefits, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin, and iron. Compared to other vegetables, spinach is richer in vitamin K, which is important for maintaining bone health.
YIELD
Serves 4
TIME
5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch spinach leaves
- 4 cups water or chicken broth
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- A drizzle of sesame oil (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring 4 cups of water or broth to boil.
- Add spinach and chopped green onions to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.
- Swirl in a beaten egg and cook for about 30 seconds.
- When it boils again, turn off the heat. Season with salt to taste, add a drizzle of sesame oil (optional). Mix well.
- Pour into serving bowls. Serve hot.
The China Project Eats is a weekly column.
