Chinese Shrimp Ball Soup with Straw Mushrooms

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Chinese Shrimp Ball Soup with Straw Mushrooms

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This tasty soup, made with chicken broth, shrimp balls, mushrooms and snow peas, is a good way to start off a Chinese four course family meal or it can be used as a light lunch.

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The shrimp balls are made from finely minced shrimp mixed with scallions, cornstarch and sesame seed oil mixed with a little pork fat. They are formed into walnut sized dumpling and dropped into the boiling soup to cook.

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For the richest tasting soup, you should make your own chicken broth starting with a whole chicken or with just the parts that are left over when you cut up a chicken to use in another recipe. If you are in a hurry, you can just use a good quality commercial chicken broth.

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For variety, you can use different types of mushrooms and you can substitute frozen peas or fresh asparagus tips for the snow peas. For texture, you could add thinly sliced bamboo shoots and you could even modify the recipe to resemble a Sichuan hot and sour soup.

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Difficulty:

Easy

Preparation Time:

45 Minutes

Cooking Time:

15 Minutes

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Ingredients:

1-32 Oz. Box of Chicken Broth

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Sugar

1 Cup of Straw Mushrooms (rinsed and drained)

1 Cup of Button Mushrooms (washed and cut in half)

12 Fresh Snow Peas (break off the ends)

2 Teaspoons of Sesame Seed Oil

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Shrimp Ball Mixture:

1 Lb. of Fresh Shrimp (cleaned, washed, dried and minced into a fine paste.

2 Tablespoons Pork Fat or Bacon Fat

1 Egg White (beaten until foamy)

1 Scallion (finely minced including the green part)

1 Teaspoon of Cornstarch

1 Teaspoon of Sesame Seed Oil

½ Teaspoon Salt

Mix well in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

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.Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine the mushrooms, the snow peas and broth in a large saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil.
2. Have a soupspoon and a bowl of cold water ready.
3. Using your left hand, grasp a handful of the shrimp mixture and squeeze it between your thumb and index finger to form a walnut sized ball.
4. Dip the spoon in cold water to prevent sticking and scoop the shrimp ball from your left hand and place it in the soup.
5. Repeat this process until all of the mixture is gone.
6. Continue to cook over medium heat until all of the shrimp balls rise to the surface and then add the two teaspoons of sesame seed oil and serve hot.

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