Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup

I really like Chinese food. I guess what I actually like is Americanized Chinese food, and the good stuff is hard to find where I live. It's so often over-cooked, over-sauced and over-priced that we usually skip over the Chinese takeout menus in our trusty Ziplock bag and instead opt for pizza or wings. But sometimes a craving hits, and it's hard to ignore so instead of takeout we head to the almost-hidden Chinese-buffet restaurant near my husband's office. And that's where I get to load up on roasted duck, soy-sauce-laden green beans, and the best egg-drop soup I've ever eaten. It's always the first thing I go for, smooth and creamy and super-eggy, and I've even gotten a certain little boy to try it. (But only if it's in his own bowl, with a huge big-boy soup spoon, and brimming with Chinese noodles, of course. He has his own requirements, don't you know.)

Unfortunately my husband's office is not close enough to our home to make this a regular meal for us so I've had to improvise. You know - make my own soup. (Imagine that!) And I'll be darned if it wasn't easy as pie. Or cake. Or easy as soup, really, because if you cook at all you know that soup is one of the easiest (and cheapest) meals you can make. I get a dozen eggs each week in my CSA box, and along with my homemade, frozen chicken broth this meal is paid for before I even begin cooking. And thank goodness for that because I feel a craving coming on.

Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup
Adapted from Food TV
Makes about 4 servings
Printer-friendly-version

Ingredients
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons chicken broth, divided
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped
Chow Mein noodles, optional

Directions
1. In a large pot, bring two cups broth, ginger and soy sauce to a boil.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine cornstarch and two tablespoons of broth. Whisk well then slowly pour into soup pot, stirring contstantly, until soup thickens.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low then slowly pour egg into broth, stirring constantly and gently. Remove from heat.
4. Ladle into bowls and season with salt and pepper. Top with green onions and Chow Mein noodles, if desired. Serve hot.