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Hearty Egg Drop Soup

Source of Recipe

by Mercyteapot, from Desperation Dinners


Recipe Introduction

This is a hearty version of the rather bland staple of Chinese restaurants!

List of Ingredients

1 large egg
2 cups pre-washed fresh baby spinach leaves, packed
1 cup (about 6 ounces) already cooked chicken pieces (see note)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cans (14 ounces each) reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth (see note)
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce (available in most large supermarkets)
1 small red bell pepper (for about 1 cup chopped)
1 bunch green onions (for ½ cup sliced)
1-½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic


Recipe

Break the egg into a small bowl; beat it with a whisk or fork until foamy. Set aside. Divide the spinach evenly among 4 large soup bowls. Set aside. Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks (if necessary), and set aside. Mix the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons cold tap water in a small jar that has a lid. Shake until well combined and no lumps remain. Set aside.

Pour the broth, soy sauce and hoisin sauce into a 4-½-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Place it over high heat, cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil. Meanwhile, core and seed the bell pepper, and cut it into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Trim and thinly slice the green onions, using all of the whites and enough tender green tops to make ½ cup. Set aside.

When the broth boils, add the sliced mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium to maintain a moderate boil, and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms begin to get tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved bell peppers, chicken and scallions. Add the sesame oil and garlic.

Shake the cornstarch mixture again to recombine. Add the cornstarch to the soup, and cook and stir until the soup thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat. Stirring constantly, slowly pour the beaten egg into the soup in a thin stream. The egg will immediately form cooked lacy strands.

To serve, ladle the soup into the bowls over the spinach, and press down on the spinach to make sure all of the leaves are covered with broth. Let the bowls stand 1 minute so the heat from the soup can wilt the spinach leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes:
Lots of companies now sell packages of cooked chicken in several flavors. Choose a plain, unseasoned, oven-roasted type for this recipe. The exact weight of the package doesn't matter, but a 6-ounce package will yield about 1 cup. If you happen to have leftover cooked chicken or turkey, you can use that, too.

Reduced-sodium chicken broth is widely available. If you can't find it, omit 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce.

Start to finish: 18 minutes

4 servings