Egg Drop Soup

Sorry I missed a couple of posts; hubby and I were both sick, so we pretty much didn't cook for a week and a half.  For most of my  life, I never understood why soup was considered the perfect food for sick people; I certainly never craved it when I was ill.  But something has changed.  While I was lying miserably on the couch, watching movie after endless movie, all I wanted to eat was gumbo.  While sick, hubby wanted egg drop soup (though he never got it).  After we mended, I was talking to my mom and she asked if I knew how to make egg drop soup.  It seemed like fate.  It was even more fated because the next day was chilly and wet and perfect for soup.  

 Now, I've always wanted to like egg drop soup, but every time I try it, I feel like I'm just drinking an egg yolk.  Ick! So I knew off the bat that I wanted our soup to be less thick than you get at a restaurant, but I had to balance that with the fact that hubby likes the thickness.  So, we worked together to find a consistency that worked for us.  That's what is so great about making such dishes for yourself!

I did a quick google search for recipes and chose this one because it was simple.  I then did a bit more searching on technique and found this site quite helpful! The egg drops turned out perfectly, both silky and wispy.  If possible, two people do this quite nicely. 

Egg Drop Soup

• 4 cups chicken broth/stock
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• salt to taste
• optional : a few drops of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/ cup water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-2 green onions, minced (omitted because I had none)

In a wok or saucepan, bring the 4 cups chicken broth to a boil.  Add white pepper and salt, plus sesame oil, if you're using it.  Cook for another minute.  If you'd like to thicken the soup, dissolve the cornstarch into the water.  Slowly pour it into the broth, stirring as you go, until you reach your desired consistency.  I probably used 2/3 of the mixture for ours.  Right before you add the egg, turn off the heat.  

This is where having a second person comes in handy.   One person holds a fork about 8 inches from the broth.   Slowly pour the egg through the fork tines.  While this is going on, the second person stirs the broth at a leisurely pace (hubby says "definitely not fast.... definitely not slow).  After a moment (it really takes no time at all), the egg drops are ready and the soup is finished.   (If you don't have a second set of hands handy, the author at the site I visited balanced the fork on a box of crackers and poured the eggs with one hand and stirred with the other.  Talent!)

Of course, you can garnish it with those minced green onions if you're fancy enough to have them.  =)