Egg Drop Soup
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I love it when the leaves on the deciduous trees in my neighborhood turn canary yellow, fiery orange and bright red. Fresh picked apples, pears and pumpkins are some of the last crops sold at the local farmers markets as the late summer harvest winds down. Remnants of my little garden will be tossed in a compost bin and added back to the soil next year. Seeds will be saved. Pots need to be scrubbed and cleaned and tomato cages need to be stacked. In a few short months, the seed catalogs for next year will be in my mailbox. Can you believe it? I’m already planning next year’s garden.
On the flip side, fall marks the beginning of the cold and flu season. People walking around with sniffles and barking coughs become increasingly noticeable. At the grocery store, over the counter cold remedies and boxes of tissue seem to fly off the store shelves. Hand sanitizer and constant hand washing does help in the prevention of colds but, sometimes there’s no avoiding it. Once you got it, you’ve got it. We’ve all had it. Unfortunately, most of the time, you just have to let it simply run its course…
One of my favorite dishes to prepare while dealing with the common cold is Egg Drop Soup. My Egg Drop Soup is similar to what you may find at your favorite Chinese restaurant. My Egg Drop Soup is slightly different for I like to add finely chopped carrots, celery and use galangal root instead of ginger. It’s easy to prepare, mild in flavor and has a wonderful soul soothing chicken soup like quality about it. I love curling up on the couch with a good book and wrapping my hands around a warm little cup of my Egg Drop Soup. Egg Drop Soup certainly won’t cure your cold but it may help you feel just a little bit better. Enjoy! Tessa
Ingredients:
- 1 quart chicken stock (reserve 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup celery (chopped fine)
- 1/2 cup carrot (chopped fine)
- 1 slice dried galangal root
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 1/4 Tbs cornstarch
- salt to taste
- 2 eggs
- 1 or 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce (optional)
- chives or green onion for garnish
In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat add 3 cups chicken stock, celery, carrot, galangal, and white pepper. Bring to a slow boil. Cook until the celery and carrots are tender. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix together the cornstarch and 1 cup of chicken stock. Add cornstarch mixture to soup and stir well. In a small bowl lightly beat eggs.
Now, grab a spoon and stir the boiling soup in a single direction. Slowly add the egg mixture to the soup stirring gently. Taste and correct your seasonings. Remove galangal root. Add soy sauce if desired and garnish with chopped chives or green onions. Makes about 4 – 1 cup servings.
