Spinach Egg Drop Soup

I came across this recipe in the most recent issue of Food and Wine. It sounded delicious, looked really easy, and is pretty healthy so I had to try it. This soup, along with Pork and Green Onion Potstickers, makes an excellent Asian-themed dinner.

I really like the ginger and chicken flavors together, but I'm sure how I feel about the texture of the spinach. Including the spinach stems gives a nice crunch, but it's kind of strange having the soft, wilted spinach leaves and crunchy spinach stems in the same bite. This would be a great soup to make when you're sick-micronutrients in the chicken stock actually do help you recover from illness, ginger is great for upset stomachs, and the spinach is iron-rich to boost energy.


Spinach Egg Drop Soup
from Food and Wine

makes 4 servings
 

5 c. chicken stock or low-sodium broth
One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger—2 inches thinly sliced, 1 inch peeled and julienned
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 c. packed spinach leaves, with stems
Salt

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil with the sliced ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of the white pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Strain and return the stock to the saucepan.

2. Add the julienned ginger to the stock and return the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Gently stir in the eggs, breaking them into long strands, and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat. Season with salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve right away.