Hearty Egg Drop Soup

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Hearty Egg Drop Soup

Serves 4

1 large egg

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, packed

1 cup (about 6 ozs) cooked chicken pieces (see note)

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 cans (14 oz ea) reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth (see

note)

2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp hoisin sauce

1 small red bell pepper (for about 1 cup chopped)

1 bunch green onions (for 1/2 cup sliced)

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame oil

1 tsp bottled minced garlic

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 1/2-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 1/2 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.

Note: 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.

157 Calories;4g Fat; 83mg Chol;19g Protein;12g Carbs;2g Fiber;1,054mg Sodium