Sweet and Sour Egg Drop Soup

For me, Chinese food is just as mysterious as it is delicious. One night I had a craving for Chinese restaurant soup, so I raided the pantry and refrigerator for leftovers and came up with this concoction. This soup is easy to make and a good starting point for brave Chinese cooking beginners. I’d definitely try making it again, only with more diverse vegetables to get different textures. Bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts, green onions, julienne carrot strips, the options are endless. (By the way, I don’t measure when I cook so these measurements are approximated.)

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 5  cups water
• 1 (4 1/3ounce) package  lipton chicken  noodles and sauce
• 1  whole chicken bouillon cube, soup base
• 1 (1 ounce) packet  ramen noodle  seasoning (I used mushroom)
• 1  dash black pepper
• 1  dash  dried onion flakes
• 3  large  egg whites
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 1  piece  imitation crabmeat, leg sliced into rounds
• 1⁄8 cup  diced carrot
• 1  pinch ground ginger
• 1  teaspoon  red  French dressing (for sourness)
• 1 -2  tablespoon  of your favorite  sweet and sour sauce (for sweetness)
• 1  tablespoon ketchup (for tangyness)
• 5 -10  dashes  of tabasco  hot pepper sauce (for heat)
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 -5  tablespoons  cool water

Directions

1. Bring water to a rumbling boil in a saucepan.
2. Stir in package of chicken noodles, soup base cube, Ramen seasoning packet, pepper, and dehydrated onion.
3. When seasonings are dissolved and noodles are tender but not too soft, beat egg whites and yolk with a whisk. Slowly add beaten eggs by swirling them into the broth with your whisk. It should take the whisk 4 or 5 trips to get them all inches.
4. When eggs are done, mix cornstarch and water. Slowly add cornstarch mixture while stirring to thicken soup. (Make sure there’s enough water so you don’t create a batter. You don’t want lumps or dumplings forming.).
5. Add ginger, red French dressing, sweet and sour sauce, ketchup, and hot pepper sauce sauce to taste, stir well.
6. Add carrot and crab meat. (I used cooked, leftover carrots. If you only have fresh carrots, cut them and then microwave until tender with a bit of water in a glass dish covered with plastic wrap.).
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook a few minutes, until heated through.