One of the simplest soups one can make, this remains one of my all time favorites.

Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
2 teaspoons water (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (optional)

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Bring to a boil.

Stir together the cornstarch and water to dissolve cornstarch; pour into the boiling broth.

Stir gently while you pour in the egg and yellow food coloring if using.

Season with chives, salt and pepper before serving.

Egg Drop Soup

This is quick and easy, but because we’re dealing with a recipe for one, and a microwave, it is fairly precise, so listen up carefully — you’ll need just a few simple things to get started.

large mug
liquid measuring cup

1/3 cup dry measuring cup
1/3 cup elbow noodles
1/4 cup pre-shredded cheese
dash of milk
1/2 cup of water

Once you’ve got it down, you can experiment with variations, but for the first time I suggest trying it this way. I found that store bought finely shredded cheese worked best, and made the creamiest sauce. I used cheddar cheese. I used whole milk. My mug had a 1 2/3 cup (400 ml) capacity. My microwave is a fairly standard 1000 watts.

Put 1/3 cup of elbow noodles into your mug. Add a scant 1/2 cup of water to it. Be sure to use a liquid measuring cup to measure your water. And by scant, I mean just shy of 1/2 cup. Basically you will microwave this mixture until the water has evaporated. In my microwave this takes about 4 minutes. Microwave it for 2 minutes to start, then stir. Then another minute, and stir again. Then a final minute, and the water should be absorbed. If not, microwave a bit more until it is.

Stir in a dash of milk and 1/4 cup of cheese, microwave for a final 30-60 seconds. Stir well to blend everything together into a creamy sauce, and enjoy.

Macaroni and Cheese