Spinach and Ginger Egg Drop Soup

As I write this, Devo is playing on the radio. This is fitting, because I listened to Devo as I prepared this delicious, tummy-soothing soup. I freaking love ginger. Smells great, tastes great, is great.

In this soup slices of ginger and chicken stock (home-made) simmer together to make a really great base. While I added more ginger and spinach to the base, you could also add bamboo shoots or water chestnuts. This soup isn't substantial enough for an entire meal, but it's a great appetizer and a nice treat for someone with a cold or flu.

This soup makes four servings and takes a whopping 20 minutes to prepare. Well, maybe longer if you're like me and struggle to finely julienne the ginger.

Ingredients
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth (I prefer stock.)
One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger - 2 inches thinly sliced, 1 inch peeled and finely julienned
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups packed spinach leaves

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, ginger slices and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for five minutes. Strain and return the stock to the saucepan.

2. Add the julienned ginger to the stock and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Gently stir in the eggs, breaking them into long strands, and cook for 30 seconds. Mix with a fork to break up the egg.

3. Stir in the spinach and remove from heat. Season with the other 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes
You really need finely julienned pieces of ginger. No match sticks! They need to be very, very thin or you'll get a strong bite that may be overwhelming. Also be sure to give the egg a quick stir with a fork once it's added to the soup to break it all up.

After a cold winter surf, this soup will warm you up quickly!