True to our word, The Cookery won’t pass on recipes that we haven’t tested. I fell for this Spicy Egg Drop Soup last fall when my cousin prepared it here in Austin. Kathie keeps a busy schedule with a daily train commute on the East Coast, and when she returns to the nest at the work day’s end, she occasionally recovers with this Spicy Egg Drop Soup. Provided ingredients are on hand, you can prepare this real meal from stovetop to table in 20 minutes. I’ve adjusted Kathie’s recipe for our family table. Tested. Tasted. Recommended.

Spicy Egg Drop Soup

2 cups water

6 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

5 eggs, lightly beaten

1 pound cooked tail-off shrimp

3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

½ cup sliced scallions

In large soup pot, mix water, broth, ginger root, sesame oil, fish sauce, salt and cayenne. Cook over medium heat two minutes. Stir in spinach. Gradually add egg and gently stir one to two minutes. Add shrimp and mushrooms, and cook 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Ladle soup into serving bowls and dress with garden green scallions.

Yield: Eight servings