(Serves 8 as the soup course of a full meal)
This is a flavor-rich soup that I concocted during a journey to a far-away land — a story I plan to recount someday in a graphic recipe novel. When Mindy came into my life, she asked for less heat and more veggies. I obligingly added more veggies.
You can pick and choose from lots of options here, as do I. Depending on what I have in the fridge, I may leave out or substitute a vegetable and sometimes I choose to not do the “egg drop” option. Have fun.
Bring chicken broth, celery and carrots to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat, stir occasionally until pasta is almost done. Add mushrooms and tofu, return to boil. Add mixed sauce, scallions, white pepper and ginger, and stir slowly for half a minute. Turn off heat and pour in the egg. Stir quickly in circular motion with fork. Garnish with cilantro.