I would like to start with an apology. I am not cooking soup today. 
Gretchen and I already decided to have another go at our new pizza technique. However, I do have a soup recipe that I’ll gladly present in lieu.
Gretchen and I are developing a menu of our dishes. As we make each dish, we make a value judgment about whether that dish will go on the menu. That is, if it is good enough to keep in our bag of tricks. Since we only came up with this idea a few months ago, the menu does not yet contain all of the dishes we know we love and we have a long list of recipes we already know we want to try again to get them onto the menu. I have already talked about the Soy Braised Chicken recipe that Gretchen and I adapted from Terry Tan’s recipe in his Little Chinese Cookbook. This recipe is from the same cookbook and is another of our favorites.
As presented in the cookbook, this is Crab and Corn Soup, though Terry does suggest that diced chicken or shrimp can by substituted for variety. Gretchen and I have decided that we like the shrimp the best. You have to remember that we live in central Pennsylvania — essentially land locked. So when it comes to seafood, it comes down to frozen shrimp or canned crab. Those of you who have access to fresh seafood may decide differently.
This is one of the easiest, quickest soups you will ever make. It is a rich, tasty, aromatic, comforting soup. Perfect for a cold February evening.
Shrimp and Corn Soup
- 1½ cups Creamed Sweetcorn
- ½ cup Popcorn Shrimp
- 1½ cups Water
- 3 tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Eggs
Beat the eggs lightly and then combine all of the ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and adjust seasoning to taste. Terry recommends topping it with fresh chopped coriander and croutons, though I recommend a piece of crusty French or Italian bread.
What could be easier or quicker than that? Beat an egg and bring the soup to a boil. You couldn’t make canned soup in less time — and it wouldn’t be near as good.