Recipe: Spinach & Egg Soup

Makes 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes

Use watercress instead of spinach, peanut oil instead of butter, and a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce instead of nutmeg and Parmesan, and you've got egg drop soup. Who said Italy and China were far apart?

1 lb spinach, well washed & picked over
2 T butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
5 C chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or water, preferably warmed
2 eggs
At least ½ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steam or simmer the spinach in a medium-to-large saucepan until it wilts. Cool it under cold water, squeeze it dry, and chop it finely.
Place the butter in a large, deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium. When it melts, add the spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat to medium so that the soup is bubbling but not furiously. Mix the eggs with about ½ cup of cheese, and then add them to the soup in a steady stream. You want the eggs to "scramble," not just to thicken the soup, but you don't want them to lump up, so stir constantly.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are cooked and the soup is thick, 2 or 3 minutes. Serve with bread, passing more Parmesan at the table.