My-One-And-Only Soup

Time :10 minutes
Yield :1 serving

The Scoop

This soup recipe is for when you want a restaurant-quality meal, but your energy levels are sitting at an absolute zero.
Let’s be completely honest: If your current cooking motivation levels are at an absolute zero, your fridge is a certified ghost town, and the thought of washing three different pans right now feels like a personal attack, enter this 5-minute, single-serving microwave hot & sour soup. Trust us, it's officially doing the absolute most with zero cleanup.
It is the ultimate low-effort, high-reward hack for anyone whose culinary skills start and end with hitting the "+30 seconds" button. We are talking restaurant-quality flavor, delicate egg ribbons, and zero pots harmed in the making.
Consider your takeout craving successfully manifested using just a mug and a dream.
Hack it: 
Swap tempeh for tofu. Same vegan protein, more fiber, excellent taste.
Use tamari sauce if you are out of low-sodium soy sauce.
Can’t get mushrooms? Use zucchini slices and pat yourself on the back. You made dinner.
Leftovers:
Thicken it with cornstarch to make a very comforting, savory porridge that you can enjoy the next day as a starter.
Add cooked flaked salmon to make a wonderful fish soup.
Add a handful of cooked noodles and some more broth to stretch the meal for the next day.
If you just have broth leftovers, turn them into a steamed egg custard -Chawanmushi style: whisk in some eggs, pour into ramekins, and steam on low heat until jiggly and yummy.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, plus more, to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar, plus more, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili oil, plus more, to taste
  • 1/4 cup firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons egg, whisked (about 1/2 an egg)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions

  • In a small bowl, add the water and the cornstarch and whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Set it aside.
  • In a large, microwave-safe bowl or a microwave-safe mug that can hold at least 20 ounces of liquid, add 1 cup of the broth, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of the rice vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of the chili oil and stir to combine.
  • Taste the broth mixture and add the extra broth, the extra soy sauce, the extra rice vinegar, and/or the extra chili oil, as needed.
  • Add the tofu and the mushrooms to the broth mixture and stir to combine.
  • Place a paper towel over the bowl and place the bowl in the microwave.
  • Microwave the broth mixture at full power for 2 minutes.
  • Carefully stir the soup mixture.
  • Microwave the soup again until the mushrooms are cooked, about 1 minute on full power.
  • Add the slurry mixture to the soup mixture, while continually stirring, until it is fully mixed in.
  • Drizzle the egg over the soup, sprinkle it with the pepper, and quickly whisk the egg into the soup with a fork until it begins to form into ribbons.
  • Microwave the soup until it has thickened and the egg is fully cooked, about 1 minute on full power.
  • Garnish with the scallions and serve.
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