Simple Two Ingredients Soup!

Well, to make a soup, you can make it as complicated as Pork and Daikon Soup, or you can make it quick and easy like this.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Pork Spareribs
• 1/2 pound of daikon or turnip, peel and cut into chunks. 
• 5 cups of water
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cut the ribs into smaller pieces between the bones.
2. Wash them thoroughly. If you have time, blanch (what??) them in boiling water so the end result soup will be clear without too much scums.
3. In soup pot, add all ingredients including the blanched ribs and cook for 30 to 45 min, depending on how tender you like your daikon to be. 
4. Salt to season and serve.

Note:

1. Blanch means to cook an ingredient in boiling water for a short period of time and fish out to rinse in cold water. 

Options:

• Serve with sesame oil.
• Serve with white pepper.
• Serve with chopped scallion (green onion) or chives.
• Replace pork ribs of other pork portions, preferably with bones because the bones are more flavorsome than the meat. However, it's okay to use boneless lean pork, such as top loin or even tenderloin. 
• Replace daikon and cook ribs with tomatoes (cut into 8 wedges).
• Replace daikon with cauliflowers  (cut into big pieces) or cook both with ribs.
• Replace daikon with English cucumbers (peel and remove seeds, cut into thick slices) or cook both with ribs.
• Replace daikon with Chinese yam (peel and cut into chunks) or cook both with ribs.
• Add carrots (peel and cut into chunks) so it will be ribs, daikon and carrot soup.
• Add celery (cut into chunks) so it will be ribs, daikon and celery soup.
• Add 2 slices of ginger in the very beginning. Boil water with ginger and ribs for 15 min before adding the rest to cook 30 min more.
• Add one green onion, cut into long sticks. Add with the daikon (or replacement vegetable).
• Add 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine together when you add ribs.
• Add 1 to 2 table spoon of Goji berries, rinsed. Add them in the last 5 min of cooking process.
• and on and on...  

Secret Weapon:

• Add 1/4 teaspoon dashi (What?).

Pork and Daikon Soup.

The burdock root can be found in Asian grocery stores and is optional if you can't find it. It is a great source of fibers. 

Ingredients (yield 6 servings): 

• 1 lb of lean pork or spareribs
• 1lb of burdock root (or gobo), peel and cut into chunks.
• 1 lb of daikon (or turnip), peel and cut into chunks.
• ½ lb of carrot, peel and cut into slices.
• 3 slices of ginger root
• 2 tsp cooking wine
• ½ tsp salt 
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 8 cups of water

Directions:

1. Cut the lean pork to ¼ inch slices. Marinate with cooking 1 tsp of wine, salt and white pepper for 15 min. If you use the spareribs, cut into small pieces between the bones.
2. Bring up a pot of water to boil and blanch the pork for 1 min. Drain and set aside.
3. Boil 8 cups of water with ginger. Add pork, burdock, daikon, carrot and 1 tsp of cooking wine. Bring to boil and turn to low heat. Cover to simmer for 30 min. 
4. Add salt to season and cook for 10 more min.
5. Serve with cilantro if desired.

Note:

1. The carrot can be added later if you like it with a bit crunch.

2. Using spareribs will make the soup richer in flavor.

Simple One Ingredient Soup!

I don't count canned chicken soup as ingredient and it can be optional.

Simple Egg Drop Soup:

Ingredients (yield one serving):

• one large eggs
• 1 cup Canned Chicken Soup
• 1 cup water
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Directions:

1. Beat the egg to mix egg yolk and egg white.
2. Boil 1 cup chicken soup with 1 cup water on medium high.
3. When water is rolling boil, turn the heat to medium, and slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the boiling ware, in a steady stream to create egg ribbons. 
4. Season with salt and serve.

More Options:

• If you don't have canned chicken soup, use 2 cup water with one pack of Nissin Top Ramen seasoning pack to make soup base.
• To step up, some options,

• Cook with corns.
• Cook with diced carrots.
• Cook with tomato cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
• Cook with soft tofu cut into small cubes.
• Cook with 4 to 5 goji berries. 
• Serve with sesame oil.
• Serve with white pepper.
• Serve with chopped scallions (green onions) or chives. 

Secret Weapon:

• Add 1/4 teaspoon dashi (What?).