Hetty Lui McKinnon’s love for macaroni soup runs deep.
Recipe adapted fromTenderheart 2023 by Hetty Lui McKinnon.
Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Photo: Hetty Lui McKinnon
My mother started every day with intention and purpose.
A typical breakfast in our house was anything but ordinary.
Often there were several options, each customized to the whims and preferences of her three children.
Some mornings, she made fried rice or vermicelli noodle soup.
Other days, she dished up my favorite, macaroni soup, the quintessential breakfast of my childhood.
During childhood, my only knowledge of pasta was from my mother’s macaroni soup.
My exposure to European food was virtually nonexistent.
But I was very wrong.
I discovered my misapprehension by happenstance, during a 2018 work trip to Hong Kong.
My mind went into overdrive.
How is McDonald’s serving my mother’s macaroni soup?
Things started to click for me.
I called my mother and grilled her about it.
The dish is quintessentially Hong Kong, offering hints of the West, with a nod to the East.
Today, I also have many versions of macaroni soup which I make for my three children.
Though it’s called macaroni soup, this dish can be made with any small pasta shape.
Add macaroni (or other pasta) and cook according to package directions.
Drain and rinse with cold water.
Heat the saucepan over medium heat.
Add sesame oil, ginger and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant 30 to 60 seconds.
Add stock (or broth), increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, break eggs into a spouted measuring cup or a bowl with a spout.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of white pepper.
Once the stock is boiling, season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.
Add the pasta and peas and increase the heat to high.
Cook until the egg is set, 30 to 60 seconds.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with scallions.
Garnish with sesame seeds, Maggi and chili oil, if desired.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
