Basic egg drop soup (with a seaweed variation)

Beat the 2 eggs well in a bowl.

Pour 3 cups of chicken stock into a clean pot; optionally add a few stalks of spring onion whites and a few slices of ginger, bring to a simmer, then fish out and discard the aromatics.

Slowly pour in the cornstarch water (1.5 tbsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water) while stirring so it does not clump; it thickens slightly in under a minute. Do not make it too thick.

Turn off the heat, then pour in the egg slowly while stirring, letting the residual heat cook it into thin shreds so the soup stays silky.

Season with salt and white pepper to taste, sprinkle with spring onion and serve.

Variation: for seaweed egg drop soup, tear off a handful of dried seaweed and add it at the end of any version; it cooks in about 10 seconds.