Hearty Chinese vegetable soup

Julienne the shiitake caps and the carrot thinly.

Peel the stem lettuce from the thick end with a small knife, slice into thin slabs, stack and cut into thin strips.

Julienne the ham.

Remove the soggy aromatics from the chicken broth and sift out the impurities, then bring it back to a boil.

Add the julienned mushroom, carrot, ham and lettuce stem and cook one minute.

Add the minced ginger, garlic and shallot.

Season with salt and ground black pepper, tasting to adjust.

Mix the cornstarch with the water until there are no lumps, pour it into the soup and stir to thicken.