Easy Egg Drop Soup

Put stock, water, carrot and garlic into a pot or large saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes or so, covered, over medium high heat.

Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for another 10 minutes or so to extract flavor from the aromatics - sweet from the carrot, savory from the garlic.

Skim out the carrot and garlic, turn the heat back up to medium high, and stir in salt, toasted sesame oil, and starch slurry. Bring the soup back up to a boil for 2 minutes (bringing it to a boil activates the starch so it thickens the soup more effectively).

Turn the heat off and give the soup a few good stirs to let it cool just a little bit. Then stir again to create a gentle whirpool, pour in your whisked eggs, and let the gentle heat do its magic to cook the eggs. Stir gently again once or twice to distribute the eggs.

You want the soup at a temperature where the egg just sets, which is what gives it that silky texture. If the egg overcooks, then it takes on a chewier more scrambled texture, but the starch does help to prevent overcooking.

Ladle into a bowl and garnish with chopped green onion and black pepper to taste. (White pepper is often used for this soup, but if you don't have white pepper, like I don't have white pepper, then black pepper it is! :) )

Enjoy!