I like to serve this as a first course with homemade fried rice to follow, but really, you can serve it with anything. While this recipe is flexible, don't leave out the ginger, which is what gives it the rich flavor characteristic of Chinese broth soups.

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock (preferably low-salt)
4-6 green (spring) onions, chopped
2-4 shallot bulbs, minced
Approx 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger (to taste)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce (to taste)
1-2 Tbsp. sesame oil (to taste)
2 eggs, beaten

Place stock in a saucepan and add about half the chopped onions, the shallots, and the garlic. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger to taste (much depends on how salty, spicy, and/or oily you want the soup, so add a little at a time and taste as you go until you have a good idea how much to use).

Simmer soup gently for ten to fifteen minutes to let the flavors blend.

Stirring the soup briskly and continually, pour in the beaten egg, a little at a time. Be sure to keep stirring, or the egg will clump rather than shred into wispy bits, as it should.

Garnish with the rest of the chopped onion and serve immediately.

Variations: At the start of cooking, add fresh corn kernals, usually about two ears is sufficient. You can also add chinese noodles at the last minute in place of the egg.

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