Egg Drop Soup

I'm going to be honest with you. I've never had egg drop soup in a restaurant before. I've never really even tried it before this recipe. Growing up, my mom and grandma made all kinds of soups that had the famous "egg drop" in it -- some with tomatoes, others with meat or cabbage. The things that they had in common were that they were comforting, easy to prepare, and delicious!

This recipe calls for the simplest of ingredients, six to be exact: chicken soup, eggs, scallion, salt, toasted sesame oil, and zha cai. Now, you're probably wondering what the last ingredient is. Think of it as a salty, sour, and almost briny pickle. It's made from pickling the mustard plant and is sold in a variety of flavorings (from sweet to sour to spicy). It's the Chinese version of Korean kimchi, Mediterranean olives, or American pickles. They add the perfect hit of saltiness that egg drop soup craves and offer the dish a flavor that cannot be replaced. The scallion adds an herby touch while the toasted sesame oil rounds the flavor out. These simple ingredients work wonders in a recipe that comes together in just minutes.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

- 24 oz chicken stock

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup zha cai (pickled mustard stem)

- pinch of salt

Toppings:

- 1 scallion stalk

- toasted sesame oil

Directions:

Crack two eggs in a small bowl and whisk until homogenous. Bring the chicken stock up to a simmer in a small pot. Rinse the zha cai and add it into the pot. Add in a pinch of salt and wait until the stock comes up to a simmer. Stream in the eggs by moving the bowl in a circular direction over the pot. Stir lightly using either chopsticks or a fork. The eggs will begin to cook immediately. Top with green scallion and a swirl of sesame oil. Enjoy!