Egg & Seaweed Drop Soup (Zi Cai Dan Hua Tang)

The story

This is what Chinese households make when there is "nothing" for dinner — the pantry version of chicken noodle soup. Toasted nori-style seaweed turns a pot of hot water into something that tastes like it simmered for hours.

Ingredients (4 + pantry staples)

• Dried edible seaweed (nori or wakame) — 1 sheet / 2 tbsp torn
• Eggs — 2, beaten
• Scallions — 1, sliced
• Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt, white pepper. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Boil 3 cups / 700 ml water. Tear in the seaweed and simmer 2 minutes.
2. Turn the heat to its lowest setting. Stir the soup in one direction and slowly pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream — ribbons form instantly.
3. Season with salt and white pepper, finish with scallions and sesame oil.

Swaps

Wakame or even crumbled snack nori works. Add a handful of frozen corn or shrimp for a heartier bowl.