I just use chicken broth and get it to a light boil swirl in eggs, chives, salt, and pepper. I will see if I can find an actual recipe.
She has tips if you want to add extra stuff
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-egg-drop-soup-159379
Miss Lydia recipe is nearly spot on for the basic egg drop that is the staple at least as far as I know. I love soup. It is a staple up north. My better half loved Hot and Sour soup, so I mastered it while we were dating long ago.
4 cups chicken broth (homemade no salt)
2 duck eggs swirled in like Miss Lydia said
scallions or chives (preference and availability) - lightly chopped.
Salt and pepper to taste (white pepper is the authentic use)
That is it. For the basic meal.
It is really quite simple and clean tasting. My better half actually likes a lighter version with equal parts water to broth and the addition of a chopped tomato.
Boil the broth, once rolling swirl in the eggs, salt and pepper to taste, plate and add chives while standing. Enjoy.
My wife's father made scallion crepes to go along with the soup, incredible and easy. Flour, water, chopped scallions. mix to light batter and make a crepe, does not have to be pretty as it will taste amazing.
It is very easy. It is the adds that scare people off from trying to make soup.
Adds:
Ginger - flavor and medicinal (flu, cold, immune booster)
Chives rather than scallions
Cornstarch or Potato starch to thicken (restaurant style)
Sesame Oil - Flavor (this is the flavor enhancer of the northern provinces of China, most people put it in one form or another on their food, spicy sesame oil, dark roasted sesame oil, oil infused with sesame and chili, etc...)
white pepper
Once you master the basic egg drop soup in either thickened or regular form, you have the basis of another soup, Hot and Sour.
Same basic list with MUST adds:
thinly sliced pork strips (1/8 inch by 1 inch)
white pepper
tofu - cubed or cut into stips or free crumbled
the starch is a must. mix with water before adding to rolling boil, stir well until thickened, add more if desired.
equal parts white to rice vinegar (to taste, start small 1 tsp each added at end)
Optionals:
Seaweed strips (sized the same as the other stuff and cut down on salt in recipe)
wood ear (black tree mushroom) thinly sliced.
Ok, wow, I feel like chef duck....sorry peeps for the rambling soup post...I must be hungry
and it is chilly out so, maybe I will make some soup and have it ready for my wife when she gets home...
