Egg Drop Soup

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium soup pot. Stir in the sesame oil, salt, sugar and white pepper. Add in the turmeric or food coloring if using. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Next add the cornstarch and water mixture. Make sure the cornstarch and water is mixed well, as the cornstarch settles very quickly. Stir the soup continuously as you drizzle in the slurry, or you’ll get clumps of cooked starch in your soup. Use more or less starch if you like a thicker or thinner soup. You can also add the starch in a couple small batches, let the soup simmer for a couple minutes, then check to see if the consistency is to your liking. This recipe calls for the egg to be lightly beaten, which results in both white and yellow egg swirls. The speed at which you stir the soup when adding the egg determines whether you get large or small egg flowers (swirls of egg). Use a ladle to stir the soup in a circular motion, and slowly drizzle in the egg until you have added it all. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with scallions if desired.