Chinese Egg Flower Soup with Leeks

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable stock or water
• 3 to 4 medium leeks, dark leafy top removed, cleaned (as above) and sliced into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 large eggs
• Soy sauce or salt, and pepper, to taste
  Flavoring (Optional)
• 1 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 whole cloves
• 1-inch ginger
• 1 lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon peppercorn

Instructions:

1. In a pot, bring water or stock to a boil. Then lower the heat, add the spices (if using) and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Remove the spices. For convenience, wrap the spices into a small ball with cheese cloth for easy removal.
3. Add leeks and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the leeks are soft. Scoop out some soup into a bowl and whisk in the cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch back into the soup and stir to combine.
4. In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Then slowly drizzle the eggs into the soup with one hand as you gently stir or whisk the soup in a circular motion with the other hand. Stir quickly for smaller egg swirls and slower for chunkier pieces of egg.
5. Add soy sauce or salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

View the original recipe from Vermilion Roots
Images by Vermilion Roots