Finely chop the carrot, french beans, ginger, garlic, and spring onions, keeping the spring onion whites and greens in separate piles.

Coarsely crush half the sweet corn kernels in a blender with a splash of water, leaving the rest whole, so the soup gets body without losing texture.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the ginger, garlic, and spring onion whites until fragrant and just softened.

Add the chopped carrot and french beans to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes so they soften slightly at the edges.

Pour in the vegetable stock along with both the crushed and whole sweet corn kernels, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

Lower the heat and simmer until the carrot and beans are just cooked through but still have a slight bite.

Mix the corn-flour with a little cold water into a lump-free slurry, then pour it into the soup while stirring continuously until it thickens to a light, silky consistency.

Stir in the soy sauce, white pepper, vinegar, and salt, tasting and adjusting the balance of salty, peppery, and tangy notes.

Turn off the heat, let the soup rest briefly to settle, then ladle into bowls and finish with the reserved spring onion greens.