Egg Drop Soup
Easy egg drop soup in 15 minutes: silky ribbons of egg in a gingery, lightly thickened chicken broth with scallions and sesame oil.
33% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 5 min
- Cooking
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 105
- Protein
- 9 g
- Per serving
- $1.07
Why this recipe works
Egg drop soup is the simple, comforting Chinese restaurant soup made from pantry staples: broth, eggs, cornstarch and scallions. It's on the table in 15 minutes and is the perfect starter or a light lunch.
- A light cornstarch slurry gives the broth body, so the egg forms soft, floating ribbons instead of sinking into small curds.
- Pouring the egg in a thin stream while slowly stirring in one direction is what makes long, delicate ribbons.
- White pepper and a few slices of ginger give the clean, warming flavor of restaurant egg drop soup.
Ingredients
You will need
- Medium saucepan
- Small bowl
- Fork or chopsticks
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Simmer the broth
Bring the broth, ginger, soy sauce, white pepper and salt to a simmer in the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Fish out the ginger slices.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Thicken it
Stir the cornstarch mixture, then pour it into the simmering broth while stirring. Cook for 1 minute, until slightly thickened and glossy.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Add the egg
Lower the heat so the broth is barely simmering. Stir the soup slowly in one direction, then pour in the beaten eggs in a thin stream from a fork, letting them trail into ribbons. Leave untouched for 30 seconds to set.
AI-generated illustration of this step. Finish
Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and half the scallions, and taste for salt. Serve topped with the remaining scallions.
AI-generated illustration of this step.
Techniques in this recipe
Rolling boil: too hard for most sauces Simmer: small, gentle bubbles Simmer, don't boil
A boil has big, rolling bubbles; a simmer has small bubbles that break gently. Most sauces, soups and stews want a simmer.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- If the soup is boiling hard when the egg goes in, you'll get scrambled bits instead of ribbons. Keep it just at a simmer.
- For thicker restaurant-style soup, use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Stir in a handful of frozen peas and corn, diced tofu or shredded chicken with the slurry to make it a meal.
Nutrition per serving
105 calories
$1.07 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 33% of calories | 9 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 26% of calories | 7 g |
| Fat | 41% of calories | 5 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 890 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
How do you get ribbons in egg drop soup?
Thicken the broth slightly, keep it at a gentle simmer, and stir slowly in one direction while pouring the egg in a thin stream. Then leave it alone for 30 seconds so the ribbons set.
Can I make egg drop soup without cornstarch?
Yes, but the egg will form smaller wisps rather than long ribbons, and the broth will be thin. Arrowroot or potato starch work in the same amount.
Is egg drop soup gluten-free?
It is if you use tamari instead of soy sauce and a broth labeled gluten-free. Regular soy sauce contains wheat.
