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The ultimate simple comfort food is a bowl of Egg Drop Soup. Made with just chicken broth, eggs, and seasonings, this dish will make you feel comfy, warm, and nourished.
These days, I’m more pressed for time than ever, so I’m always on the lookout for truly fast, truly easy, and comforting dishes. That’s why I’m glad to share this simple, delicious recipe for one of my favorite quick dishes: Egg Drop Soup!
What Is Egg Drop Soup?
Egg Drop Soup is an easy Chinese dish. The base of the soup is chicken broth, lightly seasoned with ginger and a few basic seasonings. Gently beaten eggs are dropped into the boiling broth, usually through a slotted spoon or strainer that causes them to drizzle into the soup and form ribbons. It’s a comforting, light dish that’s great for lunch, dinner, or as a simple side dish.
Egg Drop Soup Ingredients
- Chicken Broth: I use low-sodium chicken broth, but you could use regular or homemade chicken broth.
- Cornstarch: This gives the soup its famous silky texture.
- Garlic Powder: It adds a quick and easy flavor to the dish.
- Ground Ginger: You’ll need half a teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Eggs: Lightly beat two large eggs.
- Green Onion: This soup just isn’t complete without some chopped green onions.
- Salt & Pepper: To taste.
How to Make Egg Drop Soup
- Fry the green onions with a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
- Make Broth: Place chicken broth in a saucepan and whisk in the cornstarch, garlic powder, and ginger. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring the mixture to a steady simmer.
- Add Eggs: Reduce the heat to low. Then, place a wire mesh sieve over the saucepan. Slowly strain the beaten eggs through the sieve and into the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
- Season & Serve: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the salt and pepper. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.
Recipe Tips
- Broth: Use a good quality chicken or vegetable broth because the broth is the backbone of this soup.
- Silky Eggs: For those iconic egg ribbons, whisk your eggs thoroughly before drizzling them into the hot broth.
- Cornstarch Slurry: If you like slightly thick soup, use the cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth before adding the eggs.
- Temperature Control: Keep the broth at a gentle simmer when adding the eggs. If it’s boiling too vigorously, the eggs will break apart into small bits rather than forming ribbons.
- Season to Taste: Adjust the final seasoning with salt and white pepper.
- Add-Ins: You can stir in some tofu, thinly sliced mushrooms, or a dash of sesame oil for extra flavor.
- Serve Immediately: Egg drop soup is best enjoyed fresh, so serve it as soon as it’s ready to prevent the eggs from overcooking and to enjoy the best texture.
Serving Suggestions For Soup
The soup makes a wonderful side dish to my Easy Chicken Stir Fry. This Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken is a sticky, sweet, and fantastic recipe for takeout-style dinners. A light and quick dinner, our soy sauce glazed Flank Steak and Zucchini Noodles will make everyone happy!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- You can store leftovers in airtight containers and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place leftover soup in a saucepan and heat on low for a few minutes until heated through.
- Freezing this soup won’t work because the eggs will lose their texture during the freezing and thawing process.
More Soup Recipes
- Quick and Easy Instant Pot Corn Chowder
- Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup chopped green onions,, plus more for garnish
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth,, divided
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder
- 2 large eggs,, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon salt,, or to taste (if using low sodium chicken broth, add less salt; you can always add more later)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,, to taste
- red pepper flakes,, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a soup pot or saucepan set over medium-high heat.
- Add chopped onions to the hot oil and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 4 cups chicken broth to the pot and stir.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; whisk until well incorporated. If you prefer a thicker soup, add 1 more tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the soup and whisk well until incorporated.
- Whisk in the garlic powder and ginger.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a steady simmer. Stir occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and place a wire mesh sieve over the soup pot.
- Slowly strain the beaten eggs through the sieve and into the pan. Cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in salt and pepper.
- Taste for salt and seasonings, and adjust accordingly.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and red pepper flakes.
- Serve.
Notes
- Broth: Use a quality chicken broth because the broth is the backbone of this soup.
- Silky Eggs: Whisk your eggs thoroughly before drizzling them into the hot broth to achieve those iconic egg ribbons.
- Cornstarch Slurry: If you like a thicker soup, use the cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth.
- Heat: Keep the broth at a gentle simmer when adding the eggs. The eggs will break apart into tiny bits if it’s boiling.
- Season to Taste: Adjust the final seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Add-Ins: You can stir in some tofu, sliced mushrooms, or add sesame oil for extra flavor.
- Serve Immediately: The soup is best enjoyed fresh, so serve it as soon as it’s ready to prevent the eggs from overcooking and to enjoy the best texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is my second comment tonight. Our supper was Shrimp Tempura and Egg Drop Soup. I’ve already let you know how much we enjoyed the shrimp. Now it’s time for the soup. What a great recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I tried Egg Drop Soup recipes only to have a bowl of stuff that didn’t taste like Egg Drop Soup but took forever to get all the ingredients together and cooked. I loved your recipe and we loved the end result. Thank you for a great supper!!
That’s wonderful to hear! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank you so much for chiming in! 🙂