This delicious restaurant-style Egg Drop Soup Recipe is made with simple ingredients like chicken stock, eggs, soy sauce, and scallions. Just like at your favorite Chinese restaurant, enjoy this easy egg drop soup in less than 20 minutes.
What is Egg Drop Soup?
Egg drop soup (蛋花湯) is a Chinese soup made by adding well-beaten eggs into boiling chicken broth to create long wispy strands of egg. Literally translated to Egg Flower Soup, this is one of the more well-known and popular soups offered at Chinese American restaurants.
Unlike in Chinese cuisine, Westernized egg drop soup is often thickened with cornstarch whereas those versions found in China are typically of a thinner consistency.
On Your Table in Less than 20 Minutes
This delicious recipe is about to blow your mind. Fast, easy, and virtually no prep required, this egg drop soup recipe is guaranteed to be your new wintertime staple. Here’s what makes it so great,
- It cooks really fast. You guys, I’m not exaggerating here. This soup is ready in nearly no time at all, 15-20 minutes to be exact.
- Budget-friendly. You’ll see below that the ingredients are simple. This makes life super easy and will ultimately save you tons of cash (yayy!). Worried that a bowl of this soup won’t fill you up? Add a side of simple rice and toss in some chicken or tofu for added protein.
- The ingredients are basic (but the flavor is not!). You guys, these are the best kinds of recipes.
Ingredients in Egg Drop Soup
For the full list and amounts of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Broth (low-sodium) – Use your favorite store-bought broth or try adding homemade chicken stock, bone broth, or vegetable stock.
- Ground ginger + Garlic powder – Now, usually I recommend that you always add fresh aromatics (ginger and garlic), but in this soup, I think the powdered stuff is better. Of course, either will do. Just remember that powdered seasonings are always more potent than fresh, so should you plan to add fresh garlic or ginger, add two to three times the amount called for in the recipe.
- Soy sauce – Start with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and add more as needed. If you’re avoiding soy products substitute with an equal amount of coconut aminos or liquid aminos.
- Cornstarch – Visit any Chinese restaurant in the US and you’ll find that their egg drop soup is (almost) always thickened with a little cornstarch. That said it’s completely optional and adds little in terms of flavor. Always remember to mix your cornstarch in a little cold water before adding to your hot soup to prevent the cornstarch from clumping.
- Eggs – Aside from broth, eggs are the most important ingredient to this soup! Whisk well before drizzling into your soup.
- Sesame oil (optional) – You really only need a drop or two of sesame oil as it has a pretty strong flavor. If this is something you don’t have or can’t find it available, simply skip it.
- Green onions – Thinly sliced green onions are my favorite garnish to this soup. Add just before serving.
Egg Drop Soup Variations:
- Looking for heat? Top your bowl with a little drizzle of Sriracha or red chili flakes.
- Sweeten it up with corn. Yes…corn. A can of drained sweet corn is all you need.
- Add some mushrooms. I do recommend, however, sauteeing them in a little olive oil before adding to the soup.
- Add more protein. Tofu fits seamlessly with egg drop soup.
How to Make Egg Drop Soup
To make this easy Chinese egg drop soup recipe simply,
- Bring your broth to a simmer. Add chicken broth, ground ginger, garlic powder, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to a medium saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Make your cornstarch slurry. Meanwhile, as the broth comes to a boil, whisk together the cornstarch and water until combined. Stir into the boiling broth and mix well until thickened.
- Slowly add the eggs. Reduce heat to low and use a fork or whisk to stir the broth in a circular, whirlpool motion. Stirring continuously (don’t stop) slowly pour the whisked eggs into the soup creating long egg ribbons.
- Season. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil (if using) and sliced green onions. Season with additional soy sauce or salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve. Best served immediately.
Is Egg Drop Soup Healthy?
Yes. Most people would consider egg drop soup to be very healthy. Packed with protein (thank you eggs) and low in calories (just 54 calories per serving!), it is also low in carbohydrates.
Is egg drop soup gluten-free?
To make egg drop soup gluten-free, substitute regular soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce for an alternative like tamari or coconut aminos.
Is egg drop soup keto?
Although egg drop soup is very high in protein, there are a couple of ingredients you should avoid.
- Cornstarch. If you’re eating keto then you probably know already that cornstarch is off-limits. Aside from overall texture and added thickness, the soup itself won’t taste much different without cornstarch.
- Soy sauce. Soy products are another ingredient group largely off-limits to those eating keto. Simply substitute with coconut aminos or liquid aminos to get the keto stamp of approval.
Tips and Tricks
- Always mix your cornstarch with a bit of cold water before adding to your hot broth. This ensures that the cornstarch will dissolve completely rather than clump together.
- I know I mentioned that the cornstarch is optional, but it really is a major player in making this soup silky and smooth. Unless you can’t eat cornstarch, I don’t recommend leaving it out.
- Not only add the eggs slowly but also stir the soup in a circular motion slowly. You want to stir fast enough to create long ribbons, but not so rapidly that the eggs dissolve into the broth.
- Egg drop soup is best enjoyed right away. I know, bummer if you were hoping for leftovers, but really, you want to enjoy this soup right away. Lucky for us it only takes 20 minutes to make!
What to serve with Egg Drop Soup
This soup is super light and healthy- perfect for lunch or as an easy side to all your favorite Chinese takeout recipes.
- Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe with Bok Choy
- Thai Basil Chicken Recipe (Pad Kra Pao Gai)
- Chinese Chicken Salad Recipe
- 15-Minute Lemon Honey Ginger Chicken Recipe
- Fried Rice: Cauliflower Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice Recipe (Khao Phat Kaphrao), or Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice
More take-out recipes,
- 10 Minute Garlic Bok Choy Recipe
- Low Carb Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe
- Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry
- Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
- Moo Goo Gai Pan Recipe
- Asian Pasta Salad Recipe with Chicken
If you try making this Egg Drop Soup Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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Easy Egg Drop Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth - (good-quality )
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 large eggs - beaten
- 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil - optional
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions - to garnish
Instructions
- Add chicken broth, ground ginger, garlic powder, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to a medium saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, as the broth comes to a boil, whisk together the cornstarch and water until combined. Stir into the boiling broth and mix well until thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and use a fork or whisk to stir the broth in a circular, whirlpool motion. Stirring continuously (don't stop) slowly pour the whisked eggs into the soup creating long egg ribbons.
- Immediately remove from heat and stir in the toasted sesame oil (if using) and sliced green onions. Season with additional soy sauce or salt and pepper, if desired.
- Best served immediately.
Notes
- Try to use a good-quality low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock. Or, make this vegetarian and swap the chicken broth for your favorite low-sodium veggie broth.
- This soup is best enjoyed right away as it does not reheat well.
Nutrition
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
