Make the restaurant-style Chinese egg drop soup with the minimum ingredients, within 15 minutes, and without any fuss. {Gluten-Free}
Soup is an important element on a Chinese family’s dinner table. Back in Beijing when I was living with my parents, my mom would serve soup every day along with steamed rice, stir fried seasonal vegetables and a meat dish. Egg drop soup was always her first choice.
Cooking egg drop soup only takes 15 minutes, but you get a hearty soup that tastes way better than the one in Chinese restaurants.
You don’t need to add tons of spices like star anise and cloves because it overpowers the delicate egg flavor. I was astounded to see some egg drop soup recipes call for 6 to 7 spices. It’s unimaginable. We’re cooking a quick side dish here, not Vietnamese pho.
You only need some fresh green onions and ginger. That’s it. They bring out the sweetness of the egg without the taste being overwhelming.
Cooking notes
Fresh aromatics is the key
The key to make the soup more flavorful is to bring the soup to a boil and let it cook with the ginger and green onion for at least 10 minutes to release the flavor. That’s it. You don’t even need to chop the ginger. Just add a whole slice and you can fish it out and discard it before you serve the soup.
Thicken the soup before adding eggs
When you’re ready to add the rest of the ingredients, turn down the heat to let the broth simmer gently. Whisk in cornstarch slurry to lightly thicken the broth. By thickening the broth first, the eggs won’t think to the bottom when you add them, and form better egg ribbons.
How to create the perfect egg ribbons
Slowly add the beaten eggs by using a fork to slow the flow. DO NOT STIR! Let the eggs sits for a few seconds, then use a pair of chopsticks to break them apart to your liking. Stirring the soup too fast will break apart the eggs into tiny pieces and cloud the soup.
Final touch
Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil. You will get the most comforting soup with a silky texture and delicious eggs bits.
That’s it.
There is no fuss about making a hearty egg drop soup that tastes even better than the one in a Chinese restaurant.
How to alter egg drop soup
There are a few things you can do to make your daily soup taste a bit different.
- Add 1 to 2 chopped tomatoes at the beginning. (One of my mom’s favorites – it makes the soup refreshing and changes the taste.)
- You can add a handful vegetables, such as bok choy, spinach, mushrooms, or cucumber (sounds weird, but it works). But remember that less is more.
- Add corn and peas to make it a corn soup (and you can add ground chicken to make it richer).
- Add a few soaked dried shrimp at the beginning, to infuse more umami flavor to the soup. My mom uses this method with some chicken bouillon when we don’t have chicken stock at home. If you use chicken stock and dried shrimp, the soup will taste even better.
More comforting Chinese soup recipes
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Winter Melon Soup with Meatball
- Wonton Soup
- Chinese Oxtail Soup
- Napa Cabbage Soup with Meatballs
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Chinese Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 green onions , chopped, white and green parts separated
- 1 slice ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder , for the yellow color (Optional)
- 4 large eggs , beaten (Footnote 1)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Combine the chicken broth, the white part of the green onion and ginger in a small pot. Cook over high heat until brought to a boil. Turn to a low heat and let the soup reduce to a simmer.
- Combine cornstarch, white pepper, turmeric, sea salt and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Swirl into the soup and mix well with a spatula.
- To add eggs, hold a fork (or two chopsticks slightly apart) across the top of a small bowl, drizzle the egg mixture slowly through the gaps into the soup. Let the eggs set for a few seconds, then stir gently to break up the egg to the desired sized pieces.
- Drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle with the green part of the green onion.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- If you want the egg ribbons look even better, try to use 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites. Adding more egg white will make the egg ribbons more consistent. If you have leftover egg whites from baking, now it's a good chance to use them!
Video
Nutrition
I do not say this lightly, but you are the reason chickens exist. Eggs are good for us, and we’re eating more thanks to your recipes! Walk in beauty
This is the recipe I have been looking for. My family loved it. The consensus was to cut back on the sesame oil a little but otherwise very very good. We will probably add water chestnuts next time. Maybe some tofu.
I forgot to take a picture, but the soup came out wonderful! My mistake in previous attempts was adding the egg before adding the cornstarch. Thanks for the great tips! My hubby wants me to make sweet and sour soup next. The stuff we’ve been getting at our local takeout place has been very disappointing lately.
Delicious! Better than your basic Chinese restaurant’s. Easy on the sesame oil unless you really really love it. I used 1/4 tsp and could taste it well enough. I’ve tried a few of her recipes in the last couple of weeks and they’re all simple and tasty.
I love egg drop soup! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will be making this soon.
Thank you for this recipe! Made it last night and the family agreed it was the best egg drop soup they ever had. Given I have no experience in Chinese cooking I attribute to the recipe which I followed exactly.
Maggie, I have always wanted to learn to cook Chinese food, even if it is Americanized. This morning I bought some essential ingredients and a wok, and with your guidance I am on my way! Wayne
I’ve been making a version of this for years and it always got eaten. But Chef Zhu’s version raises the bar to a new level. Made this recipe and received rave reviews from all. This is the real deal!
And thanks for the Five Day Class.
Thanks for the positive review! And glad to hear you like the 5-day course 🙂 Have a nice week ahead.
The flavors are delicate and just delicious. We can’t even buy the take out version anymore because this is just so much better. Thanks for the awesome recipes!
I tried this recipe and added shredded chicken. My wife said it was delicious.
I think so too.
Hector
Delicious and really fast recipe, and with a little chipotle, it was amazing. I whish you the best. Thanks.
A delicious recipe I turn to whenever my family and I want egg drop soup! The Best!
Love your recipes and style of foid! Thanks for sharing.
I like the technique of making the egg ribbon! I am reluctant to use turmeric, any alternative?
You can skip the turmeric all together. It’s actually not a key ingredients and only used here to add the yellow color.
So good and so easy. I added some chopped up poached chicken breast and tofu to add a little more protein. It is delicious. I will definitely be keeping this recipe. Thanks, Maggie!!
So easy to make. Absolutely delicious. I made beautiful egg ribbons as never before! Added shrimp at the end. Buy really good toasted sesame oil for the drizzle😜 I love this site!
I’ve been living in Poland for 16 years and nowhere can you find egg drop soup. This recipe was bang on! Thank you sooooo much!
Keen to try this, does it work with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock? Is there any other recommendations for taste if making it vegetarian?
I actually prefer using vegetable bouillon with a combination of mushroom powder to make it vegetarian. I found most vegetable broth are very sweet and have a heavy carrot taste. If you use a veggie broth, you need to add certain amount of soy sauce, salt (or mushroom powder) to balance it. And it still won’t taste like egg drop soup. Another option is using a combination of a small amount of miso paste and a bit vegetable bouillon. The goal is not to make a miso soup but making a delicious soup base.
My favorite soup!! And it tastes like what I would get from a Chinese lady several years ago.
I used black mushrooms. Which is best? Because now its from yellow to black soup