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egg drop soup

Chinese Egg Drop Soup

By Maggie Zhu
4.93 from 66 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
My Chinese egg drop soup is a 15 minute restaurant style soup with silky egg ribbons drifting through a clear chicken broth seasoned with green onion, ginger, white pepper, and a finishing drizzle of sesame oil.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 green onions , sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (*Footnote 1)
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder , or 3/4 teaspoon salt (*Footnote 2)
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder , for the yellow color (Optional)
  • 2 to 3 large eggs , beaten (*Footnote 3)
  • 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 low heat and let the soup reduce to a simmer.
  • Combine cornstarch, chicken bouillon, sea salt, white pepper, turmeric, 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. Stir and cook until the soup thickens.
  • To add eggs, make sure the soup is simmering. (*Footnote 4) Hold a fork (or two chopsticks slightly apart) across the top of a small bowl, drizzle the egg mixture in 3 batches into the soup, where no egg strands have formed. Let the eggs sit for at least 10 to 20 seconds to make sure they have cooked, then stir gently to break up the egg to the desired sized pieces. Then keep drizzling and breaking up the rest of the egg mixture. (*Footnote 5)
  • Turn off the heat. Drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle with the green part of the green onion. Serve hot.

Notes

  1. I found 2 tablespoons of cornstarch creates a thicker soup that is the closest to the Chinese takeout version. If you prefer a thinner soup, use 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch. 
  2. I prefer to use chicken bouillon instead of salt to season the soup. Chicken bouillon contains much less sodium than salt but adds more flavor to the soup. 
  3. Use 2 eggs if you prefer the soup to have a texture that’s similar to Chinese takeout. For a richer soup, use 3 eggs. To make the best egg ribbons, you want the beaten eggs to be even and smooth.  Do not beat the eggs with a lot of force, which creates air bubbles. Pay attention to breaking up the thicker pieces of egg white, so it is easier to drizzle. For an easy drizzle, I like to beat the eggs in a cup with a spout. If you do not have one, use the “fork method” in the recipe. 
  4. It is very important to have the soup on a low simmer, so it cooks the eggs gently. If the soup is not bubbling at all, the eggs will drop to the bottom of the pan and stick. If the soup bubbles too rapidly, the eggs cook very quickly and form larger clumps. 
  5. I found the best way to create thin, even egg ribbons is to not add all the eggs at the same time. The eggs require some time to set. If stirred too early, the uncooked eggs will emulsify into the water and make the soup cloudy. If stirred in too late, the egg will start to clump together and form bigger pieces. Adding it in small batches, then waiting and stirring, creates the most even result. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 52kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 857mg, Potassium: 67mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 65IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 0.3mg