This classic Egg Drop Soup recipe is quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes and always tastes so cozy and comforting.
Growing up, my family had a tradition of eating lunch at our local little Chinese restaurant every single Saturday. And every single Saturday — like, we’re talking nearly two decades of Saturdays here — I would order “the usual.”
Egg drop soup. ♡
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I absolutely adore a good bowl of egg drop soup. It was my favorite food in the whole entire world as a kid. And today, it’s still one of the most comforting, nostalgic, delicious soups I know.
It’s also one of the easiest soups I know. All you need to make this egg drop soup recipe is about 15 minutes (tops) in the kitchen, a handful of easy ingredients, and a quick tip for how to drizzle those beautiful egg ribbons. Then a delicious batch of egg drop soup can simmering on the stove and ready to be served in no time.
Let’s make some soup!
Egg Drop Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
So What Is Egg Drop Soup?
In case this recipe is new to you, egg drop soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants across the United States. It’s typically made with lightly-seasoned chicken or veggie broth, and filled with delicious egg “ribbons”, which are created by whisking raw eggs into the simmering broth.
Egg Drop Soup Ingredients:
To make this homemade egg drop soup recipe, you will need:
- Good-quality chicken or vegetable stock: Either will do.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the broth a bit.
- Seasonings: Just a pinch of ground ginger, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Eggs: Which we will whisk and then drizzle into the soup.
- Sesame oil: Absolutely essential in this recipe, and also one of my favorite ingredients!
- Green onions: Thinly sliced, to mix into the soup and also use as a garnish.
How To Make Egg Drop Soup:
To make egg drop soup, simply:
- Prepare your stock: Whisk the stock, cornstarch, ginger and garlic powder together until combined before turning on the heat. It’s essential that the broth is room temperature or cooler, otherwise the cornstarch will clump up and not dissolve.
- Bring the stock to a simmer: Stirring occasionally. While this is heating, go ahead and whisk together your eggs in a separate measuring cup or bowl.
- Slowly stir in the eggs: Once your stock has come to a simmer, use a whisk or a fork to begin stirring the stock round and round to create a slow “whirlpool”. Then gradually drizzle in the eggs as you continue to stir the stock, and they will turn into those magical little ribbons. Remove pan from heat.
- Add remaining ingredients. Stir in the sesame oil and green onions until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm. Garnished with extra green onions, if you’d like.
What To Serve With Egg Drop Soup:
This soup would be delicious when served with:
- My favorite Fried Rice (or Quinoa Fried Rice)
- 12-Minute Chicken & Broccoli
- 20-Minute Moo Shu Pork (or Chicken)
- Beef & Broccoli
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Almonds
- Black Pepper Chicken
More Favorite Soup Recipes:
If you love egg drop soup, feel free to check out these other faves:
- Cabbage Egg Drop Soup (my other favorite version of this soup!)
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Miso Soup
- Tom Kha Gai
- Egg Roll Soup
- Everyday Green Curry
- Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- thinly-sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the broth. Whisk together stock (chilled or room-temperature), cornstarch, ginger, garlic powder and white pepper in a medium sauce pan until smooth. Heat over high heat until the stock comes to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk the eggs. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and egg whites in a small measuring cup or bowl. (I find the measuring cup easier for pouring.)
- Stir in the egg ribbons. Once the broth reaches a simmer, use a whisk or two chopsticks to stir the broth in a circular motion, creating a whirlpool. Then slowly pour the whisked eggs in a very thin stream into the soup as you continue stirring, in order to create egg ribbons.
- Season. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the sesame oil until combined. Season with salt and additional white pepper to taste, also adding a dash or two of extra sesame oil if needed. (Saltiness will depend on your brand of chicken stock, but I generally find this soup needs an extra ½ to 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt.)
- Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with lots of green onions and a twist of black pepper.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
This recipe is easy and delish! Watching those ribbons form was fun, I feel so accomplished! Thank you!
Thanks, Suzanne — we’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Quick, easy, wonderful! I’m amazed that I haven’t made this sooner! It’s what’s for dinner!
Thanks, Michelle — we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
I have never found a chicken stock that is chickeny enough, I add bouillion cubes. I (personally) don’t want the ginger, corn, sesame oil or onions. Give me a strong flavored chicken broth, the garlic is fine, some salt (I despise pepper in anything) and the eggs. Yum! I too always have egg drop soup when I am eating oriental.
Tried this and it taste nothing like egg drop soup it was horrible I think I’ll stick to the package mix instead
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for this, Jana.
Just made this, and I seem to have the same problem I always do. My eggs looked like a scrambled mess?. I add shoyu (soy sauce) to mine too. Salt addict here!
Oh no, we’re so sorry! :( The eggs can be a bit tricky to master (we’ve definitely had this happen to us before).
I was really disappointed with this recipe. The flavors were not what i am used to for a traditional egg drop soup. There was way too much ginger and sesame oil was very strong. I will continue o look for a recipe because this is one of my favorite dishes.
We appreciate your honest feedback, Venetia, and we’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for it.
Hey! Just tried this recipe for the first time (I know, I know, it’s years after you posted it and re-posted it!). Really delicious and easy to make. I’ll definitely be making it again. I could really taste the ginger, but wondered if substituting one cup of chicken broth for 1 cup of the stock would make it just a little saltier…adding salt to taste at the end didn’t quite work for us. What do you think?
We think you could definitely try that instead, Shalinn — let us know how it works for you!
I tried making the egg drop soup and it didn’t turn out good. The flavor tastes nothing like egg drop soup. I followed the directions and vigorously worked as I poured the eggs in and it turned into a big pot of mush. It didn’t ribbon the eggs at all. I made this, because my daughter is sick and I figured I’d save money by making it myself. It doesn’t even taste like eggs. Tastes like ginger and sesame oil. Now I’m thinking that I would have saved money by buying it rather than making it. Not trying to debunk your recipe, but this tastes NOTHING like egg drop soup. I hope my sink likes it.
We’re so sorry to hear that, Megan!
Could I use flour for thickening instead of cornstarch?
We haven’t tried that, but we think that should probably work okay. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I just made this tonight and, while it’s tasty, there is definitely something off from the egg drop soup I’ve had at Chinese restaurants. I suspect it’s the broth I used (Swanson’s) and/or the garlic powder. I’m leaning toward the garlic powder. If I make it again, I’ll leave that out.
Feel free to leave out the garlic powder next time if you like!