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!
I absolutely LOVE this soup!! It reminds of days when I was sick as a child and my mom would whip some up for me. So extremely easy to make, flavorful and I usually have all of the ingredients anyways! I do add more sesame oil and if I made my own chicken broth then more salt as well, but this recipe is a winner. I have made it 4 times this month for my boyfriend and I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
Thanks for your sweet words, Lauren — we’re so glad to hear that! :)
I know this recipe is an old post, but wow! I made it today for the kids lunch and it is amazing! I didn’t have broth so I used boullion, no need to add salt or pepper…”twas delicious
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Sharon! :)
This was delicious & super easy. I’m making a big batch now to have got the week with my lunch.
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it!
YUMMM! Thank You I made this just now and it is just like my favorite Chinese Restaurants. Sure beats my old recipe. Only thing is I might have whisked in a circle to fast because the egg didn’t come out in ribbons. Still super tasty though, a keeper for sure.
Thanks for sharing with us, Eileen — we’re so happy you enjoyed it! As for the egg, it can be tricky sometimes to get it to behave (you’re not alone)! :)
I have no green onions but i have cilantro already, do you think i can use it just for garnishing?
We think that would be just fine! We hope you enjoy! :)
Made this today and it was wonderful! I subbed in a vegan broth and fresh ginger. NOM!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Whitney!
I love your recipe for egg drop soup however, I prefer a 1/4 cup of frozen peas rather than the corn. Although I will try it with the corn and possibly a little of both! Thank you.
We’re glad to hear that, Patricia, and we think peas would be delicious in this! :)
This is by far my favorite egg drop soup! My whole family loves it. We add turmeric to give it a “golden” color, plus it’s really good for you! Better tasting and better for you than the alternative! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much, Melissa — we’re really glad to hear that!
Actually REAL egg drop soup is made with chicken bone broth as the base. That’s why when we all try to make it with chicken broth or stock, it comes out tasting like nothing and definitely not egg drop. You must make a chicken and get that rich bone broth. I finally got the info out of my Chinese restaurant I buy my egg drop soup from. It is straight up wonderful, no veggies are in egg drop soup either. :-)
I have made this recipe a few times. I don’t use ginger, simply because I never have it on hand. I add more than 1/4 cup of corn as well. Best recipe I have made and always the one I go to when i want a quick meal!
My experience:
Use a measuring cup to slowly pour the eggs all around the pot. It will be more ribbon like over messing with a whisk or fork.
If you have never used sesame oil, start with less. It gets strong, fast. You can always add more, can’t take it away.
Whisk the corn starch with some broth before adding it to the pot, or else you will almost always get clumps. Or alway, like I do.
We appreciate your feedback, Chellie!