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!
So dilicious and I mad eit my self as a 11 and I still love it.
This is a super yummy recipe. Thank you for posting!
Excellent, easy and delicious recipe. Instead of adding salt, I added a few dashes of soy which counters the ginger and adds that salty tang. So yummy!
Wow, sold. This recipe is the best I’ve tried.
I like this and will do it again. I just have one question… The instructions at the very end mentioned egg whites, but I couldn’t find in the ingredient list, or any other part of the instructions, how much or what to do different from the 3 large eggs. Anybody know?
Ps. I added celery and chopped, yellow onion to the simmering pot. Delish!
So good. I can’t believe this is the first time I have made it! I did only use a teaspoon of ginger since I am not a big fan. But I will definitely make again and again!
Delicious! I love the extra spices but I’m also someone who over spices things, I love flavor! Thanks for the amazing recipe! I did add some turmeric though for color.
I like the recipe and make it about once a week. Today when I was making it I thought the amount of ginger and garlic seemed higher but I made it as written. I did not enjoy it as much because it was really spicy, it tasted more like the base of Hot and Sour soup which I love when I’m in the mood for it. I think I will stay with the old recipe because it makes more of a comfort soup for me. I’m glad I checked the notes that stated the recipe had been updated because it made me doubt my memory.
I did the same thing last night! I ended up taking half the seasoned broth out and adding back in some plain broth to dilute it. My kids don’t love it that spicy and all I could taste was ginger.
And then I saw the note. I went back and looked at my printed off original recipe which calls for 1 tsp ground ginger and only 1/4 tsp garlic powder. I prefer the original ratios and I like the addition of corn as well.
This is still a great recipe but the increased ginger really changes the profile of the soup. Ali, might I suggest putting the note in a more prominent place or an asterisk by the ginger in the ingredients list?
Love it!
I love this recipe. I use this all the time. 💜
Disappointed. No flavor. I followed the recipe exactly.
You should try it with homemade broth using better than bouillon! It adds so much depth and flavor!
I agree but try adding a block of Japanese curry seasoning it does wonders
This is my go to egg drop soup recipe…. So simple yet so good! I have made so many of your recipes, tried and true…. Thank you