Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (2024)

In my parents’ Chinese restaurant, we used to make three soups every day withoutfail, and it was always the first thing we would do when we opened the restaurant. Wonton soup, hot and sour soup, and egg drop soup––the classic trio offered on every Chinese menu.

Making these soups during the winter months would help warm up the kitchen as we started our day, and, oftentimes, I would have a small cup of wonton soup broth or egg drop soup to start the day.

Of the three classics, everyone has their favorite, and a nice cup of soup before your favorite Chinese lunch special is always a welcome starter. My personal favorite is classic wonton soup, but I do like a good egg drop soup! We also added the newly popular Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup to the takeout menu, which is also another favorite of mine.

Note: This recipe was originally published in November 2015. We’ve taken new photos, re-tested and improved the recipe (reduced the amount of cornstarch slightly and added an extra 1/4 teaspoon salt), and added nutrition info and a recipe video!

What Is Egg Drop Soup?

The name “Egg Drop” comes from how the soup is made—dropping raw egg into hot soup. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.

But actually, the direct translation in Chinese is egg flower soup, because the egg creates large and small swirls in the soup in a flower-like pattern (scroll down to the recipe video below to see that in action).

There are many variations of egg drop soup, but this recipe is a classic restaurant-style egg drop soup that you can make at home.

Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (1)

Why Make Egg Drop At Home?

So the 300-pound gorilla in the room is why make it at home when you can buy a small order for a buck fifty?

Well, since this recipe only takes 15 minutes, it’s actually faster than ordering it and picking it up!

Also, monosodium glutamate is used liberally to make these soups in most restaurants. (Though some restaurants these days do limit their use of MSG.)

We don’t have a problem with MSG, but if you want to be sure to skip it, you’re safest bet is to make your own. Use homemade chicken broth, store-bought organic chicken broth, or even vegetable broth. You can also season your egg drop soup to taste and even use organic eggs!

This restaurant-style egg drop souprecipeis so quick and easy to make that you probably could have made a bowl for yourself in the time it took me to write this post! (Although I have to admit, I am a very slow typist.)

Hope you enjoy this one!

Egg Drop Soup Recipe Instructions

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium-sized soup pot.

Stir in the sesame oil, salt, sugar, and white pepper.

Add in the turmeric or yellow food coloring, if using. Using turmeric or yellow food coloring gives the soup that rich restaurant-style yellow color but this is optional.

Taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (2)

Next add the cornstarch slurry.

Make sure to mix the cornstarch and water well, as the cornstarch settles very quickly. Stir the soup continuously as you drizzle in the slurry. Otherwise, you’ll get unpleasant clumps of cooked starch in your soup.

Use more or less starch if you like a thicker or thinner soup. You can also add the starch in a couple small batches. Let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes, then check to see if the consistency is to your liking.

For more detailed information on the many ways to use cornstarch to get authentic results at home with our recipes, see our post onHow to Use Cornstarch in Chinese Cooking.

Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (3)

Now we’re ready for the most exciting part: the egg.

This recipe calls for the egg to be slightly beaten, which results in both white and yellow egg swirls. The speed at which you stir the soup when adding the egg also determines whether you get large “egg flowers” or small egg flowers (i.e. swirly bits of egg).

This is more a matter of personal preference than correctness. If you vary the speed at which you stir the soup, you’ll get both.

Some people even prefer chunks of egg in their soup, so do whatever suits your preferences!

Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (4)

Once the soup’s consistency is to your liking, use a ladle to stir the soup in a circular motion, and slowly drizzle in the egg until you have added it all.

Ladle the soup in a bowl, top with scallions, and serve!

We served ours with a few fried wonton noodles:

Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (5)
Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (6)

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Egg Drop Soup

This easy egg drop soup recipe will taste just like your favorite Chinese restaurant's egg drop soup (maybe a little better). It's delicious, and can be made in minutes.

by: Bill

Course:Soups and Stocks

Cuisine:Chinese

Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (7)

serves: 6

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 15 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken stock (about 1 liter, organic or homemade preferred!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (Or 5 drops yellow food coloring. Optional, but if you want "the look…")
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 1/3 cup water)
  • 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 1 scallion (chopped)
  • 1/4 teaspoon MSG (increase amount to personal preference)

Instructions

  • Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium soup pot. Stir in the sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper, and MSG (if using). Add in the turmeric or 5 drops of yellow food coloring, if using. This will give the soup that rich restaurant-style yellow color, but it is optional. Taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning if needed.

  • Next add the cornstarch and water mixture. Make sure the cornstarch and water is mixed well, as the cornstarch settles very quickly. Stir the soup continuously as you drizzle in the slurry, or you'll get clumps of cooked starch in your soup. Use more or less starch if you like a thicker or thinner soup. You can also add the starch in a couple small batches, let the soup simmer for a couple of minutes, then check to see if the consistency is to your liking.

  • Now we're ready for the most exciting part: the egg. This recipe calls for the egg to be lightly beaten, which results in both white and yellow egg swirls. The speed at which you stir the soup when adding the egg also determines whether you get large “egg flowers” or small egg flowers (i.e. swirly bits of egg). Use a ladle to stir the soup in a circular motion, and slowly drizzle in the egg until you have added it all.

  • Ladle the soup into bowls, top with scallions, and serve!

nutrition facts

Calories: 109kcal (5%) Carbohydrates: 10g (3%) Protein: 7g (14%) Fat: 4g (6%) Saturated Fat: 1g (5%) Cholesterol: 87mg (29%) Sodium: 551mg (23%) Potassium: 198mg (6%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 3g (3%) Vitamin A: 140IU (3%) Vitamin C: 0.7mg (1%) Calcium: 17mg (2%) Iron: 0.8mg (4%)

nutritional info disclaimer

TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Various online calculators also provide different results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

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Egg Drop Soup: Authentic 15-Minute Recipe | The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

Why is my egg drop soup so yellow? ›

Egg Drop Soup Recipe Instructions

Stir in the sesame oil, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Add in the turmeric or yellow food coloring, if using. Using turmeric or yellow food coloring gives the soup that rich restaurant-style yellow color but this is optional. Taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Why is my egg drop soup so thick? ›

Cornstarch: This is for thickening the soup base.

How do you get long ribbons in egg drop soup? ›

In order to get those signature ribbons, you have to pour your whisked eggs very, very slowly (but consistently) into the soup in a thin stream while whisking continuously. Use a whisk, or get authentic and stir continuously and fairly speedily with chopsticks.

What broth is egg drop soup made of? ›

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.

Is egg drop soup good for you? ›

Yes. It's very low calorie and packed with protein. One bowl of soup (about 1 cup) is only 71 calories. This recipe is provided to New England Cooks by Chef Curtiss Hemm, author or Pink Ribbon Cookbook.

Can you eat day old egg drop soup? ›

Leftover egg drop soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days before reheating. Make sure to store it in an airtight container to maintain its freshness. Can I freeze egg drop soup for later reheating? Yes, you can freeze egg drop soup for later reheating.

Are stock and broth the same thing? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

What's the difference between egg flower soup and egg drop soup? ›

They are two different names for the same dish. The Chinese name is 蛋花湯, which translates to egg flower soup. It refers to the flowery wisps of egg when it's stirred into the broth. The other name, Egg Drop Soup, refers to the technique of slowly pouring, or "dropping", beaten egg into the soup.

What do Chinese use to thicken soup? ›

The main uses for cornstarch in Chinese cooking are: Marinating meats to create a velvety texture after stir-frying. Dredging foods prior to deep-frying to achieve a perfectly crispy result. Magically thickening soups, gravies, and stir-fry sauces.

What to eat with egg drop soup? ›

The best side dishes to serve with Egg Drop Soup are beef and broccoli, garlic bread, ham and cheese pinwheels, twice baked potatoes, potstickers, shrimp pad Thai, fried rice, mango Kani salad, bok choy, Peking duck pancakes, chicken satay, Asian slaw, spring rolls, teriyaki chicken wings, stir-fried noodles, and ...

Why is my egg drop soup gelatinous? ›

Why is my egg drop soup so thick? If prepared properly, egg drop soup should be thick with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. It shouldn't, however, be so thick that it's practically gelatinous. A soup that's too thick likely means you used too much cornstarch or the swirl-and-pour technique was done incorrectly.

How to make egg drop soup not clumpy? ›

If your egg drop soup is coming out clumpy, it means the slurry was added too quickly. According to my dad, it's important to lower or turn off the heat completely and stir in the slurry a bit at a time so it slowly incorporates. This will give you a nice smooth soup!

How to make a good egg drop? ›

Build a shape around the egg with the straws. Hold the straws in place with tape. Add padding between the straws and the egg. Another way to use straws is to design a framework that suspends the egg during the drop.

Which is better wonton or egg drop soup? ›

Whether egg drop or wonton soup is better comes down to personal taste. Egg drop shines brighter in delicateness while wonton soup satisfies more as a hearty, filling comfort meal. Both classics have devoted fans worldwide.

How to do an egg drop? ›

Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl until it forms a slimy, gooey substance. Pour the mixture into a ziplock bag and seal it. Place the bag in a container and drop the egg on top of it. The oobleck cushion will absorb the impact, protecting the egg.

What does Chinese egg drop soup taste like? ›

The best egg drop soup, on the other hand, should have a clear, ever-so-slightly thickened broth with the intense flavor of chicken, supported by a hint of the sweet depth of Chinese ham. You should taste ginger or scallion from the broth itself, but their aroma should waft up along with the steam from the bowl.

Why is egg drop soup called egg drop? ›

Egg drop soup gets its English name from the way its made. Beaten eggs are literally dropped into a pot of boiling soup. In Chinese, however, egg drop soup is actually called 蛋花湯, which translates to "egg flower soup," a reference to the way the eggs form beautiful flower-like swirls as they're incorporated.

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