Easy Homemade Egg Drop Soup
This homemade egg drop soup recipe comes together in under 15 minutes using just a handful of pantry ingredients. The deeply savory broth is filled with delicate ribbons of egg, creating a bowl of comfort that rivals your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan - 2-3 quart (2-3 liter) capacity with heavy bottom
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium mixing bowl
- Fork or whisk
- Small bowl - For cornstarch slurry
- Ladle
- Fine-mesh strainer - Optional, for straining broth if desired
- Measuring cup with spout - For pouring beaten eggs
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 950 ml
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch - 16 g
- 3 tablespoons cold water - 45 ml, for cornstarch slurry
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce - 5 ml, or tamari for gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil - 2.5 ml
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper - 2 g, or black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt - 2 g, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger - 1 g, optional, but adds warmth
- green onions - scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with cold water and stir vigorously until completely dissolved and lump-free. Set aside.
- Crack eggs into a measuring cup with a spout and beat well with a fork or whisk until yolks and whites are fully combined and uniform in color.
- Pour chicken broth into a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Add soy sauce, white pepper, salt, and ground ginger (if using) and bring to a full boil.
- Reduce heat to medium so the broth is simmering. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir and slowly pour it into the broth while stirring constantly until thickened slightly.
- Reduce heat to medium-low for a gentle simmer. Hold the beaten eggs 6-8 inches above the pot and slowly drizzle through the tines of a fork while stirring the broth gently in one direction. Stop stirring and let set for 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and drizzle in toasted sesame oil. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use cold water for the slurry. Cold water prevents the cornstarch from gelling before it hits the hot broth, keeping the soup smooth and lump-free.
- Pour eggs slowly. The slower you pour, the longer and silkier the egg ribbons will be. Rushing this step is the most common mistake that leads to clumpy eggs.
- Use a measuring cup with a spout for pouring. This gives you much more control over the pour rate than a regular bowl.
- Don't over-stir after adding eggs. Once the eggs are in, a gentle circular motion is all you need to form ribbons without shredding them.
- Add sesame oil off heat. Heat destroys the delicate aroma quickly, so always stir it in right before serving.
- Simmer, don't boil, when adding eggs. A rolling boil will break apart the egg ribbons as soon as they hit the broth.
- Refrigerator storage: Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat to avoid making the egg tough.
- Make-ahead tip: Prepare the seasoned broth and cornstarch slurry up to 2 days in advance. Store them separately and add the eggs only when you are ready to eat.
- Do not freeze this soup. Freezing completely changes the texture of the eggs, and the cornstarch-thickened broth will become watery and separated upon thawing.