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Egg Drop Soup is a light and comforting dish made with a flavorful broth, ribbons of silky eggs, and a touch of seasoning. Ready in 20 minutes and better than takeout.
Egg Drop Soup is one of those recipes that proves comfort food doesn’t have to be complicated. With its delicate egg ribbons swirling through warm, savory broth, it’s both soothing and satisfying while being incredibly quick to make. This classic takeout favorite is easy to recreate at home with just a few pantry staples.
What makes this soup so wonderful is its versatility. You can enjoy it as a light appetizer, pair it with stir fry or fried rice for a complete meal, or add extras like corn, mushrooms, or chicken to make it more hearty.
Erin’s Notes
- Ready in just 20 minutes, start to finish
- Made with pantry staples — no special trip to the store
- Silky egg ribbons and a savory ginger broth, just like your favorite takeout spot
- Easy to bulk up with mushrooms, corn, or chicken for a full meal
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Broth
- Cornstarch
- Ginger – you can use fresh or ground ginger for this recipe
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Pepper – this recipe is tested with black pepper. White pepper is the more traditional choice in Chinese restaurants if you want to swap it in. It has a milder, slightly different flavor and won’t show as dark flecks in the broth.
- Sesame Oil
- Eggs
- Green Onions
Egg Drop Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Mix together chicken broth, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Heat over high heat until soup starts to simmer.4 cups chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and water. Add to broth mixture stirring to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes until soup start to thicken slightly. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings if necessary.1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 3 Tablespoons water
- Using a spatula to stir the broth in a clockwise direction. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs, while continuing to stir to form the long ribbons.2 whole eggs
- Serve immediately garnished with sliced green onions2 green onions
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Egg Drop Soup
- Boil. Bring chicken broth, ginger, garlic powder, sesame oil, salt and pepper to a boil.
- Thicken. Once the soup is boiling mix together cornstarch with a little water and add to the soup. This will thicken it slightly. This is still a pretty brothy soup, so you want just a little body to it, nothing crazy. At this point you can taste the broth to see if you need to adjust the salt and pepper.
- Eggs. Use a spatula and stir the soup in a continuous clockwise motion and you slowly pour in the eggs. As soon as the eggs touch the broth they will cook and form ribbons as it swirls in the broth.
- Serve. You can serve the soup immediately topped with plenty of thinly sliced green onions.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- Broth. You want to make sure to use a good quality chicken broth since it is such a prominent flavor in this soup.
- Ginger. I like to use fresh ginger because I like the taste better, but if you have ground it will work just as well in this soup.
- Additions. If you want to turn this into more of a meal, you can definitely add mushrooms, or chicken or baby corn to bulk it up.
- Stirring. Make sure to constantly stir in a circle as you pour in the eggs. This makes sure you get the silky ribbons, and it doesn’t just clump together.
- Variations A splash of soy sauce for a saltier, deeper-flavored broth, if you want to experiment. You can also only use egg whites for a lighter-colored, lighter-tasting version.
What to Serve with Egg Drop Soup
Here are a few classic take out recipes that are easy to make at home! You can skip the take out completely and make all of your favorites at home.
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Easy Cashew Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Mongolian Beef
- Five Spice Pork Lo Mein
- General Tso’s Chicken
Storage & Reheating
Storage: Leftover egg drop soup keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The egg ribbons will continue to firm up slightly as it sits, which is normal.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Avoid microwaving on high or boiling it hard — the eggs can turn rubbery if reheated too fast.
This usually means the broth wasn’t at a steady simmer, or the egg was poured in too fast. Stir the broth in a continuous circular motion first to create a whirlpool, then pour the egg in slowly in a thin stream — the moving broth is what forms the ribbons.
Yes, as written this recipe is naturally gluten-free — just double check your chicken broth’s label, since some brands add gluten-containing thickeners.
Egg drop soup is best served fresh since the eggs are delicate, but you can make the broth base ahead and add the egg ribbons right before serving.
So the next time you want to get take out, think again! You can make your favorites at home and they are so much better for you and faster to make! Plus then you can adjust the taste to what you like by adding more spice, adding more veggies or even reducing the salt. So many tasty options!
My family looks forward to.cold weather just for this soup! This is my go-to recipe for eggdrop soup! You CAN NOT go wrong