This easy egg drop soup is a simple dish made with beaten eggs, green onions, ginger and corn, all in a complex and savory broth. A classic dish that tastes even better than what you’d get at a restaurant!
I love to recreate our favorite take out classics at home including Szechuan chicken, beef chow mein, and this amazingly delicious egg drop soup.
Whenever I go to my favorite Chinese restaurant for lunch, I am offered a bowl of egg drop soup to start my meal. This soup has minimal ingredients, but they all come together to make a final product that’s full of flavor.
How do you make egg drop soup?
Start by placing chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and seasonings in a pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add a slurry of cornstarch and chicken broth to the pot. Slowly stir in eggs until ribbons form, making the “egg drops”. Add corn and green onions, and stir to combine. Garnish the soup with more green onions, then serve and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect dish
- Use a whisk to stir the soup in a circular motion as you pour in the beaten eggs. This will give you the long, lacy egg ribbons that you get at a restaurant.
- This is a very simple dish, so the quality of the ingredients really matter. I recommend using a high quality organic chicken broth, or if you have homemade chicken broth, that’s even better!
- I find that this soup is best served immediately, as it will continue to thicken as it cools. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then reheat over low heat on the stove top.
- This recipe calls for toasted sesame oil, which can be found in the international foods aisle of most grocery stores.
Is egg drop soup healthy?
This soup is naturally low in calories and fat, which makes it a good choice for a healthy diet. To make this dish even healthier, you can use low sodium chicken broth and low sodium soy sauce to keep the salt content down. You can also add an asssortment of veggies to the soup to increase its nutritional value.
What makes egg drop soup thick?
Cornstarch is the thickening agent in this soup. It’s important to mix your cornstarch with cold broth to make the slurry, then slowly whisk it into the soup so that you don’t end up with lumps. Bring the soup to a simmer to activate the cornstarch so that the soup will thicken properly.
Flavor Variations
While this dish is delicious as-is, you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: Feel free to stir in some cubed tofu, or cooked meat or seafood including pork, chicken or shrimp.
- Vegetables: Add in a variety of colorful vegetables such as sliced mushrooms, shredded carrots, zucchini, bok choy or spinach.
- Flavorings: Stir in additional flavor with some sriracha, minced garlic, ground white pepper, chopped cilantro or add a pinch of sugar for a sweet and savory note.
Skip the take out and make this egg drop soup at home instead. You’ll certainly be glad you did!
More Asian food favorites
Egg Drop Soup Video
Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth divided use
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated or minced
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1/3 cup corn kernels
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together 1/4 cup of chicken broth with the cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
- Place the rest of the broth, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, then turn the heat back down to medium.
- Use a spoon to slowly stir the soup in a circular motion, while streaming in the beaten eggs at the same time.
- Stir in the corn and green onions and cook for 1 more minute. Serve, garnished with additional green onions if desired.
Wayne says
This is one of my favorite soups! My wife made this the other night and it was so delicious!
Srikanth says
This really is such an easy recipe. Had a lot of fun making it.
Jessica Formicola says
Egg drop soup is my favorite! I’m so glad to have found a delicious recipe to make it at home!
Aparna says
My son absolutely loved this soup! Can’t wait to make it again!
Beth Sachs says
One of my favourite soups which I’m ashamed to say I’ve never made at home before. Will be giving your recipe a try at the weekend!
Jenn says
This has always been one of my favorite soups and I’m excited now to make it at home. Is it really this easy? YUm!
Beth says
This is my husband’s favorite soup! It’s so delicious and tasty! Can’t wait to make this again soon!
Dannii says
I used to have this all the time at a local Chinese buffet. I really should try making it myself – it looks pretty easy. YUM!
Beth says
This has been on “to make” list forever! I haven’t seen it with corn but I think it’s a perfect addition! Thanks for the inspiration.
Ashley says
I haven’t had this soup since I was kid, and this was delicious! Exactly how I remember it!