Egg Drop Soup
74 Comments
Updated Jan 10, 2025
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Egg drop soup is the ultimate Chinese comfort food, where silky egg ribbons swirl into a warming, savory broth layered with punches of ginger, turmeric, and white pepper. Plus, it comes together quickly, making this the perfect healthy meal to make on the spot.
Why You’ll Love This Egg Drop Soup
I’ve enjoyed egg drop soup countless times at local Chinese restaurants. But I have to say, I’m a bit more fond of my recipe because it skips the MSG and sugar while still delivering plenty of flavor with clean, simple ingredients. Just how I like my soup recipes to be! Here’s what else you’ll love about this easy egg drop soup recipe:
- It only takes 15 minutes. This is my go-to soup when I’m short on time but crave something filling, soothing, and comforting.
- It’s healthy and nourishing. It’s a low-carb dish packed with protein, with a pinch of turmeric and ginger for a healthy boost.
- It’s easily customizable. It’s simple enough to serve as an appetizer with other Chinese dishes like fried rice, chicken stir fry or kung pao chicken. But I’ll share delicious ways to add protein or turn it into a heartier meal below.
Egg Drop Soup Ingredients
- Chicken Broth: Stick with low-sodium chicken broth to keep this light and healthy. For a vegetarian alternative, you can swap in vegetable broth.
- Cornstarch: This is traditionally used to give this soup its silky smooth texture and keep the egg ribbons suspended. You can also use arrowroot powder or tapioca starch, but just know that the texture might be a little gummier and affect the way the egg ribbons form.
- Flavorings: A mix of ground ginger, toasted sesame oil, tamari soy sauce, ground turmeric, white pepper, and salt gives this soup amazing depth of flavor. The turmeric is optional, but gives it a beautiful golden color and healthy boost.
- Eggs: Three large eggs will make those beautiful egg ribbons.
- Green Onion: Sliced green onions add a fresh, crisp touch. And even though I’m using just one green onion, feel free to add more!
How To Make Egg Drop Soup
Make the slurry. Pour ¼ cup of the chicken broth into a measuring cup and stir in the cornstarch to create a slurry.
Make the soup. Pour the remaining 3 ¾ cups of chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the ground ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and turmeric (if you’d like) and give it a good stir. While continuously stirring, pour in the cornstarch slurry. Simmer and stir for another minute, until slightly thickened.
Create the egg ribbons. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in a circular motion. While stirring, very slowly pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream, to create the egg ribbons. Let the eggs sit for 30 seconds to fully form, before stirring again.
Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of sliced green onions before serving. And if you’d like to jazz up your soup, I’ve got more ideas below!
Storage Tips
- To store in the fridge: Let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container and storing for 2 to 3 days.
- Reheating tips: Reheat the soup gently on the stove over low to medium heat while stirring occasionally to keep the texture smooth. Avoid high heat as that can overcook the eggs.
- Freezing tips: I wouldn’t recommend freezing egg drop soup. It can be tricky because the eggs and thickener may not hold up well after thawing. Plus, it’s easy enough to make it fresh every time.
Egg Drop Soup Variations
- Vegetable-packed egg drop soup: Add vegetables like shredded carrots, sautéed mushrooms, baby spinach, bok choy, or corn for extra nutrients and color. For the denser vegetables, give them a quick sauté before adding to the soup.
- Tomato egg drop soup: Add diced or pureed tomatoes to the broth for a slightly sweet touch.
- Seafood egg drop soup: Incorporate shrimp, crab meat, or diced scallops for a protein boost and a luxurious twist. This is great for serving at holiday dinners!
- Meaty egg drop soup: Turn it into a full meal by adding shredded chicken, thinly sliced beef, or minced pork.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Cabbage Soup: The best simple, nourishing soup.
- Mediterranean Lentil Soup: Most delicious lentil soup yet!
- Vegetable Soup: The perfect veggie-packed meal.
- Potato Leek Soup: A hearty, creamy delight.
- Or enjoy these other vegetarian recipes!
If you make this egg drop soup recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Egg Drop Soup
Description
Video
Equipment
- Dansk Kobenstyle Sauce Pan My favorite white pot that's perfect for this soup!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (one 32-ounce carton) low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon tamari soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional for color)
- pinch ground white pepper
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced on a diagonal
Instructions
- Make the slurry. Pour ¼ cup of the chicken broth into a measuring cup. Stir in the cornstarch, to create a slurry.
- Make the soup. Pour the remaining 3 ¾ cups of chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the ground ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper, and stir to combine. If you'd like to add the turmeric, you can add that now as well. While continuously stirring, pour in the cornstarch slurry. Simmer and stir for another minute, until slightly thickened.
- Create the egg ribbons. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in a circular motion. While stirring, very slowly pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream, to create the egg ribbons. Let the eggs sit for 30 seconds to fully form, before stirring again.
- Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of sliced green onions before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Each serving is about 2 ¼ cups.
- It’s best not to double the recipe in a bigger pot as doubling the amount of cornstarch can change the texture.
- I wouldn’t recommend freezing egg drop soup. It can be tricky because the eggs and thickener may not hold up well after thawing. Plus, it’s easy enough to make it fresh every time.
- If you have fresh ginger on hand, you can swap that in for the dried ginger.
Nutrition
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Fast easy and delicious
I’m glad you love this egg drop soup, Rose!
This soup was so quick, easy and satisfying, I’ll definitely make it again in a pinch.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this egg drop soup, Tina!
Delicious!! So much better than the one I get from the Chinese restaurant. I love that it’s not very salty and the thickness is just right. Will make it again for sure!
I’m so glad you found an egg drop soup recipe you love, Lucia!
So happy you enjoyed my version, Lucia!
Just made this soup and while I didn’t get the ribbons, it tastes very good and “healing”. I should have watched the video as I think I didn’t pour the eggs slow enough and in a larger circular motion. Thank you for a good recipe and videos showing us how to do it!
The key is to slowly pour the eggs in for the ribbons! But, I’m glad you still enjoyed this soup, Sharon.
It was so yummy. I enjoy making them
And eating them as well. Thank you Lisa for your fabulous recipes!
Happy to hear you enjoyed making this egg drop soup!
When winter comes along soups are a must. This soups has a velvety texture and the ginger gives it a little added punch, love it. I will be adding it to this winters soup rotation.
Thank you
Happy to hear you’re loving this egg drop soup for the winter season, Antoinio!
For this recipe, I used Kettle and Fire brand turmeric and ginger chicken bone broth, and it was fabulous!
That sounds amazing, Jenny! Glad this recipe worked out great for you.
So delicious and easy! Thank you for this. It will become a staple lunch recipe for me.
I’m so glad you found this egg drop soup so good and easy, Shannon!
It is so good. Plus is healthy with the addition of turmeric and also easy to make. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Daniella!
We tried this recipe today. My wife said delete all other eggdrop soup recipes. It was truly fabulous! Easy to make but so good! Watch the prep video for a truly awesome tip. We had garlic and ginger bok choy, using the recipe on the site. It was also fantastic. Definitely regular meal additions.
Amazing! I’m so glad you found an egg drop soup recipe you love.
Can you use vegetable broth for egg drop soup? Black pepper?
Hi Lizzy – yes, you can use any broth you prefer. White pepper is more traditional in Asian cooking (and it’s ground much finer), but you could use regular black pepper as well. Hope you enjoy it!
Going to make this tonight, I have one question since I’m feeding a family of 5 and was planning on doubling the recipe. What do I need to worry about using more cornstarch and suggestions how to get it the right texture?
Too much cornstarch can simply result in a soup that’s overly thickened. I’d start with the original amount, and add more to your personal preference on texture. Enjoy!
Very tasty and warming for the soul on this cold wintery day in Ottawa, Canada.
It definitely warms you from the inside out! Happy you enjoyed it, Libby.
Is the nutrition info for one serving or the whole recipe.? One serving is two and a quarter cups so that’s two servings per recipe? I suppose you could use xanthan gum to thicken instead of corn starch if you are watching carbs. I bet adding and simmering thinly sliced raw chicken tenders would be really good.
The nutritional information will always be per serving. For this recipe, each serving is 2 1/4 cups. Enjoy!
This soup was the ultimate in comfort food. Even though I did not have any tamari soy sauce, white pepper or green onions on hand, I made this recipe with all the other ingredients and it was AMAZING. Super easy and super tasty!
Happy to hear you loved this egg drop soup recipe, Mandy!
So easy and so tasty. Was a very comforting meal on a cold day. Poured in some of the egg a little too fast so I had some larger pieces but was still yummy!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this egg drop soup, Amy!
Lisa, this is yet another *WINNER* of a recipe! I made it for lunch this afternoon, and I was so very pleasantly surprised by the ‘ginger effect’ in your recipe.
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed this egg drop soup, Michael.
This recipe was a breeze to follow, super tasty, and I had a blast making those delightful egg ribbons! I made a little tweak by using low sodium chicken broth, and it turned out absolutely perfect!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed this soup recipe.
I didn’t realize egg drop was so simple. I followed everything exact, egg ribbons and flavor were perfect. Reheated great for next day in the microwave. Will be making again very soon.
I saw this come through and had to make it today! This is excellent! We added a little bit of your coconut rice recipe to our bowls and a hearty lunch indeed. For our taste, next time we might cut the sesame oil in half. Did not have low-sodium stock on hand, so just omitted the salt. Definitely need to practice the ribboning, but not bad for a first try. Going in the regular rotation, so easy, quick and delicious. Thanks for another great recipe and the video.
Hi Leanne – That’s awesome you were able to make it right away! And I’m thrilled that you loved it. Sounds like a great pairing with the coconut rice as well, yum!
I’ve never made egg drop soup before and this recipe was sooo easy to follow and it was so quick to make. It turned out really good despite not having green onions but I can’t wait to try it with because I bet it’s great. Thankyou for sharing this recipe.
You’re more than welcome! I’m happy you got to experience this recipe for the first time, and now you know how easy it is to whip up again, when you get some green onions. :) Enjoy!
Perfect dinner for a cold night in January: tasty, great ingredients to fight colds and sore throaths, and adding crab makes it luxurious. Love it!
Thanks a lot, Lisa.
It really is a great warming and nourishing soup on a cold night. So happy you loved it, Elena!
I love thus soup.
Happy to hear that! Thanks, John.
Fantastic recipe and love the ease! I added the extra mushrooms and crab meat like you mentioned in the video. So yummy with a great depth of flavor. thank you!
Glad this turned out well with the added mushrooms and crab meat, Kristi!
Looks delicious! Do you have a substitute for the cornstarch? Would any thickener work? Thank you!
Hi Heather – you could use another thickener or starch. Just be careful with adding to much arrowroot powder or tapioca flour, as it can become a bit gloppy. Less is more in that case. Enjoy!
How can i get your cookbook
Hi Ray – You can purchase my cookbook on any retail site listed in the cookbook section on my website (head to the top navigation). Hope that helps!
This was so good and easy to make. Hit the spot on a chilly night. Will definitely make again…possibly with crab meat.
This really is the best soup to enjoy on a chilly night! Glad you loved it, Fatima.
Looks amazing! Is it possible to use a replacement for the corn starch? Like arrowroot or tapioca?? Love all your clean and precise recipes. Thank you!
You can try using arrowroot, but the texture might not be the same as using cornstarch.
Tried this tonight and Oh My Gosh! It is so incredibly delicious. I had been interested in the idea of egg drop soup, but never tried it until this recipe today. It has all the flavors of Asian cooking that I love. Ginger plus soy sauce is my favorite! I added chicken to make it more hardy. Even my husband, who is skeptical of Asian cuisine, loved it! He said it reminded him of chicken noodle soup, with the egg ribbons like noodles.
Congrats on your first try at egg drop soup. Happy to hear you loved it with chicken, Victoria.
thank you for explaining how to make the egg flowers. Definitely going to try.
Of course, Jackie. Enjoy!
Hi Lisa,
This soup is so familiar and yummy and I love that little kick of turmeric. I could use some help with the egg ribbons. The soup was on medium while I added the spices and slurry. I then turned it down to low and waited for a few minutes. I got the broth going in a clockwise direction, stopped stirring and poured 1/2 of the eggs slowly in the opposite direction. No strands. I let it sit for about a minute and repeated the above and only got a few strands. Most of the egg mixture just blended in to the soup.
*Did I maybe let the soup get too cool? *Should I not have waited to put the eggs in once the soup was turned to low?
It was still so very easy and warm and comforting!
Hi Marianne – It sounds like it may have cooled a bit too much. I don’t think you need to wait a few minutes after you turn the temp down. I usually turn it down just enough to stop the bubbles, then immediately pour in the eggs. Give that a try next time and let us know if that works better!
I love EZ. Mis en place… eggs, green onions, I added a couple Tbsp. of corn starch to some water in a small bowl.
To get the soup started, I just put some tap water in a cooking pot and put it on the stove on high. While it was heating, I added about a large Tbsp of Better than Bouillon Roast Chicken base and the spices to the pot. (Salt is not required as the Bouillon is salty enough.)
Stir to mix and combine. Taste !!! Adjust additional Better than Bouillon and seasonings to taste.
When the pot started to come to a boil, I added the cornstarch slurry a bit at a time till I liked the consistency then washed the rest down the sink before it caked up in the bowl.
Now I had everything done except adding the eggs which I prepared mis en place.
After that, I followed your great instructions to add the eggs. WOW, it was great. Loved the ginger and turmeric. Well done. Five stars for the flavour boost. Thanks for all your hard work creating many great dishes to tantalize the palate.
Thanks so much for your positive review, Bill! I’m thrilled you loved this recipe, and thanks for sharing your process and tweaks as well. Love it!
The ginger is a nice touch
Hi Desma – I’m glad you enjoyed that little bit of ginger. I think it makes the soup extra delicious!
Delicious, easy and nourishing! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
So happy you loved it, Joanne!
I really liked this technique. I have never made this soup with a cornstarch slurry before. Made this for lunch today in about 10 minutes and it was great, even though I didn’t have sesame oil and scallions on hand.
Oh perfect! It really does make for a great lunch recipe, with how easy it is to whip up. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Tomi!
I am so excited to try this recipe! Do you have any tips or suggestions for reheating leftovers?
Yes! They are written in the post under storage tips, but you can reheat the soup gently on the stove over low to medium heat while stirring occasionally to keep the texture smooth. Avoid high heat as that can overcook the eggs.
Do you feel coconut aminos could sub for the tarami soy sauce? I have an allergy to soy and miss good Chinese comfort food.
Yes, you can definitely use coconut aminos. Hope you enjoy it!