How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (2024)

Jump to Recipe

This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.

Egg Drop Soupis a warm,thickened broth, with rich flavors of chicken andbeautiful eggribbons throughout.Enjoy this savory, simple to make soup recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes.

This authentic Egg Drop Soup is known to be a favorite in every Asian restaurant. It warms you up and is comforting throughout your meal. It goes great served with our favorite better than takeout Easy Fried Rice, this delicious Sweet and Sour Chicken, or even this Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef.

How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (1)

Egg Drop Soup Recipe

This soup is always a highlight for me when we go out to eat! I love the simplicity of it and all the flavors! I love ordering this at restaurants and decided it was time I learned to make it at home! It’s such a family favorite of ours, we now eat it at home at least twice a month. It’s perfect served along with some ham fried rice or a simple beef and broccoli. I find that it doesn’t usually fill us all the way up on its own, so I like making some skillet sesame chicken to go along with it!

It is a quick and easy meal that can be a main dish, appetizer or a side dish with other Asian-inspired meals. We had it as a main course (with pork) for dinner on a busy weeknight and it worked out perfectly for our family. My kids loved it! It took minutes to make, filled them right up and we were able to sit down together and hustle off to our next activity. Your family will love the taste and savory flavor this Egg Drop Soup has to offer!

Ingredients

The best part about this egg drop soup is that it is a few fresh and simple ingredients. You don’t have to hunt down any unique ingredients, in fact, you may already have everything you need on hand! It’s a chicken broth soup, with mushrooms and eggs. You can add more to this recipe than I have listed below. You can always add more vegetables, and I will often add a little white pepper and salt. If you do add salt, make sure to add low sodium soy sauce or taste before adding the salt. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.

  • Chicken Broth: This is the base of the soup. You could use vegetable broth instead if you wanted.
  • Soy Sauce: You can also add some sesame oil too!
  • Green Onion: They add fresh and bright flavor.
  • Mushrooms: You can buy the presliced baby bella or button mushrooms. It really doesn’t matter what type of mushrooms you buy, just try to slice them evenly so they all cook at the same rate.
  • Cornstarch: To thicken the soup.
  • Eggs: You will scramble them first, and then drop them in the warm soup to cook them.
How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (2)

How to Make Egg Drop Soup

If you crave egg drop soup every time you go to a Chinese restaurant, then you are going to love how simple it is to make at home! I love making it at home because I think it tastes even better than takeout. It’s so yummy, and seriously only takes 15 minutes to whip up. With just a few simple ingredients, I can’t find any reason not to make this soup all the time!

  1. Add Ingredients: In a large pot add 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, soy sauce, green onions, and mushrooms and bring to a boil. In a small bowl add the cornstarch and 1/2 cup reserved chicken broth to make a slurry, and then whisk until combined. Then pour into the soup.
  2. Add Eggs: Reduce heat to a simmer. Then slowly stir in the beaten eggs as you are stirring the soup. The eggs will start spreading out like ribbons in the soup. Then garnish with additional chopped green onions if desired.
How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (3)

Tips for Making Egg Drop Soup

  • Thicken Your Soup: The chicken stock mixed with corn starch thickens this soup right up. If it is runny you can add in more corn starch, flour, or other thickeners that you prefer. Egg Drop Soup should be a clear, creamy color with a thick texture with a white-looking ribbon that floats in the soup.
  • Eating Keto: Guess what my keto friends?! This egg drop soup is a keto-friendly recipe! It has17 grams of fat, 23 grams of protein and only four grams of net carbs per serving. This is simple to make and perfect for your Keto diet!
  • Adding Protein: This is not traditional, but I know my family really wants meals that are hearty. I find myself adding chicken and pork to this recipe all the time! I usually add leftover pork chops or roasted chicken to the soup once it is done to make this meal a little more filling.
How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (4)

Storing Leftovers

I love making this simple soup because it makes a great lunch or appetizer. It’s so much better than leftovers from Chinese restaurants! Here is how to store leftovers.

  • In the Refrigerator: Egg Drop Soup will last about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. It warms up nicely on the stove top for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • In the Freezer: If you are needing to freeze this soup, you will want to only freeze the broth. The eggs will become rubbery when reheating. It is best to reheat the broth and add the eggs once it is heated up.
How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (5)

More Asian Inspired Meals

I absolutely love Asian flavors! They are so crave-able and my whole family enjoys them, which means we eat a lot of Asian inspired food at our house. Here are a few of our favorite meals that we come back to again and again!

Dinner

Sticky Asian Glazed Chicken

20 mins

Dinner

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

30 mins

Dinner

Slow Cooker Sticky Asian Ribs with Sticky Sauce

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (10)

Save

PinPrint

Egg Drop Soup

4.72 from 7 votes

By: Alyssa Rivers

Egg Drop Soupis a warm,thickened broth, with rich flavors of chicken andbeautiful eggribbons throughout.Enjoy this savory, simple to make soup recipe that comes together in just 15 minutes.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large pot add 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth, soy sauce, green onions, and mushrooms, and bring to a boil. In a small bowl add the cornstarch and 1/2 cup reserved chicken broth and whisk until combined. Pour into the soup. Reduce heat to a simmer.

  • Slowly stir in the beaten eggs as you are stirring the soup. The eggs will start spreading out like ribbons in the soup. Garnish with additional chopped green onions if desired.

Notes

Originally Posted Feb 6, 2019

Updated April 5, 2023

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 1173mgPotassium: 199mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 273IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

Read More About Me

More Ideas

Soup

Ham and Bean Soup

35 mins

Soup

Beer Cheese Soup

45 mins

Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup

4 hrs 10 mins

How to Make the BEST Egg Drop Soup - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

Why is my egg drop soup not yellow? ›

The bright yellow color is achieved naturally in this recipe with turmeric. Restaurant-style egg drop soup often uses yellow food dye to achieve that color. You can get a brighter yellow color naturally by adding more turmeric, and using pasture-raised eggs (which have a brighter yellow yolk).

Why is my egg drop soup so thin? ›

It's okay if you have to adjust while cooking – if it's too thin, add more cornstarch. If it's too thick, add more water, stock, or broth.

Which is better for you egg drop soup or hot and sour soup? ›

With the egg drop soup, you get cholesterol and saturated fat from the eggs in high-sodium chicken broth. The hot and sour soup has tofu and vegetables, but is loaded with sodium-rich soy sauce. Which is worse? At about 100 calories per cup, "calorically, they're okay," says Klatell.

Why does my egg drop soup look like scrambled eggs? ›

Stir in your eggs slowly for beautifully large egg ribbons

Before you even begin to incorporate the eggs into the soup, crank down the heat of your broth. The force of a roaring hot liquid will break apart your delicate ribbons as they cook, creating tiny little wisps that aren't as palatable or visually stunning.

Why is my egg drop soup so thick? ›

Egg Drop Soup is a chicken broth based Chinese soup often thickened with cornstarch and seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, and green onions. A beaten egg is stirred in the hot soup and makes the soup thick with beautiful egg ribbons.

Why is my egg drop soup not thickening? ›

Tips for Making Egg Drop Soup

Thicken Your Soup: The chicken stock mixed with corn starch thickens this soup right up. If it is runny you can add in more corn starch, flour, or other thickeners that you prefer.

Is egg drop soup supposed to be jelly like? ›

In Cantonese imperial courts, egg drop soup was used as a way to showcase a chef's finesse: the fine swirl of eggs, when done right, was meant to mimic the gelatinous texture of a clear stock fortified with rooster and Jinhua ham.

Can I use flour instead of cornstarch to thicken egg drop soup? ›

Yes, you can use flour to thicken egg drop soup. You will want to use about half the amount of flour, so about 1.5 tablespoons. You still whisk it together with the water, soy sauce, etc. Your soup will have a cloudiness to it rather than that clear glossy look that cornstarch give.

How long does it take for egg drop soup to go bad? ›

How to Store Egg Drop Soup. Store your leftover egg drop soup for up to four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

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.

Which Chinese soup is healthiest? ›

Hot and sour soup or egg drop soup

Both soups are low in calories — containing only 65–90 calories per 1-cup (240 mL) serving — and you can make them even healthier by avoiding the fried lo mein noodles that are often offered as a topping ( 2 , 3 ).

Is Chinese egg drop soup healthy? ›

Yes, egg drop soup can be beneficial for weight loss. It's low in calories and carbs, high in protein, and can be very filling, making it a good diet-friendly option.

Is egg drop soup good for your stomach? ›

is egg drop soup good for upset stomach? Yes, egg drop soup is often considered soothing for an upset stomach. Its mild flavor and easy-to-digest ingredients, like eggs and broth, can provide comfort and nourishment.

How to add egg ribbons? ›

Bring soup to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, and slowly pour the egg into the soup in a thin steady stream. Let egg set for 15 seconds, then stir gently to incorporate. I had trouble with this, my first attempts ended up with egg mist rather than proper ribbons.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Last Updated:

Views: 6077

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Birthday: 1993-03-26

Address: 917 Hyun Views, Rogahnmouth, KY 91013-8827

Phone: +5938540192553

Job: Administration Developer

Hobby: Embroidery, Horseback riding, Juggling, Urban exploration, Skiing, Cycling, Handball

Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.