This is a classic Egg Drop Soup that tastes even better than takeout. Silky, ribbons of eggs in a smooth, umami clear broth just like from the restaurant. You won't believe it takes less than 15 minutes to make.
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What is Egg Drop Soup?
Egg drop soup is a simple and comforting Chinese soup that takes less than 15 minutes to make. It's basically a thick, clear broth with beaten eggs "dropped" into it creating silky, wispy ribbons (this is where the name comes from).
Sometimes you'll find other ingredients like green onions, mushroom, crab, or tofu added in for extra flavor and texture.
It's warm, savory, and feels like a cozy hug in a bowl, especially on a chilly day. It's a popular starter in many Chinese restaurants and banquets. It's also a classic Chinese take-out items in the cheap and tasty category.
Why It's Worth Making At Home
It's worth the (small) effort to make at home because you can customize it exactly to your liking! You can also control the amount of salt in it too. Personally, I prefer the egg ribbons to be wide and not overly beaten (which is common for take-out egg drop soup). The fact it takes less than 15 minutes to make is a no-brainer.
How to Make Egg Drop Soup
- Set a pot of chicken broth on high heat and wait to boil. While waiting, prep all the ingredients.
- In separate bowls, beat the eggs. Wash/cut other ingredients like mushrooms and imitation crab and set aside. Finally, make the corn starch slurry - this is the key to create a silky broth!
- Just as the broth is beginning to boil, turn heat down to medium and quickly stir in slurry. Let slurry cook and thicken the broth. This is where the magic happens!
- When soup is thick, gently pour the beaten eggs into the broth. DO NOT MIX - let it cook into wispy ribbons on its own as the hot broth has enough movement to "stir" the eggs.
- Finally, gently drop in all your other ingredients into the soup and let it warm up.
How to Store Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup is best eaten the day it's made. The corn starch slurry will natural lose it's thickness overnight, and the next day your soup will be less thick than desired. You can always make another batch since it's so easy and quick to whip up!
Three Expert Tips for Egg Drop Soup
- Use WHITE PEPPER for a distinct Chinese flavour. Using black pepper is fine but doesn't have the same subtle, floral quality of white pepper that will give you restaurant-quality results.
- Garnish with sesame oil, thinly sliced green onion, and a bit of chile crisp/chile oil.
- DO NOT OVERBOIL THE SOUP. Overboiling the soup (cornstarch slurry) basically deactivates the thickening effect and the soup will return back to a thin texture. Remember to immediately lower the heat just as the soup starts boiling.
Troubleshooting Corn Starch Slurry
Why is my soup so thin?
You're probably undercooking the soup: let the slurry boil for ~10 seconds to cook and thicken. Immediately turn down heat when it's thickening - you can tell when the slurry is turning a clear colour (instead of it's cloudy state).
Why do I have clumps of starch?
The cornstarch wasn't mixed well enough with water before pouring it into the soup. remove the chunks as best as you can and create more slurry (well-mixed).
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Recipe for Egg Drop Soup
Authentic Egg Drop Soup Recipe (Better Than Takeout) (蛋花汤)
Ingredients
Base
- 4 cups chicken broth unsalted
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 eggs beaten
Corn Starch Slurry
- 5 tablespoon corn starch
- 8 tablespoon water
Optional Add-Ins
- imitation crab, corn, mushrooms, tofu shreds
- green onion, chile crisp/oil, sesame oil garnish
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder for a takeout-yellow colour
Instructions
- Set a pot of chicken broth on high heat. Make corn starch slurry by mixing starch with water well (no clumps). Add slurry to broth and mix well. Optional: add turmeric for colour. Wait for broth to boil (~6 minutes).
- While waiting, prep all the other ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Wash/cut other ingredients like mushrooms and imitation crab and set aside.
Quickly Assemble The Soup
- Just as the broth is beginning to boil, immediatley turn heat down to low-medium heat. Observe the slurry cook and thicken the broth, about ~10-15 seconds. The broth should be turning from a cloudy to a clear colour, indicuating the starch is cooked and thickened the soup.
Add The Egg
- When soup is thick, quickly yet gently pour the beaten eggs into the broth. DO NOT MIX - let it cook into wispy ribbons on its own because the hot broth has enough natural movement to "stir" the eggs.
Add Other Ingredients
- Gently drop in all your other ingredients into the soup and let it warm up. Serve with green onion, chile crisp/oil, and sesame oil.
