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Egg Drop Soup

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This classic Egg Drop Soup recipe is quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes and always tastes so cozy and comforting.

Growing up, my family had a tradition of eating lunch at our local little Chinese restaurant every single Saturday. And every single Saturday — like, we’re talking nearly two decades of Saturdays here — I would order “the usual.”

Egg drop soup.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I absolutely adore a good bowl of egg drop soup. It was my favorite food in the whole entire world as a kid. And today, it’s still one of the most comforting, nostalgic, delicious soups I know.

It’s also one of the easiest soups I know. All you need to make this egg drop soup recipe is about 15 minutes (tops) in the kitchen, a handful of easy ingredients, and a quick tip for how to drizzle those beautiful egg ribbons. Then a delicious batch of egg drop soup can simmering on the stove and ready to be served in no time.

Let’s make some soup!

Egg Drop Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video

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.

Egg Drop Soup Ingredients:

To make this homemade egg drop soup recipe, you will need:

  • Good-quality chicken or vegetable stock: Either will do.
  • Cornstarch: To thicken the broth a bit.
  • Seasonings: Just a pinch of ground ginger, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
  • Eggs: Which we will whisk and then drizzle into the soup.
  • Sesame oil: Absolutely essential in this recipe, and also one of my favorite ingredients!
  • Green onions: Thinly sliced, to mix into the soup and also use as a garnish.

How To Make Egg Drop Soup:

To make egg drop soup, simply:

  1. Prepare your stock: Whisk the stock, cornstarch, ginger and garlic powder together until combined before turning on the heat.  It’s essential that the broth is room temperature or cooler, otherwise the cornstarch will clump up and not dissolve.
  2. Bring the stock to a simmer: Stirring occasionally. While this is heating, go ahead and whisk together your eggs in a separate measuring cup or bowl.
  3. Slowly stir in the eggs: Once your stock has come to a simmer, use a whisk or a fork to begin stirring the stock round and round to create a slow “whirlpool”. Then gradually drizzle in the eggs as you continue to stir the stock, and they will turn into those magical little ribbons. Remove pan from heat.
  4. Add remaining ingredients. Stir in the sesame oil and green onions until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  5. Serve warm. Garnished with extra green onions, if you’d like.

What To Serve With Egg Drop Soup:

This soup would be delicious when served with:

More Favorite Soup Recipes:

If you love egg drop soup, feel free to check out these other faves:

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Egg Drop Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 172 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 cups of soup 1x

Description

This classic Egg Drop Soup recipe is quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes and always tastes so cozy and comforting.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
  • thinly-sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the broth. Whisk together stock (chilled or room-temperature), cornstarch, ginger, garlic powder and white pepper in a medium sauce pan until smooth. Heat over high heat until the stock comes to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
  2. Whisk the eggs. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and egg whites in a small measuring cup or bowl. (I find the measuring cup easier for pouring.)
  3. Stir in the egg ribbons. Once the broth reaches a simmer, use a whisk or two chopsticks to stir the broth in a circular motion, creating a whirlpool. Then slowly pour the whisked eggs in a very thin stream into the soup as you continue stirring, in order to create egg ribbons.
  4. Season. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the sesame oil until combined. Season with salt and additional white pepper to taste, also adding a dash or two of extra sesame oil if needed. (Saltiness will depend on your brand of chicken stock, but I generally find this soup needs an extra ½ to 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt.) 
  5. Serve. Serve immediately, garnished with lots of green onions and a twist of black pepper.

Notes

Recipe edit: This recipe was edited in 2022 to include slightly increased amounts of ground ginger, garlic powder and white pepper. I also used to include 1/2 cup of whole kernel corn in the recipe, which is now noted as an optional addition.

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599 comments on “Egg Drop Soup”

  1. I made this recipe. Only things I did different was I made my own broth, used onion powder instead of the ginger powder and I used olive oil in stead of the sesame seed oil

  2. Do you know the calories per serving?

    • Hi Lauren! Unfortunately we don’t, but some people like consulting the MyFitnessPal app, so feel free to give that a try! :)

  3. Hi, would vegetable stock work?  
    Thks Jo

  4. This looks delicious! My daughter is allergic to sesame… is there something we can use in place of the sesame oil?

    • Thanks Kristina, we hope you and your daughter enjoy this! Hmmm, can she have peanut oil? If so, we’d suggest that (otherwise you’ll be fine to just leave it out and not worry about a substitute, since it’s not a huge amount). We hope this helps! :)

  5. I grew up eating Chinese food every week too and LOVE egg drop soup. I have watched so many dang videos and I still don’t have success making it myself. My eggs are never ribbons. They are either curdles or clotted muck. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong! 
    I’ve tried drizzling the mixed egg directly in the pan when stirring, over a fork, chopsticks, etc. I’ve tried multiple different broth temperatures from simmering to hard boiling (yes I turn off the heat before adding the egg).
    I would really love to figure out what my egg drop soup just not work. 
    I’m actually a very good cook so it irks me that something everyone says is so easy evades me.

    • Hi Melissa! We’ve read that adding a bit of vinegar to your broth is supposed to help the egg retain its shape, so you could try that! We hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe!

  6. This looks so great I really want to try it.

  7. Sounds delish!  Anxious to try your recipe!!!  Thank-you!

  8. I really love the recipe! I made it for my extremely picky daughter, and she loved it! I just had to exclude some ingredients that she didn’t like. Thanks for the recipe!

    • We’re happy to hear that Vivienne — thanks for giving the recipe a try! :)

  9. Haley, it’s snowing here in Sheridan WY (yes I know it is mid-May) so I was looking for an easy soup to warm me up.  My husband and I just tried your egg drop soup and it was the best!  I followed your suggestion regarding vinegar to keep the eggs from lumping and it worked.  I used rice vinegar and it added a nice oriental flavor to boot!  Please don’t laugh, but I didn’t have any corn on hand and I wanted a hearty soup, so I used chick peas (garbanzo beans) and it was very yummy.  In addition to being filling it added a nice serving of fiber; win win. 

    • Hi Karen! Oh my goodness, that’s crazy! We are glad to know this soup helped warm you guys up though, and that you enjoyed it, and that the vinegar trick worked!! Also, the chickpeas isn’t weird at all, that’s a great idea! :) I have to note that this is Ali’s blog and recipe though (can’t take credit for either of those!) I just help with the comments! :)

  10. What are the red specks floating atop the soup in your photos?

  11. I would love to make this, but wondering if it can be reheated  if kept in the fridge? Thank you! ?

    • Hi Hannah! Yes, you can re-heat this, you just need to do it gradually and gently (we suggest on low, on the stovetop). We hope you enjoy!

  12. This is a great recipe! I just had the gastric sleeve surgery and I would highly recommend this recipe after week 1!

    • Thank you Tracee — we’re so glad you enjoyed it, and we hope you’re recovering well from your surgery!

  13. Just made this tonight and it is awesome!  my very first time making egg drop soup.  I like the texture of the corn in it too.  Who knew something so simple could taste so good!

    • Thanks Lori — we’re happy you enjoyed it — thanks for giving the recipe a try! :)

  14. I didn’t have much luck with this recipe. The ginger flavor is stronger than I expected, but not strong enough to be a nice full flavor. I followed all of the suggestions from other commenter to make this soup everything I had hoped for, but nothing seemed to work. It’s not bad, just kind of bland and not a satisfying, rich egg drop flavor.

    • Hi Amanda! We’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for this. We appreciate you giving it a try and sharing your feedback with us!

  15. How many calories are in one cup?  We are counting calories! 

    • Hi Lisa! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  16. I would like to be able to make egg drop soup as bright yellow as in restaurants (and your photos) but it eludes me. I have tried several types of chicken broth, stock, and bullion combination, to no avail. How do you get your soup to an almost neon yellow? (Mine always turns out more like your previous photos)

  17. This looks amazing question can I use flour instead of cornstarch if I don’t have any? 

  18. I am pregnant and was dying for some oriental food and this hit the spot!! I’ve never made this before and actually not that big of a fan of it in the placed that I’ve tried it but this recipe hit the spot. I messed up on the adding the eggs but it didn’t effect the flavor at all. Definitely going into my must keep files. I also did grated fresh ginger and only 3 eggs and had chicken egg rolls on the side. So much YUM! Thank you. 

  19. Mine came out kind of thin and looking more like watered down oatmeal than egg drop soup.  Tasted good but apparently I missed something in presentation

  20. I made this, and it was good, but it was very cloudy (it looked like a cream soup). Part of this was due to not mixing the eggs correctly, but before I added the eggs, the corn starch had made the soup very cloudy. I’d like it to look more like the soup in the video. Any tips?

    • The broth definitely goes through a cloudy stage while it’s warming up, but it should be nice and clear by the time it comes to a boil, so I’m not sure what happened there… :( Maybe be sure to keep whisking it so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan?

  21. What brand of chicken stock do you use/recommend? Sorry if you have previously answered this question, I looked through some comments  but not all of them and didn’t see the question.Thanks! 

    • Hi Stephany! No worries! We tend to like Pacific since it’s organic and also comes in a low-sodium option (though most other brands do now as well). Sometimes we’ll just get whatever’s on sale, and for soups especially, there’s nothing like homemade chicken stock! :)

  22. How would the taste be if you used fresh grated ginger? Would you increase the amount used? I love the fresh taste of ginger!

    • Sure, you’re welcome to use some fresh ginger! I would definitely increase the amount used quite a bit. (I recommend grating it or finely mincing it!) :)

  23. We polished off the whole pot. That’s how good this was ?

  24. How do you, if at all, reheat?

    • I recommend eating this soup right away. But you are welcome to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave within 1 day. Enjoy!

  25. Hi Gimme Some Oven,

    Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.

    I have tried many of them and love them all!

    I just have a question: my soups are usually quite salty and I am wondering if I may not be adding to many stock cubes to make the broth.

    How many cubes would you recommend using per cup of water? I usually use 1 cube per cup but after the meal I am usually thirsty for hours.

    Thank you so much for your help.

    • Hi Emilie – thanks for trying out the recipes! And as for saltiness, if you’re using bouillon cubes, those are usually considerably saltier than the boxed stocks/broths. If you can, I’d recommend going with those instead of the cubes. Otherwise, everything is probably going to be considerably saltier. Hope that helps! :)

  26. I love to read your blog because I was born in Kansas City, MO, many decades ago but haven’t lived there since I was eight years old. I love how you include things about about your city. This egg drop soup is the best recipe I have ever used. Thanks for posting it. I also like your post about how to shop at Aldi’s because one just opened near me in FL and I didn’t know what to shop for. 

  27. your recipe for egg drop soup
    I can’t use cornstarch, so I’ll use almond flour for thickener agent
    I can’t have corn so I’ll just pass on that.
    I can’t have salt, may use blk pepper…

  28. This really sounds delicious and I’m a fan of egg drop soup as well, I’m just curious as to why the corn?

    • It’s just a personal preference, but totally feel free to leave it out if you prefer! :)

  29. I love eggdrop soup but at age 55 never made it, didn’t even know what went into it!  Thanks so much for sharing the recipe on Facebook.  What does the Sesame oil do?  I’ve never used it.

    • You’re welcome, Joy — we hope you enjoy this! The sesame oil is just for flavor (it’s delicious)! :)

  30. OMG!!!! Cant wait to try this!!!super excited how this will turn out!
    Looks soooooo good im literally drooling now…lol?
    I find it so hard to stick with a recipe ….m new into cooking but i have found success with my inventions….but definitely gonna do this!

  31. I just made this tonight and, while it’s tasty, there is definitely something off from the egg drop soup I’ve had at Chinese restaurants. I suspect it’s the broth I used (Swanson’s) and/or the garlic powder. I’m leaning toward the garlic powder. If I make it again, I’ll leave that out.

  32. Could I use flour for thickening instead of cornstarch?

    • We haven’t tried that, but we think that should probably work okay. We hope you enjoy the recipe!

  33. I tried making the egg drop soup and it didn’t turn out good. The flavor tastes nothing like egg drop soup. I followed the directions and vigorously worked as I poured the eggs in and it turned into a big pot of mush. It didn’t ribbon the eggs at all. I made this, because my daughter is sick and I figured I’d save money by making it myself. It doesn’t even taste like eggs. Tastes like ginger and sesame oil. Now I’m thinking that I would have saved money by buying it rather than making it. Not trying to debunk your recipe, but this tastes NOTHING like egg drop soup. I hope my sink likes it.

  34. Hey! Just tried this recipe for the first time (I know, I know, it’s years after you posted it and re-posted it!). Really delicious and easy to make. I’ll definitely be making it again. I could really taste the ginger, but wondered if substituting one cup of chicken broth for 1 cup of the stock would make it just a little saltier…adding salt to taste at the end didn’t quite work for us. What do you think?

    • We think you could definitely try that instead, Shalinn — let us know how it works for you!

  35. I was really disappointed with this recipe. The flavors were not what i am used to for a traditional egg drop soup. There was way too much ginger and sesame oil was very strong. I will continue o look for a recipe because this is one of my favorite dishes.

    • We appreciate your honest feedback, Venetia, and we’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for it.

  36. Just made this, and I seem to have the same problem I always do. My eggs looked like a scrambled mess?. I add shoyu (soy sauce) to mine too. Salt addict here!

    • Oh no, we’re so sorry! :( The eggs can be a bit tricky to master (we’ve definitely had this happen to us before).

  37. Tried this and it taste nothing like egg drop soup it was horrible I think I’ll stick to the package mix instead 

  38. I have never found a chicken stock that is chickeny enough, I add bouillion cubes. I (personally) don’t want the ginger, corn, sesame oil or onions. Give me a strong flavored chicken broth, the garlic is fine, some salt (I despise pepper in anything) and the eggs. Yum! I too always have egg drop soup when I am eating oriental.

  39. Quick, easy, wonderful! I’m amazed that I haven’t made this sooner! It’s what’s for dinner!

  40. This recipe is easy and delish! Watching those ribbons form was fun, I feel so accomplished! Thank you!

  41. I have made this recipe a few times. I don’t use ginger, simply because I never have it on hand. I add more than 1/4 cup of corn as well. Best recipe I have made and always the one I go to when i want a quick meal! 

    My experience:
    Use a measuring cup to slowly pour the eggs all around the pot. It will be more ribbon like over messing with a whisk or fork. 

    If you have never used sesame oil, start with less. It gets strong, fast. You can always add more, can’t take it away. 

    Whisk the corn starch with some broth before adding it to the pot, or else you will almost always get clumps. Or alway, like I do. 

  42. Actually REAL egg drop soup is made with chicken bone broth as the base. That’s why when we all try to make it with chicken broth or stock, it comes out tasting like nothing and definitely not egg drop. You must make a chicken and get that rich bone broth. I finally got the info out of my Chinese restaurant I buy my egg drop soup from. It is straight up wonderful, no veggies are in egg drop soup either. :-)

  43. This is by far my favorite egg drop soup! My whole family loves it. We add turmeric to give it a “golden” color, plus it’s really good for you! Better tasting and better for you than the alternative! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

  44. I love your recipe for egg drop soup however, I prefer a 1/4 cup of frozen peas rather than the corn. Although I will try it with the corn and possibly a little of both! Thank you.

    • We’re glad to hear that, Patricia, and we think peas would be delicious in this! :)

  45. Made this today and it was wonderful! I subbed in a vegan broth and fresh ginger. NOM!

  46. I have no green onions but i have cilantro  already, do you think i can use it just for garnishing? 

  47. YUMMM! Thank You I made this just now and it is just like my favorite Chinese Restaurants. Sure beats my old recipe. Only thing is I might have whisked in a circle to fast because the egg didn’t come out in ribbons. Still super tasty though, a keeper for sure.

    • Thanks for sharing with us, Eileen — we’re so happy you enjoyed it! As for the egg, it can be tricky sometimes to get it to behave (you’re not alone)! :)

  48. This was delicious & super easy. I’m making a big batch now to have got the week with my lunch.  

  49. I know this recipe is an old post, but wow! I made it today for the kids lunch and it is amazing! I didn’t have broth so I used boullion, no need to add salt or pepper…”twas delicious 

  50. I absolutely LOVE this soup!! It reminds of days when I was sick as a child and my mom would whip some up for me. So extremely easy to make, flavorful and I usually have all of the ingredients anyways! I do add more sesame oil and if I made my own chicken broth then more salt as well, but this recipe is a winner. I have made it 4 times this month for my boyfriend and I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.