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This restaurant-style Egg Drop Soup recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make and tastes even better than the restaurant version!
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.
Whole-kernel corn: Totally optional, but I love the extra flavor and texture it adds.
How To Make Egg Drop Soup:
To make egg drop soup, simply:
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.
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.
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.
Add remaining ingredients. Stir in the sesame oil, green onions and corn (if using) until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm. Garnished with extra green onions, if you’d like.
3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish
(optional) 1/4 cup whole-kernel corn or creamed corn
fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Whisk together stock (chilled or room-temperature), cornstarch, ginger and garlic powder in a medium sauce pan until smooth. Heat over high heat until the stock comes to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and egg whites in a small measuring cup or bowl. (I find the measuring cup easier for pouring.)
Once the broth reaches a simmer, use a fork or a whisk to stir the broth in a circular motion, creating a “whirlpool.” Then slowly pour the whisked eggs into the soup as you continue stirring, in order to create long egg ribbons.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in the sesame oil, green onions and corn (optional) until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, also adding a dash or two of more sesame oil if needed.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional green onions.
Notes
*My old recipe called for 2 eggs and 2 egg whites, which you’re welcome to use. But nowadays, I’ve switched to just using 3 eggs, which is a bit easier. ;)
I was thinking this morning of making egg drop soup and realized, I never gave this lady the credit she deserves by rating the recipe. I’ve been using this recipe for a long time now and I personally would argue that it’s the best on the web. One thing I do normally change is…I typically use more eggs (like 4 or 5 lol) since I regularly eat this after a long workout and I want that protein kick. It’s comforting, and filling. On days I’m really feeling like adding a little health kick, adding a scoop of powered bone broth goes a long way too. I don’t normally focus on healthy meals, to be honest. I eat food for taste and if it happens to be healthy, awesome. This is one of few meals I can shamelessly adore and still feel pretty good about afterwards. Also, how quick it is to make is ideal for a weeknight. Try the recipe! You’ll be glad you did.
Well, that was a waste of good broth. Mine was just egg soup. No ribbons. Maybe I stirred too long. Not long enough? I suck. Didn’t work for me.
Catherine Pelletier —
To ISUCK: Same thing happened to me. It did taste good but don’t give up. Keep trying. In my case I think the broth probably wasn’t hot enough. Hang in there!
Tdeck —
Hi! I love this recipe and the trick to the egg ribbons is to slowly pour the eggs while also stirring slowly. Stir too fast and the eggs break up. All about the technique.
The first time I made this I used the chicken broth and it was excellent. Then, I made it again using vegetable broth because my granddaughter is vegetarian. Sooo good, with either chicken or vegetable broth and better than I have had in many Chinese restaurants. The toasted sesame oil is the magic ingredient in this recipe. It completely changes the flavor profile and adds depth to the dish. I will be making this again and again! Thanks for the great recipe!
first time making egg drop soup and it came out perfect. served with homemade dumplings. plated with drops of dark mushroom soy sauce for a deeper umami kick and some hot chili oil in the center.
skipped the corn but will add when not using dumplings. yum, really good.
Wow. Not only was this the easiest dish to make, but it tastes fantastic…dare I say better than takeout!? I used fresh grated ginger and garlic because I didn’t have the powders and just let it simmer for longer so the flavors could blend. The sesame oil really brought the whole dish together. This is a new go-to!
I just made this today for lunch . It was delicious and incredibly easy to make. I added fresh spinach along with the scallions. I also had some rice noodles already cooked and added them to our serving bowls. I will definitely make again! Thanks for such an awesome recipe!
I have been searching for something yummy and satisfying that I can eat since I just had 3 wisdom teeth removed, and man, I am SO, SO happy I found this recipe! It is delicious! Even my very picky kids tore it up. The sesame oil was a perfect addition. I did add a little Better Than Buillion to it, and a dash of soy sauce instead of salt. I can’t wait to make it again for lunch tomorrow!!
You said “eggs and egg whites” in measuring cup? So does that mean i need to separate egg whites and also have whole eggs? to pour in the broth? ? thank you for this recipe!??
The egg turned out perfect in the soup, but the sesame oil almost ruined it! Next time I’ll put maybe a 1/4 of the amount of sesame oil in. Other than that, it was a delicious and easy recipe. I’ll be making it again in the future.
★★★
Lori Frieden —
How did 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil almost ruin the recipe? Did you accidentally use 1/2 cup?
This recipe came out just ok, and there are quite a few things that I’d change. To begin with, you need a significant amount more of seasoning, especially with the garlic. The soup was still watery with the recommended amount of corn starch, and I nearly had to double the amount to create the desired silky texture. Also, I would add the green onions into the broth at the beginning so that they can cook and disperse their flavor into the soup (crunch onions were not too appealing with the first go around on this). When heating the soup up, bring it to a rolling boil (not a simmer) and then stir in the eggs. The eggs fell apart completely and did not form any type of ‘ribbon’ as it was not hot enough when I had it at a simmer.
Oh my God Ali this drop egg soup is epic!!!! I’ve tried two of your soup recipe and they’re both sooo delicious! I’ll make sure to print all all your recipe! thankyou for sharing these recipe. – judy
I am a huge fan of this recipe. I don’t like when other people change the recipe….but…..being a huge fan of fresh ground turmeric, I added some and it gives it color and a kick !
when I added the eggs, it all came together, and I was instantly brought back to previous years eating this delicious soup at our favorite Chinese restaurant. The texture is awesome! I used better than bouillon chicken stock base and it came out great.
I just made this and followed the directions 100%. I cook daily and often make my own recipes and usually don’t measure things, lol. However, my egg drop soup came out cloudy. It doesn’t have that clear yellow broth. Could it be the cornstarch? I did use better than bouillon.
★★★★★
Starz —
Yellow compared to what? Restaurants or home recipes? Because I can guarantee that they literally add yellow food coloring in most restaurants. YYuck!! Cloudy could also be the special technique of slowly stirring in the beaten eggs. First couple times the gas didn’t make any “sttings” just pretty much mixed in. I also use chicken bone broth which is very opaque and also “cloudy” compared to regular chicken broth.
This had good flavor, not what I remember from being a kid, but enjoy as an adult. My kids also enjoyed it, but I don’t know that I’ll make it again. My egg ribbon game was not that strong and needs some help, but I don’t know that this alone would fix the unappetizing look of this recipe.
I’m so happy I stumbled upon this recipe. I love making soups during the cooler months. One thing that is so paradoxical is we want soup mainly when we are sick but most soups require a lot of time, steps and ingredients. I can never muster the motivation or energy to make soup when I’m sick and this seriously solved my dilemma 💯 so grateful for this recipe as it’s healthy and high protein (love how we can add extra eggs).
I noticed that some have not been to make the egg ribbons. I read somewhere to add some water to the eggs which makes it easier to get the right consistency to pour.
Why does it say in the instructions to whisk together the eggs and egg whites, when there are only three eggs in the ingredients??? I also don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would put corn in egg drop soup……
To us, the sesame seed oil was a little too much, so will tone that down next time, but otherwise was delish & like others have suggested, maybe an egg or so more!
I just made this and it turned out very delicious, but I am not so good at getting the eggs and two ribbons! I added some hot sesame oil in addition to the regular toasted sesame oil, it is perfect! So yummy!
Can this be reheated later or frozen?
I was thinking this morning of making egg drop soup and realized, I never gave this lady the credit she deserves by rating the recipe. I’ve been using this recipe for a long time now and I personally would argue that it’s the best on the web. One thing I do normally change is…I typically use more eggs (like 4 or 5 lol) since I regularly eat this after a long workout and I want that protein kick. It’s comforting, and filling. On days I’m really feeling like adding a little health kick, adding a scoop of powered bone broth goes a long way too. I don’t normally focus on healthy meals, to be honest. I eat food for taste and if it happens to be healthy, awesome. This is one of few meals I can shamelessly adore and still feel pretty good about afterwards. Also, how quick it is to make is ideal for a weeknight. Try the recipe! You’ll be glad you did.
★★★★★
Amazing !!!!!!!!! So So So good! I would say, it only took like 5 minutes tho. Would eat this every meal!
★★★★★
A tasty late night snack.I did not have any cornstarch but Wondra flour worked perfectly and it tasted great
Very good. I added mushrooms, which added some flavor. I will eliminate the corn starch.
★★★★
Well, that was a waste of good broth. Mine was just egg soup. No ribbons. Maybe I stirred too long. Not long enough? I suck. Didn’t work for me.
To ISUCK: Same thing happened to me. It did taste good but don’t give up. Keep trying. In my case I think the broth probably wasn’t hot enough. Hang in there!
Hi! I love this recipe and the trick to the egg ribbons is to slowly pour the eggs while also stirring slowly. Stir too fast and the eggs break up. All about the technique.
★★★★★
White pepper. Trust me.
The first time I made this I used the chicken broth and it was excellent. Then, I made it again using vegetable broth because my granddaughter is vegetarian. Sooo good, with either chicken or vegetable broth and better than I have had in many Chinese restaurants. The toasted sesame oil is the magic ingredient in this recipe. It completely changes the flavor profile and adds depth to the dish. I will be making this again and again! Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Easy, and tastes great!!! Thanks for always having amazing recipes.
★★★★★
Idk this recipe didn’t work for me :,,(
Mine came out discolored and a bit bland.. what did I do wrong?
first time making egg drop soup and it came out perfect. served with homemade dumplings. plated with drops of dark mushroom soy sauce for a deeper umami kick and some hot chili oil in the center.
skipped the corn but will add when not using dumplings. yum, really good.
★★★★★
Wow. Not only was this the easiest dish to make, but it tastes fantastic…dare I say better than takeout!? I used fresh grated ginger and garlic because I didn’t have the powders and just let it simmer for longer so the flavors could blend. The sesame oil really brought the whole dish together. This is a new go-to!
★★★★★
Great recipe, easy to make and follow, I was surprised by how well it worked and how easy it was to make.
★★★★★
I just made this today for lunch . It was delicious and incredibly easy to make. I added fresh spinach along with the scallions. I also had some rice noodles already cooked and added them to our serving bowls. I will definitely make again! Thanks for such an awesome recipe!
It was my first time making homemade egg drop soup and let me tell you this recipe does not disappoint. It was super quick and easy!
★★★★★
This soup recipe was super delicious and easy to prepare. I added chicken breast & rice . I will have it with an egg roll .
I have been searching for something yummy and satisfying that I can eat since I just had 3 wisdom teeth removed, and man, I am SO, SO happy I found this recipe! It is delicious! Even my very picky kids tore it up. The sesame oil was a perfect addition. I did add a little Better Than Buillion to it, and a dash of soy sauce instead of salt. I can’t wait to make it again for lunch tomorrow!!
★★★★★
You said “eggs and egg whites” in measuring cup? So does that mean i need to separate egg whites and also have whole eggs? to pour in the broth? ? thank you for this recipe!??
Perfect!!
★★★★★
The egg turned out perfect in the soup, but the sesame oil almost ruined it! Next time I’ll put maybe a 1/4 of the amount of sesame oil in. Other than that, it was a delicious and easy recipe. I’ll be making it again in the future.
★★★
How did 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil almost ruin the recipe? Did you accidentally use 1/2 cup?
So good! My new “go to”!
★★★★★
This was really good! I doubled the recipe, but not the ginger and it was perfect for me. This ones a keeper.
★★★★★
This recipe came out just ok, and there are quite a few things that I’d change. To begin with, you need a significant amount more of seasoning, especially with the garlic. The soup was still watery with the recommended amount of corn starch, and I nearly had to double the amount to create the desired silky texture. Also, I would add the green onions into the broth at the beginning so that they can cook and disperse their flavor into the soup (crunch onions were not too appealing with the first go around on this). When heating the soup up, bring it to a rolling boil (not a simmer) and then stir in the eggs. The eggs fell apart completely and did not form any type of ‘ribbon’ as it was not hot enough when I had it at a simmer.
★★★
Oh my God Ali this drop egg soup is epic!!!! I’ve tried two of your soup recipe and they’re both sooo delicious! I’ll make sure to print all all your recipe! thankyou for sharing these recipe. – judy
I am a huge fan of this recipe. I don’t like when other people change the recipe….but…..being a huge fan of fresh ground turmeric, I added some and it gives it color and a kick !
★★★★★
when I added the eggs, it all came together, and I was instantly brought back to previous years eating this delicious soup at our favorite Chinese restaurant. The texture is awesome! I used better than bouillon chicken stock base and it came out great.
★★★★★
I just made this and followed the directions 100%. I cook daily and often make my own recipes and usually don’t measure things, lol. However, my egg drop soup came out cloudy. It doesn’t have that clear yellow broth. Could it be the cornstarch? I did use better than bouillon.
★★★★★
Yellow compared to what? Restaurants or home recipes? Because I can guarantee that they literally add yellow food coloring in most restaurants. YYuck!! Cloudy could also be the special technique of slowly stirring in the beaten eggs. First couple times the gas didn’t make any “sttings” just pretty much mixed in. I also use chicken bone broth which is very opaque and also “cloudy” compared to regular chicken broth.
Very good – I added an extra egg
★★★★
Absolutely delicious!! I had to strengthen the chicken broth with some bullion, but flavor and egg texture and color are all fantastic!!
★★★★★
My husband and I really enjoyed this soup. It was very flavorful and quick!
★★★★★
Thank you love it!
★★★★★
This had good flavor, not what I remember from being a kid, but enjoy as an adult. My kids also enjoyed it, but I don’t know that I’ll make it again. My egg ribbon game was not that strong and needs some help, but I don’t know that this alone would fix the unappetizing look of this recipe.
★★★
I’m so happy I stumbled upon this recipe. I love making soups during the cooler months. One thing that is so paradoxical is we want soup mainly when we are sick but most soups require a lot of time, steps and ingredients. I can never muster the motivation or energy to make soup when I’m sick and this seriously solved my dilemma 💯 so grateful for this recipe as it’s healthy and high protein (love how we can add extra eggs).
★★★★★
Made this for the first time today and it was amazing! Thank you!
★★★★★
This egg drop soup is better than I have EVER had in ANY restaurant! It’s SO EASY & SO DELICIOUS! I will be making this on a regular basis.
★★★★★
I noticed that some have not been to make the egg ribbons. I read somewhere to add some water to the eggs which makes it easier to get the right consistency to pour.
★★★★★
Why does it say in the instructions to whisk together the eggs and egg whites, when there are only three eggs in the ingredients??? I also don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would put corn in egg drop soup……
★★★
To us, the sesame seed oil was a little too much, so will tone that down next time, but otherwise was delish & like others have suggested, maybe an egg or so more!
★★★★
I just made this and it turned out very delicious, but I am not so good at getting the eggs and two ribbons! I added some hot sesame oil in addition to the regular toasted sesame oil, it is perfect! So yummy!
Not impressive, it didn’t turn out and looks nothing like yours.😡
★★
Can you use olive oil or does it have to be sasame oil?