You can make this restaurant quality Chinese Egg Drop Soup in minutes!
With this Chinese egg drop soup recipe, I want to show you just how quick and easy it is to make this delicious starter. It can be served as a light meal in its own right but goes spectacularly well with almost any Chinese savoury dish.
All you need are a few very easy to find ingredients and some chicken stock. If you don’t have any chicken stock prepared, you can try this recipe or use Chinese chicken stock cubes. Don’t go for western style chicken stock cubes as the flavour won’t be right.
I can highly recommend serving this egg drop soup with General Tso’s chicken, orange chicken, kung pao chicken and/or Mongolian beef, all of which are very popular at Chinese American restaurants.
What is Chinese Egg Drop Soup?
Chinese Egg Drop Soup, also known as egg flower soup, is a simple and comforting dish that is commonly found in Chinese cuisine. It is a popular choice at Chinese-American restaurants. This is a light and savoury soup made by streaming beaten eggs into a hot, seasoned chicken or vegetable broth. The eggs cook quickly and create silky, ribbon-like strands throughout the soup.
As recipes go, they don’t get much easier and better yet… All of the ingredients are rally easy to source.
How do you cook egg drop soup?
- Prepare the Broth: Bring chicken or vegetable broth to a light simmer in a pot over medium heat.
- Egg Mixture: While you are bring the broth to a simmer, lightly beat the eggs and set aside.
- Seasoning: Stir in the ground turmeric. This will give the egg drop soup its characteristic yellow glow. Add the sesame oil and season with salt and white pepper to taste taste. Slowly stir in the slurry to thicken the broth to your liking. You may not need to add it all.
- Adding the eggs: While gently stirring the broth with a ladle or chopsticks, slowly pour the beaten eggs into the pot in a steady stream. The eggs will cook instantly and form delicate ribbons.
- Finishing Touch: Once the eggs are added, continue stirring the soup gently to ensure the egg ribbons are evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, and if desired, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil for extra flavour. Garnish with the chopped green onions to serve.
Are there variations of this recipe?
Yes. Feel free to play with the seasoning so that it is perfect for your tastes. You could also consider adding proteins such as baby prawns or shredded chicken. Tofu is also nice in the soup.
Should you use MSG to enhance the flavour and make it taste more like the the takeaway?
I don’t personally have a problem with MSG and use it often. It is a natural flavour enhancer and is considered to be safe for consumption.
It definitely gives the soup I nice flavour.
You will find MSG as an optional ingredient in the recipe card below. I like it in this soup. You can get more information about MSG here.
How long can you store egg drop soup in the fridge?
You should be able to store it in the fridge for about 3 days. Here are some guidelines for storing egg drop soup in the fridge:
- Cooling: Allow the egg drop soup to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Placing hot food directly in the refrigerator can raise its internal temperature and affect other items in the fridge.
- Airtight Container: Store the soup in an airtight container to prevent odors from the fridge from being absorbed and to minimize the risk of contamination.
- Labeling: Consider labeling the container with the date you prepared the soup. This can help you keep track of its freshness.
- Reheating: When reheating, make sure to heat the soup thoroughly. Bring it to a simmer on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. Reheating helps kill any potential bacteria that may have developed during storage.
Can you freeze this soup?
Egg drop soup is best enjoyed fresh, and freezing may alter the texture of the soup, especially the eggs. The delicate egg ribbons might become rubbery or lose their desirable consistency after freezing and reheating.
Pro Tips
- Hot, Not Boiling Broth:
- When adding the beaten eggs to the soup, it’s crucial that the broth is hot but not boiling vigorously. Too much heat can result in overcooking the eggs quickly, leading to a less desirable texture. Aim for a gentle simmer, and if necessary, reduce the heat before adding the eggs.
- Consistent Stirring Technique:
- Stirring is key to creating those delicate egg ribbons in the soup. Use a pair of chopsticks or a fork to stir the broth continuously in one direction while pouring the beaten eggs in a slow, steady stream. This technique helps create uniform ribbons rather than clumps of cooked egg.
- Freshly Ground White Pepper:
- Consider using freshly ground white pepper instead of pre-ground pepper. White pepper has a milder flavour compared to black pepper. If you have whole white peppercorns, grind them just before adding to the soup for a burst of fresh aroma and taste.
Step by step recipes
Get all of your ingredients together before starting. There aren’t many.
Heat the stock over a medium high heat and bring to a simmer.
While the stock is coming to heat, lightly beat the eggs. No need to go crazy here.
Add the turmeric, salt, white pepper and sesame oil to the stock. The turmeric will give the soup its characteristic yellow colour.
Slowly add the slurry to the simmering stock. I mean slowly. Only add it until you are happy with the thickness of the soup.
When you have a nice, slightly thick soup, begin pouring in the egg in a steady but slow stream. Allow to settle a couple of seconds and the stir it in.
Season with more salt and pepper to taste if needed and garnish with the spring onions (scallions).
Have you tried this Chinese egg drop soup?
If so, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. I love receiving feedback and I’m sure the other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
Chinese Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 1 liter (4 cups) unsalted chicken stock, preferably Chinese stock
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- a pinch of sugar (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
- 1/2 tsp MSG (optional and to taste)*
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk the two tablespoons cornflour (corn starch) with 3 tablespoons water or stock to make a slurry. Set aside.
- Bring the broth to a light simmer over a medium heat.
- When hot, stir in the ground turmeric, sugar, salt and white pepper to taste and the sesame oil. Also add the MSG if using.
- Now slowly add the slurry. Be careful not to add to much. The soup will thicken as you add it and it should be added until you are happy with the consistency.
- Beat the eggs lightly and then slowly drizzle it into the soup, while stirring. This will cook the eggs on contact and give them a ribbon effect.
- Check for seasoning and then serve hot in soup bowls, garnished with the chopped spring onions (scallions).
Notes
MSG is optional. If you are not familiar with using MSG, add just a half tsp at first. You can always add more to taste. Generally speaking, I tend to add the same amount of salt as MSG. If you normally add a tsp salt, try adding 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp MSG instead.