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Soups · Chinese

Egg Drop Soup

Silky chicken broth with soft egg ribbons, on the table in about 15 minutes.

Hands-on
15 min
Total
15 min
Makes
6 servings (6 to 8)
Serves
6

About 10 minutes to bring the stock to a simmer while you chop and beat the eggs, then about 3 minutes of thickening and egg-swirling. Everything happens fast at the end, so have it all ready before you start. Times are our estimate.

  • easy
  • quick
  • weeknight
  • budget

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Egg Drop Soup
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: large saucepan · whisk · small bowl · jug or measuring cup with a spout · fork · ladle

Contains: egg · soy · wheat

Method

  1. Get everything ready

    Chop the 2 scallions and the cilantro, beat the 4 eggs in a jug, and stir 2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth. The rest goes quickly.

  2. Simmer and season the stock

    Bring the 1.9 L (2 quarts) stock to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and salt to taste.

    Ready when: Small, steady bubbles across the surface.

  3. Thicken

    Stir the slurry again (the cornstarch settles), then whisk it into the simmering stock and keep whisking for about 1 minute. Stir in the scallions and cilantro and move straight on to the eggs.

    Ready when: The soup is slightly thickened and glossy.

    Otto tried this firstOtto thickens the soup, then goes to find bowls. Cornstarch loses its thickening power if it simmers too long, and his soup goes thin again. Eggs go in right away.

  4. Pour in the eggs

    Whisk the simmering soup in a circle and, while it's swirling, pour the beaten eggs in a slow, thin stream, whisking for about 1 minute.

    Ready when: Thin egg ribbons form as the egg hits the hot soup.

    Otto tried this firstOtto dumps the eggs in all at once and gets one big omelet blob. A thin, slow stream makes ribbons.

  5. Let the ribbons set

    Stop stirring and let the eggs sit in the hot soup until set, less than 1 minute. Break them up gently with a fork and serve right away.

    Ready when: The ribbons are opaque and firm all the way through, with no runny egg left.

Swaps

  • Instead of 4 whole eggs: 6 egg whites, beaten Gives white, delicate ribbons (about 3 whites for every 1 L / 4 cups of stock).

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Best eaten right away: it doesn't hold well and thins out as it sits. If you do keep leftovers, refrigerate them within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat
Reheat gently, stirring, until steaming hot (74°C / 165°F). Expect it to be thinner than when fresh.

If something goes wrong

  • Soup went thin again Why: It simmered too long after the cornstarch went in.
    Add the scallions, cilantro and eggs right after the 1-minute thickening and serve straight away.
  • Egg clumps instead of ribbons Why: The egg went in too fast, or the soup wasn't moving.
    Keep the soup swirling and pour the egg in a slow, thin stream.

Good to know

  • Use a jug with a spout for the eggs: it makes the thin stream easy.
  • Have bowls warm and ready before you thicken the soup.

Safety

  • The eggs must be fully set: opaque and firm with no runny parts.
  • You're whisking a pot of near-boiling soup: keep your hand back from the steam and the pot handle turned in. Kids can beat the eggs, but the pouring and whisking at the stove is an adult's job.
  • Soy sauce usually contains wheat. Check the label if you need it wheat-free.