Homemade Egg Drop Soup

I love this Homemade Egg Drop Soup.  I developed a love for this soup when I was growing up. My family used to frequent a local Chinese restaurant that was well known for its authentic Chinese food.  As a result of our many visits, I learned to love egg drop soup.  It was our favorite place to go even after Pete and I were married.

Sadly, one day after many years of serving the community, they closed their doors and retired.  When I was forced to go somewhere else, I realized how different egg drop soup is from place to place.  This recipe reminds me of the simple yet delicious flavor that I learned to love as a child in that restaurant.

One of my dearest friend’s mom, Hiroko, worked at our little Chinese restaurant, and she was often our waitress when we were there.

Hiroko also made the restaurant’s recipe in her own home many times when I was visiting, which was like always.

So what is egg drop soup?

Egg dropped soup is a Chinese broth-based soup, thickened with cornstarch and loaded with delicate egg “ribbons”.

There are many variations of homemade egg drop soup.  Some recipes use chicken broth instead of stock.  I prefer stock as it gives the soup more of a full-bodied flavor and a rich color.  In my testing, I made a batch using chicken stock and another batch using chicken stock.  The stock had much more flavor and depth of color and yielded the result I was looking for. 

How do you make egg drop soup at home?

This Homemade Egg Drop Soup is so incredibly quick and easy to make.  The longest part of the prep time is waiting for the stock to boil. 

To make homemade egg drop soup, simply:

1. Prepare your stock – In a pot, bring the stock to a boil.
2. Thicken – In a shaker or small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Pour into the boiling broth, whisking until thickened.
3. Turn the burner off
4. Stir in the eggs – Using a wooden spoon begin stirring the stock in a circular motion around the pot and slowly pour the egg mixture in while continuing to stir. This method will create those “ribbon shreds” for which egg drop soup is famous.

You’ll want to be sure to use a wooden spoon when pouring the egg into the stock. Make sure you pour in a very slow stream while slowly and continuously stirring the stock. The wooden spoon gently stirs the egg around without cutting through it, creating a nice ribbon effect.

While stirring continuously, I tend to pour in intervals until it’s all used.  You do not want to use a whisk. A whisk will cut through the eggs before the ribbons form in the broth, resulting in very fine and thin egg pieces.

What is in homemade egg drop soup?

Let me first talk about what this recipe doesn’t have – it doesn’t have ginger or sesame oil. Although those ingredients can easily be added, you will not find them in this recipe.

Since I was privy to the recipe of my beloved childhood soup, I’m able to make a carbon copy of it. Plain. Simple. And delicious –  that’s what it was, and that’s what it is.

Ingredients:

• Chicken stock (You can also use a good quality vegetable stock.)
• Cornstarch
• Egg
• Oil (This recipe calls for vegetable, but you can use sesame instead.)
• Salt
• Sugar
• Extras – green onions + soy sauce (optional)

Let’s talk about egg to stock ratio for a minute. This recipe uses one large egg to a quart of stock.  In observing other recipes, I think some call for too many eggs. This makes the soup way to thick with…well…eggs. However, if having lots of eggs is your thing, you can add more. Get creative. I plan on trying it using two egg whites and omitting the yolk.

The best thing about making this at home – you control the sodium and don’t have worry about it being loaded with MSG.

What goes with egg drop soup?

We enjoy eating our homemade egg drop soup topped with green onions and served with wonton strips. (Some like a splash of low-sodium soy sauce too!) A couple of spring rolls on the side is always a good idea too!

You might also like:
Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade Egg Drop Soup

Serving Up Southern

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Soup

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 127 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

 

• Bring stock to a boil and thicken with cornstarch mixture, stirring with a whisk.
• Turn burner off.
• Beat egg with oil and water.
• Pour egg very slowly into stock while stirring gently and constantly with a wooden spoon
• Add salt and sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 791mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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