Egg Drop Soup
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Egg Drop Soup

This light, silky soup has tender ribbons of egg suspended in fragrant chicken broth with ginger, scallion, and a touch of sesame oil. It is quick, soothing, and deeply savory despite its short ingredient list.

15 min
2 servings
113 kcal
Chinese

Ingredients

Broth base

  • 700 mlchicken broth
  • 10 gfresh ginger, thinly sliced
  • 10 mllight soy sauce
  • 5 mltoasted sesame oil
  • 0.5 gwhite pepper
  • 1 gfine salt

Slurry and egg

  • 8 gcornstarch
  • 20 mlcold water
  • 2large eggs

Finish

  • 20 gscallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. 1

    Prepare everything before heating: slice the ginger thinly, slice the scallions, beat the eggs thoroughly in a bowl until the whites and yolks are fully combined, and mix the cornstarch with the cold water into a smooth slurry with no lumps.

  2. 2

    Pour the chicken broth into a small saucepan and add the ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer for about 2 minutes so the ginger lightly perfumes the broth.

  3. 3

    Stir the slurry again just before using, then pour it slowly into the simmering broth while stirring. Simmer for 30-60 seconds until the soup is just lightly thickened; it should still be fluid, not gloopy.

  4. 4

    Lower the heat so the soup is barely simmering. Stir the broth in one direction to create a gentle whirlpool, then slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs in a thin stream. Stop stirring for a few seconds to let delicate ribbons form, then give one gentle stir if you want shorter strands.

  5. 5

    Turn off the heat, remove and discard the ginger slices if you prefer a cleaner texture, then stir in most of the scallions. Ladle into bowls, top with the remaining scallions, and serve immediately while hot.

Nutrition per serving

113 kcal
Calories
9g
Protein
4g
Carbs
6g
Fat
0g
Fiber

Notes

Background

Egg drop soup, known in Chinese as dan hua tang, is a simple home-style soup found in many regional Chinese kitchens. Its defining technique is streaming beaten egg into hot broth to create delicate “egg flowers,” a method valued for speed, frugality, and comforting texture.

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