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Home > Soups > Easy Chinese Egg Drop Soup

Easy Chinese Egg Drop Soup

Last updated September 22, 2021. Originally posted September 22, 2021 By Jyothi Rajesh 26 Comments

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easy egg drop soup in bowl with text

Easy homemade Chinese egg drop soup literally takes under 15 minutes from start to finish. Better than take-out and it’s effortless to make the soup at home. This is by far the fastest soup you’ll ever make.

It’s light, with simple flavors and an ultimate comfort food.

Originally posted in March 2019, updated with new photos and included video in September 2021

Jump to:
  • 15 minutes Chinese egg drop soup
  • What is egg drop soup?
  • Ingredients needed
  • How to make Chinese egg drop soup?
  • Expert tips
  • FAQS
  • How to make low-sodium chicken broth at home?
  • Flavor variations options
  • 📋Easy Homemade Chinese Egg Drop Soup

15 minutes Chinese egg drop soup

1. Egg drop soup is also called egg flower soup.  This easy egg drop soup is great to warm yourself on cold winter nights.

2. A simple but great tasting soup when you’re feeling under the weather. This soup is sure to give you warmth, nourishment and comfort.

3. It’s broth based soup with main ingredients being chicken broth, corn starch and eggs with green onions, soy sauce and other ingredients are added for flavor and taste.

4. Serve it as start of the meal or make it light meal for dinner.

5. This soup packs flavor and texture. It’s so much tastier and healthier than take-out version from many Chinese restaurants.

6. The best egg drop soup has silky egg ribbons. A little trick will ensure your egg ribbons are silky. More details below.

What is egg drop soup?

In Chinese, egg drop soup is called Dan Hua Tang (蛋花汤) which means “egg flower” soup.

Egg drop soup is a Chinese soup of wispy beaten eggs poured slowly into boiled chicken broth which is thickened with corn starch. The thickness in the soup helps it create a beautiful silky egg ribbons when poured in slow thin stream.

You don’t want to have eggs cooking and falling into the boiled broth as tiny bits. Thickness in the boiled broth (due to adding corn starch) help prevent the egg from dissipating into tiny bits. Creating signature egg ribbons in the broth is the key to a good egg drop soup.

cooking egg drop soup in pot

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you need to make simple egg flower soup –

  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup white part of green onions
  • ½ teaspoon grated ginger
  • ¼ cup shiitake or enoki mushrooms (sliced)
  • 2 teaspoon light soy sauce (low-sodium sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
  • Salt to taste
  • White ground pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
  • ⅓ cup corn kernels (creamed)
  • ¼ cup green onions
all ingredients for egg drop soup

Chicken broth – for best results use homemade chicken broth. Beef broth can be used too.

Eggs – Use large eggs.

Cornstarch – viscosity of the soup is from corn starch. It helps thicken the broth and hence gives body to the soup.

Green onions – green onions give extra flavor and texture to the soup. It is boiled with the broth to make broth more flavor some.

Ginger – adds warm comforting flavors to the soup.

White ground pepper – White pepper is recommended. It adds heat to the soup without changing it’s color too much.

Toasted sesame oil – optional, drizzle few drops of sesame oil in the broth before boiling and as garnish just before serving.

Creamed corn – optional, creamed corn adds nutrients and body to soup.

Ingredients additions and substitutions

Tofu – to make soup more nutritious, add tofu cut into small cubes.

Chicken – add rotisserie chicken or simply cook boneless chicken cubes with salt and pepper and add it to soup.

How to make Chinese egg drop soup?

step by step pictorial collage of egg drop soup
  1. Stir together cornstarch and ¼ cup broth. Keep aside.
  2. Whisk eggs. Pro-Tip : Add teaspoon of water to beaten eggs to help pour slowly in slow and thin stream.
  3. Add broth, white part of green onions, minced ginger, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, toasted sesame oil, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper and turmeric powder. Whisk well and bring it to boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Reduce flame to low so the broth comes to gentle boil. Add cornstarch slurry to the soup with constant stirring. Cook with constant stirring to 1 to 2 minutes or until the broth is slightly thickened.
  5. Now slowly pour beaten eggs in thin stream while stirring the soup in swirls. Eggs will spread into ribbons. Pro-Tip : The size and shape of egg flower will vary. It largely depends on how eggs are poured and how you swirl the soup.
  6. Add creamed corn, stir it together. At this stage you can add any extra ingredients you like- cooked chicken, tofu. Let it boil for 2 minutes, while stirring constantly.
  7. Turn off stove. Stir in green onions into the soup.
  8. Just before serving, garnish with more chopped green onions, cracked pepper and drizzle toasted sesame oil on top. Serve immediately.
Chinese style egg soup

Expert tips

  1. Add teaspoon of water to beaten eggs to help pour slowly in slow and thin stream.
  2. Slowly pour beaten eggs in thin stream and swirl the soup continuously to help eggs spread to ribbons. Do not stop swirling the soup. Pouring eggs too fast and not swirling properly will make scrambled bits of eggs instead of silky egg ribbons.
  3. Use low sodium broth and soy sauce to make it healthy-ish.
  4. Add extra ingredients like tofu, chicken, egg noodles or cream corn to make it healthy.

FAQS

Is this soup gluten free?

No, It’s not gluten free as soy sauce is usually brewed with wheat. Some of the other ingredients that gets added to the soup in most restaurants like oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, mock meat and egg noodles all contain gluten.

To make it gluten-free use gluten-free soy sauce in the recipe.

Is egg drop soup healthy?

Looking at the nutritional table, where 1 cup of soup is lesser than 100 calories, this egg drop soup is somewhere healthy.

It has 3 total fat, 81 cholesterol. What needs to be noted is the sodium levels in egg drop soup.
Since its basically a broth based soup, sodium levels are bound to go high.

A little effort to make low sodium homemade broth, and use low sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium levels under control. You have total control of salt to add to the broth when you make it at home.

1 cup of egg drop soup around 1172 milligrams of sodium which is still lesser than the daily intake limit which ranges from 1500 to 2300 milligrams.

Egg drop soup is also rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C.

Can I freeze egg drop soup?

No I wouldn’t recommend it. This soup does not hold well stored in fridge or frozen.

Egg drop soup don’t reheat well. Usually soups which has diary products like cream or with seafood,  soups thickened with corn starch, that has eggs when frozen develop a strange flavors that is off putting. When thawed and reheated, turns thin and separates when reheated.
I recommend to make this egg drop soup just before serving and serve immediately.

close up view of egg soup

How to make low-sodium chicken broth at home?

Here’s how you make homemade broth: remove giblets and neck from whole chicken (use cut pieces of chicken if not using whole chicken). Place whole chicken in a large soup pot. Add in 5 quarts water, 3 bay leaves, 5 whole cloves, 1 tablespoon whole black pepper corns, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, 1 inch ginger, 5 cloves garlic, 3 while onions (roughly chopped), 2 carrots (roughly chopped), 2 celery stalks (roughly chopped), salt to taste.

Bring it to boil, then cover and simmer for 2-3 hours or even longer. If you want pristine broth, strain and serve it in freezer bottles.

Flavor variations options

Keep it simple or add extra ingredients to make it the way you’d like it. Egg drop soup recipe is so simple and versatile, it’s too easy to adapt it to your taste.

To make variations of egg drop soup you could do one of the following –

  1. Add cooked and shredded chicken to make it protein rich.
  2. Are you vegetarian? Then add small cubes of tofu to the soup.
  3. Load it up with vegetables. Sliced zucchini, sliced carrots, V shaped celery, shiitake mushrooms are great choice of vegetables that can be added to this egg drop soup.
  4. Baby spinach and shiitake or button mushrooms.
  5. Chicken or egg noodles are amazing to be added to the soup along with veggies.
  6. Kale, shiitake mushrooms and ripe tomatoes – my favorite.

MORE SOUP RECIPES

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Instant Pot Chicken Noodles Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup With Almonds

Roasted Carrot Onion Soup

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Sriracha Spicy Ramen Noodles Soup

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

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Chinese egg drop soup in white bowl
soup made of eggs
5 from 9 votes

📋Easy Homemade Chinese Egg Drop Soup

Jyothi Rajesh
Easy homemade Chinese egg drop soup literally takes under 15 minutes from start to finish. Better than take-out made at home easy and fast. This is by far the fastest soup you’ll ever make
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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Course soups, Starters
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 63

Ingredients
  

  • 4 whole eggs
  • 4 cups chicken broth low-sodium homemade broth best
  • ⅓ cup white part of green onions
  • ½ teaspoon ginger grated
  • ¼ cup shiitake mushrooms or enoki mushrooms
  • 1.5 tablespoon cornstarch heaped
  • 2 teaspoon soy sauce (light soy sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper (adjust to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
  • ⅓ cup creamed corn optional
  • ¼ cup scallions (green part)

For garnish

  • Scallions
  • Ground pepper
  • Toasted sesame oil

Instructions
 

  • Stir together cornstarch and ¼ cup broth. Keep aside.
  • Whisk eggs. Pro-Tip : Add teaspoon of water to beaten eggs to help pour slowly in slow and thin stream.
  • To a deep bottom soup pan add broth, white part of green onions, minced ginger, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, toasted sesame oil, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper and turmeric powder. Whisk well and bring it to boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
  • Reduce flame to low so the broth comes to gentle boil. Add cornstarch slurry to the soup with constant stirring. Cook with constant stirring to 1 to 2 minutes or until the broth is slightly thickened.
  • Now slowly pour beaten eggs in thin stream while stirring the soup in swirls. Eggs will spread into ribbons. Pro-Tip : The size and shape of egg flower will vary. It largely depends on how eggs are poured and how you swirl the soup.
  • Add creamed corn, stir it together. At this stage you can add any extra ingredients you like- cooked chicken, tofu. Let it boil for 2 minutes, while stirring constantly.
  • Turn off stove. Stir in green onions into the soup.
  • Just before serving, garnish with more chopped green onions, cracked pepper and drizzle toasted sesame oil on top. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

  1. Add teaspoon of water to beaten eggs to help pour slowly in slow and thin stream.
  2. Slowly pour beaten eggs in thin stream and swirl the soup continuously to help eggs spread to ribbons. Do not stop swirling the soup. Pouring eggs too fast and not swirling properly will make scrambled bits of eggs instead of silky egg ribbons.
  3. Use low sodium broth and soy sauce to make it healthy-ish.
  4. Add extra ingredients like tofu, chicken, egg noodles or cream corn to make it healthy.
 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 1093mgPotassium: 296mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 171IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Arpita Patel says

    April 14, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    Very good recipe. I added about 1/3 c. each of chopped celery, shredded carrots and cabbage. I used 5 green onions rather than chives and added 1/2 tsp. black pepper. I will make this again…thank

    Reply
    • Jyothi Rajesh says

      April 14, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      So glad you tried and loved it. Thank you Arpita

      Reply
  2. Chef Markus Mueller says

    March 11, 2019 at 2:30 pm

    One of my favorites! I have never mad egg drop soup at home though. I have always wondered what the trick was to getting consistently sized egg ribbons. Mine never turn out the way they do at a restaurant. O well, I’ll just keep trying, I’ll be sure to try the slow swirling in one direction!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 11, 2019 at 5:33 pm

      Do give it a try

      Reply
  3. lauren says

    March 11, 2019 at 10:10 am

    5 stars
    So silky and smooth!! I’ve never tried making it at home. I love how many details and all the information you put into the post!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 11, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      Thank you Lauren

      Reply
  4. Julie says

    March 11, 2019 at 7:36 am

    I’ve actually never had egg drop soup, and never really knew what went into it! We have Chinese food frequently, but I just always skip over the soup portion of the menu. This looks so easy to make on my own at home!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 11, 2019 at 7:46 am

      Thank you

      Reply
  5. Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says

    March 10, 2019 at 1:05 pm

    This is so pretty! We have some kind of egg drop soup in Italy but it is very different looking. Love the name egg flower soup!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 10, 2019 at 6:45 pm

      Thank you Nicoletta

      Reply
  6. Sharon says

    March 10, 2019 at 8:04 am

    5 stars
    I always look forward to eating egg drop soup at the restaurants but I love the idea of making it at home anytime I have a craving. Looks great!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 10, 2019 at 10:22 am

      Thank you Sharon

      Reply
  7. Kelly Anthony says

    March 10, 2019 at 4:17 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! I LOVE THIS SOUP! Eggdrop soup has always been my fave! Can’t wait to try a homemade rendition!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 10, 2019 at 10:22 am

      Thank you Kelly

      Reply
  8. Tammy says

    March 09, 2019 at 12:38 am

    5 stars
    I love eggdrop soup! I’ve not made it in so long. Yours looks creamier than most I find and I love that…definitely want to give this a try 🙂

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 09, 2019 at 12:41 am

      Thank you Tammy

      Reply
  9. Chef and Steward says

    March 08, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    I make this at home for myself because I love it. I wish my child would love it. I will try your recipe.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 08, 2019 at 8:43 pm

      Thank you. Hope your child would love it 😀

      Reply
  10. Anna says

    March 08, 2019 at 6:25 pm

    5 stars
    What an interesting idea for a soup! I’m a massive fan of Chinese cuisine, but never heard of this soup before. Looks like a perfect winter warmer, and I’m looking forward to trying this recipe very soon!

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 08, 2019 at 6:50 pm

      Thank you anna

      Reply
  11. Corina Blum says

    March 08, 2019 at 1:53 am

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried a Chinese egg drop soup but it does sound tasty and healthy! It’s the kind of soup I’d love to have if I was feeling like I needed comfort food.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 08, 2019 at 9:44 am

      Thank you Corina. I like that it comes together so fast and easy!

      Reply
  12. Denise says

    March 07, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    5 stars
    I never realized how easy it is to make egg drop soup! Yours looks perfect and comforting.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 07, 2019 at 10:32 pm

      Thank you Denise, it is!

      Reply
  13. Gloria says

    March 05, 2019 at 7:04 am

    5 stars
    So much fun making all the different foods of the world right in your own kitchen. This soup looks amazing. With the cold weather we have been experiencing, this is the best way to warm up too.

    Reply
    • jyothirajesh says

      March 05, 2019 at 8:20 am

      Thanks Gloria, i’m so proud and happy to be a food blogger. We get to test, try and relish so many amazing recipes from the world

      Reply

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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

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