Egg Drop Soup

Name: Egg Drop Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 bowls
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (good stock = good soup); 2 large eggs (beaten well); 1 tsp light soy sauce; ¼ tsp white pepper (or to taste); ½ tsp toasted sesame oil; 1 pinch turmeric (optional, for the classic golden color); to taste salt; 1.5 tbsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp cold water; 2 scallions (thinly sliced)

By The Chowmi Test KitchenUpdated June 6, 2026↓ Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.

🧪 Developed & tested by the The Chowmi Test Kitchen for US kitchens. How we develop our recipes.

Quick answer

Egg drop soup (蛋花汤) is a quick Chinese soup of seasoned broth lightly thickened with a cornstarch slurry, then finished with beaten egg drizzled in so it sets into silky ribbons. The whole trick to feathery egg (not clumps) is technique: bring the broth to a gentle simmer, stir it in one direction to create a slow whirlpool, then pour the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream — through the tines of a fork or chopsticks — while the broth moves, and stop stirring the moment the ribbons form. Season with light soy sauce, white pepper, and a drop of sesame oil, and finish with scallion. It comes together in about 15 minutes, and a pinch of turmeric (or just using a richer stock) gives it that familiar golden color. Use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian.

A bowl of Chinese egg drop soup with silky golden egg ribbons and scallions

Why you'll love this egg drop soup

Silky, comforting, and on the table in 15 minutes — better than any takeout version.
Made from pantry staples: broth, eggs, cornstarch and a little seasoning.
We give you the one technique (the whirlpool + thin stream) that turns out feathery ribbons every time, no clumps.
Easily vegetarian with vegetable stock, and endlessly adaptable with corn, peas or tofu.

Ingredients

Soup

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, good stock = good soup
2 large eggs, beaten well
1 tsp light soy saucesubstitutes →
¼ tsp white pepper, or to taste
½ tsp toasted sesame oilsubstitutes →
1 pinch turmeric, optional, for the classic golden color
to taste salt

Slurry & finish

1.5 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp cold water
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Missing an ingredient?

Tell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.

Equipment

Medium saucepan — Wide enough to stir a gentle whirlpool.(shop →)
Whisk or fork — For beating the eggs and drizzling them in thinly.(shop →)

Instructions

Bring the stock to a gentle simmer and season it with the light soy sauce, white pepper, turmeric (if using), and a little salt. Taste — it should taste good as a broth on its own.
Stir the cornstarch into the cold water, then stir the slurry into the simmering broth. Let it return to a gentle simmer and thicken slightly — just enough to lightly hold the egg, not gloopy.
💡 Less thickener is better. The slurry's only job is to suspend the egg ribbons so they don't sink.
Beat the eggs until completely smooth. Lower the heat so the broth is barely simmering, then stir it in one direction to set a slow whirlpool spinning.
While the broth swirls, pour the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream — through the tines of a fork for the finest ribbons. Pour all of it in over a few seconds, moving around the surface.
💡 Thin stream + moving broth = delicate feathery ribbons. A fast glug into still broth gives you clumps.
Stop stirring and let the egg set undisturbed for about 10 seconds. Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and scatter the scallions over the top. Serve right away.

Tips & notes

Feathery ribbons come from two things: the broth must be moving (the whirlpool), and the egg must go in slowly and thinly. Get those right and it's foolproof.
Don't over-thicken. A lightly bodied broth shows off the silky egg; a heavy, gloopy one buries it.
Make it a meal: add a handful of corn kernels, peas, or soft tofu cubes to the broth before the egg.
Vegetarian: use vegetable stock and you're done — everything else is already meat-free.
The golden color in restaurant versions usually comes from a rich stock or a tiny pinch of turmeric, not from the egg.

Recipe wording too vague?

Paste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.

Recipe

Egg Drop Soup

New recipe

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 15 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner

Ingredients

Soup

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, good stock = good soup
2 large eggs, beaten well
1 tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp white pepper, or to taste
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 pinch turmeric, optional, for the classic golden color
to taste salt

Slurry & finish

1.5 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp cold water
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring the stock to a gentle simmer and season it with the light soy sauce, white pepper, turmeric (if using), and a little salt. Taste — it should taste good as a broth on its own.
Stir the cornstarch into the cold water, then stir the slurry into the simmering broth. Let it return to a gentle simmer and thicken slightly — just enough to lightly hold the egg, not gloopy.
Beat the eggs until completely smooth. Lower the heat so the broth is barely simmering, then stir it in one direction to set a slow whirlpool spinning.
While the broth swirls, pour the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream — through the tines of a fork for the finest ribbons. Pour all of it in over a few seconds, moving around the surface.
Stop stirring and let the egg set undisturbed for about 10 seconds. Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and scatter the scallions over the top. Serve right away.

Nutrition (est., per serving): 90 cal · 5 g protein · 6 g carbs · 5 g fat

Egg Drop Soup FAQ

How do you get silky egg ribbons in egg drop soup?

Two things matter. First, keep the broth moving — stir it in one direction to create a slow whirlpool right before you add the egg. Second, pour the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream (through the tines of a fork for the finest threads) rather than dumping it in. Then stop stirring and let it set for a few seconds. Moving broth plus a thin stream gives delicate ribbons; a fast pour into still broth gives clumps.

Why is my egg drop soup clumpy?

Usually the egg went in too fast, into broth that was either still or boiling too hard. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, get a gentle whirlpool going, and drizzle the egg in slowly and thinly. Boiling-hot, motionless broth and a quick glug of egg are what create big clumps.

How do I make egg drop soup vegetarian?

Just use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock — the rest of the recipe (eggs, cornstarch, soy, sesame oil, scallion) is already vegetarian. A good, well-seasoned vegetable stock makes all the difference, since the broth is the backbone of the soup.

Do you have to thicken egg drop soup with cornstarch?

Not strictly, but a little cornstarch slurry helps. It gives the broth just enough body to suspend the egg ribbons so they float silkily instead of sinking. Use a light hand — you want a lightly bodied soup, not a thick, gloopy one.

What can I add to egg drop soup?

It's a great base. Common additions, stirred into the broth before the egg, include sweet corn, peas, soft tofu, mushrooms, or a handful of shredded cooked chicken. Finish with extra scallion, a few drops of chili oil, or a little more white pepper to taste.