Egg Drop Soup
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 4cups chicken stock
- ½cup water
- 1clove garlic, sliced
- 12sprigs cilantro
- 13-to-4-inch piece of ginger, sliced
- 20or so peppercorns
- 1pinch dried shrimp or scallops (optional)
- Salt
- 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2eggs
- 4scallion stalks, white and light green parts, sliced thinly on a bias
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
Preparation
- Step 1
Put chicken stock, water, garlic, cilantro, ginger, peppercorns and (if you are using) dried shrimp or scallops in a pot. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Let cook for 20 minutes.
- Step 2
Strain broth into another pot, taste and adjust salt. Bring back to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with Shaoxing wine or sherry. Whisk eggs with remaining teaspoon cornstarch.
- Step 3
Whisk wine-cornstarch mixture into soup until combined. With the soup on a low simmer, stir once with a spoon to make a slight current. Pour in the egg-cornstarch mixture, through the tines of a fork, letting it form ribbons. Allow 10 seconds to set, then stir gently to break them up as you like.
- Step 4
Top thickly with scallions and ground pepper, and serve.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
This is even faster if you use home made chicken stock to which garlic, ginger or other compatible flavoring have been added initially.
This went straight into my Favorites folder. So easy and sooooo good. I used Better Than Bouillon's vegetarian chicken-style base and it was perfect. Quick enough to make as a comforting breakfast when you're under the weather.
Adding a bit of sesame oil and some sweet corn to the pot near the end, and a handful of chopped spinach to each bowl, while very inauthentic, makes this soup a little more hearty - a perfect lunch on a cold day.
I felt four eggs was too much (I doubled the recipe). Next time, I'm going to try using one egg per recipe.
This is very tasty and easy to make. The only change I made was to add a few drops of oil to the egg and cornstarch mix. It seems to help with incorporation and fat is flavor.
Loved this. Doubled recipe. Three eggs. Lots of white pepper. Cooked dumplings in plain stock on the side then added together before serving. Looking forward to making more stock for the freezer.
You can also simplify this if you’re short on time - grate ginger and sauté in sesame oil for a minute, add broth and whatever extra flavors you’d like (miso, fish sauce, chile crisp all work well) and let simmer 10-15. Shower with pepper and cilantro at serving to include those flavors, and whisk your eggs in the measure cup used for the wine-cornstarch mixture just after adding it. No need to turn the heat off ever
Great and flavorful - I found the cornstarch lumped with the eggs so would just add with the wine mix next time (used mirin and rice vinegar for this, also added dried mushrooms and sautéed the ginger and garlic for a few minutes before adding the broth)
I also like adding a dash of sesame oil
Made it tonight- the first cold night in NYC this season- to go along with beef & broccoli. Used sherry vinegar. It was delicious!
I am nursing a sore throat right now so this was the perfect balm. I threw in some frozen dumplings for easy, quick bulk, boiling for 3 minutes. Not authentic of me but a soup for the soul.
I liked, didn’t love this. I followed the instructions to a tee and I almost feel like there wasn’t enough broth. There definitely wasn’t enough for 4 servings, just 2. My big issue was not reheating the broth to a simmer right before putting the cornstarch and wine mixture in, so it became gelatinous. I used white wine instead of sherry or the other suggested wine, no difference noted.
This went straight into my Favorites folder. So easy and sooooo good. I used Better Than Bouillon's vegetarian chicken-style base and it was perfect. Quick enough to make as a comforting breakfast when you're under the weather.
Made this as is and thought it was really nice, quick, and comforting. Will make again
This was so easy, delicious and flexible. My stock was pretty great to start and I didn’t have everything on hand but we had a terrific soup. And the magic of adding the eggs this way made them wonderfully luscious and tender. Will be making this again.
Made with a combo of homemade chx stock and some leftover boiled veggie water (beets, carrots), frozen ginger and garlic cubes from trader Joe's, and whole black peppercorns. Didn't bother straining, I don't mind the pepper but I may fish them out next time. Used Mirin cuz that's what I had, and added some smoked shitake salt and hot chili oil with the green onions. Delicious, will make it a regular easy quick meal!
Adding a bit of sesame oil and some sweet corn to the pot near the end, and a handful of chopped spinach to each bowl, while very inauthentic, makes this soup a little more hearty - a perfect lunch on a cold day.
I love making this soup. It is subtle, but delicious and satisfying. It’s on repeat for lunch at our house.
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