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Easy Egg Drop Soup
Silky ribbons of egg in a ginger-scented broth — the takeout classic, in fifteen minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Steps
- Simmer the stock with the ginger and soy sauce.
- Whisk the cornstarch with the water and stir it into the simmering stock.
- Drizzle the beaten eggs in a slow, thin stream while stirring gently.
- Stir in the sesame oil, top with green onions and serve.
Serve with: steamed dumplings or a cucumber salad.
Pour the egg in a slow, thin stream while you stir — that is what makes the ribbons.
Find this recipe in the Soups section on the RecipeDelish home page, where you can scale it, print a clean PDF, download the shopping list and use cook mode.
Tips & mistakes
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil — boiling breaks the egg ribbons into shreds.
- Pour the egg in a thin, slow stream while stirring in one direction; a fast pour makes clumps instead of ribbons.
- Beat the eggs well first; streaks of unmixed white cook into white blobs that look and feel wrong.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry right before adding it — cornstarch settles in seconds and pours unevenly if it sits.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the cornstarch? Yes: the soup will be thinner and more brothy, which is fine. The cornstarch only adds body; without it the soup is lighter and the ribbons show more clearly.
Can I add vegetables? Yes: frozen peas, corn or sliced mushrooms go in with the stock; cook until just tender. Add them before the egg so they are cooked through, and keep the pieces small.
Why are my ribbons too thick? The stream was too fast or the eggs were under-beaten; drizzle slower and stir gently. Pouring from higher up also helps: the egg stretches into a thinner stream before it hits the broth.
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