Traditionally what’s in egg drop soup consists of broth, sauces like soy sauce, eggs, food coloring, seasonings, and chives. The yellow food coloring adds the vibrancy that the soup is known for, but you can omit this from the list of ingredients if preferred. But in any recipe for egg drop soup, you are aiming to create silky strands of eggs in the chicken broth, as this is the signature stamp of an egg drop soup. This is achieved by whisking the egg into the boiling broth towards the end of cooking, so it’s important you don’t add the egg before this step. Ideally, you’ll need to create the effect of a swirling vortex with the broth whilst adding the egg, which creates the long lines of egg as you drizzle it in, making what appears to look like egg ribbons. In Chinese, the translation for this recipe is actually closer to egg flower soup, as the egg creates these swirling, almost floral patterns.
When you add the cornstarch to the soup, it’s vital that you continue to stir throughout this process so you don’t end up with clumps of cornstarch in the dish. If you’d prefer a thinner texture, however, you can add less cornstarch than recommended in the recipe above. To add more flavor to this soup recipe, you can experiment with introducing ingredients like ginger, for a flavor kick, or garlic powder, to bring more aromatics to the soup.
Chicken broth forms the base of many delicious soups, and for more inspiration on soups to make with broth, take a look through our round-up of the tastiest soup recipes from around the world. Or if you want to sample more Chinese cooking, and don’t want to make it all at home, then you can explore our guide of top Chinese restaurants.
How to serve it
Egg drop soup is best enjoyed warm straight from the stove. Top with spring onions for garnish, and serve with a plate of warm noodles for dipping into the soup. You can also enjoy this soup paired with other classic Chinese dishes like egg fried rice or spring rolls, if you want to serve a Chinese feast to your guests. And on a cold winter night, for a meal that ticks all the boxes of comfort food, then serve your egg drop soup alongside a helping of dumplings, or fluffy pork bao buns.
Storage
Any leftover egg drop soup can be stored in the fridge for up to three days, and can be reheated gently on the stove over a low heat. It’s not advisable to freeze this recipe as the texture of the egg can turn during the freezing process. Ideally you should eat this dish fresh on the day or in the days following cooking.