Classic Egg Drop Soup with Ginger and Scallions
Silky ribbons of egg float in a savory ginger-scented chicken broth lightly thickened with cornstarch. Ready in about 25 minutes, it's comforting, light, and far better than takeout.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 14 min
- Wait
- 1 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (4 servings, about 1 cup each)
Steps
Before you start
- Have everything chopped and measured before you turn on the heat; once the broth is infused, the soup comes together in about 5 minutes.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry right before adding it, because the starch settles to the bottom quickly.
- Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup or spouted bowl so you can pour a thin, steady stream.
- Plan on about 23 minutes total: roughly 8 minutes of prep, 14 minutes on the stove, and a 1-minute rest.
Prep the aromatics
- Peel the ginger and slice it into 4 to 5 thin coins.
- Thinly slice the scallions, keeping the white parts and the green parts in separate piles.
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Ready when: Ginger is in thin coins and scallions are in two separate piles.
Tip: Smash the ginger coins lightly with the flat of a knife to release more flavor.
Make the slurry
- In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the cold water until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Set it next to the stove.
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Ready when: Slurry looks milky and smooth, with no clumps at the bottom.
Tip: Always use cold water; hot water makes cornstarch clump.
Beat the eggs
- Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup or spouted bowl.
- Beat with a fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined and no streaks of white remain.
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Ready when: Eggs are a uniform pale yellow.
Infuse the broth
- Pour the chicken broth into a 3-quart saucepan.
- Add the ginger coins and the scallion whites.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes so the ginger flavors the broth.
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Ready when: Broth is steaming, gently bubbling, and smells noticeably of ginger.
Season the broth
- Stir in the soy sauce and white pepper.
- Fish out and discard the ginger coins with a spoon.
- Taste and add a pinch of salt only if needed; the soy sauce is already salty.
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Ready when: Broth tastes savory and balanced, with a mild peppery warmth.
Thicken the soup
- Raise the heat to medium.
- Re-stir the slurry, then slowly pour it into the simmering broth while stirring constantly.
- Keep simmering for 1 minute.
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Ready when: Broth turns slightly glossy and lightly coats the back of a spoon, still thin enough to pour easily.
Tip: Re-stir the slurry just before pouring, since the starch sinks fast.
Drop in the eggs
- Stir the soup in one steady circle to create a slow swirl, then reduce the heat to low.
- Pour the beaten eggs in a thin, steady stream from about 6 inches (15 cm) above the pot while continuing to stir gently in the same direction.
- Stop pouring and stirring once all the egg is in.
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Ready when: Egg sets instantly into pale yellow ribbons that float in the soup.
Tip: A hard boil makes the egg cloudy and broken up. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer or below.
Rest and finish
- Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for 1 minute so the egg ribbons finish setting.
- Stir in the sesame oil and half of the scallion greens.
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Ready when: Egg ribbons are fully opaque and hold their shape when lifted with a spoon.
Tip: Add the sesame oil off the heat to keep its aroma.
Serve
- Ladle the soup into 4 warm bowls and top with the remaining scallion greens.
- Serve right away while hot.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot with ribbons of egg evenly distributed.
Good to know
Tips
- Pour the egg slowly from a height with the soup barely moving for long, delicate ribbons; pouring fast or stirring hard makes small shreds.
- Keep the soup below a rolling boil when adding the eggs for clear broth and tender egg.
- For a slightly thicker, more restaurant-style body, increase the cornstarch to 1½ tablespoons (12 g) with 3 tablespoons water; do not go higher or the soup turns gloppy.
- For a heartier soup, add 1 cup of corn kernels or a handful of diced soft tofu with the broth.
Make ahead
Make the broth through the seasoning step (step 5) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat to a simmer, then continue with the slurry and eggs just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. Freezer: not recommended, since the egg turns spongy and the soup can thin out. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C); do not boil.
Substitutions
- low-sodium chicken broth → Vegetable broth. Makes the soup vegetarian; the flavor will be slightly sweeter and lighter.
- cornstarch → Potato starch or tapioca starch (same amount). Potato starch gives a very glossy, silky finish; tapioca is slightly stretchier.
- ground white pepper → Finely ground black pepper. Use the same amount; black pepper is a bit less earthy and leaves visible specks.
- soy sauce → Tamari. Makes the soup gluten-free; check that your broth is gluten-free too.
