Easy Homemade Egg Drop Soup

Name: Easy Egg Drop Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 oz. mushrooms ($1.99); 3 green onions ($0.32); 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger ($0.10); 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02); 4 cups chicken broth* ($0.50); 2 cups water ($0.00); 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.09); 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.04); 2 large eggs ($0.48); 2 cups fresh baby spinach, optional ($1.13)

$4.67 recipe / $0.78 serving

by Beth Moncel

published Nov 8, 2011updated Jan 19, 2017

4.92 from 23 votes

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There’s nothing quite like a hot soothing soup when you’re feeling under the weather. This fast and easy homemade egg drop soup comes together in just a few minutes and has a ginger infused broth that is extra comforting to an achy head and body. And because this soup is so incredibly simple, it lends itself well to several variations, allowing you to customize the soup based on what you have on hand. So skip the take out and make a giant pot of soup for what you’d probably spend on one serving of deliver. ;)

Overhead view of a large pot of homemade egg drop soup with spinach

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How Do You Thicken Egg Drop Soup?

You may have noticed that classic egg drop soup has a slight thickness to it, and the broth isn’t as thin as a traditional chicken broth. The secret to this thickness is a cornstarch slurry and the reason for this thickness is to create beautiful, delicate threads of cooked egg throughout the soup. The viscosity of the broth helps prevent the egg from dissipating into tiny bits when it’s added to the hot soup.

Variations

I added mushrooms and spinach to my egg drop soup to try to sneak in some veggies, but if you just want a plain, brothy egg drop soup, you can leave them out. Or, if you want something a little heartier, you could even add some noodles. Want to make a vegetarian egg drop soup? Simply sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth and you’re good to go.

What to Serve with Egg Drop Soup

Make it a complete takeout fake-out meal by pairing this egg drop soup with Easy Lo Mein, Easy Orange Chicken, Vegetable Fried Rice, and Egg Rolls!

Easy Egg Drop Soup

4.92 from 23 votes

This fast and easy homemade egg drop soup is warm and soothing on cold days or when you’re feeling under the weather. Comes together in under 30 minutes!

Servings 6

Prep 10

Cook 20

Total 30

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Ingredients

8 oz. mushrooms ($1.99)
3 green onions ($0.32)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger ($0.10)
1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02)
4 cups chicken broth* ($0.50)
2 cups water ($0.00)
1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.09)
1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.04)
2 large eggs ($0.48)
2 cups fresh baby spinach, optional ($1.13)

Instructions

Wash and slice the mushrooms. Thinly slice the green onions. Use a vegetable peeler or the side of a spoon to scrape the skin from the ginger, then use a cheese grater to grate about 1 Tbsp.
Add the mushrooms, green onions, and ginger to a large soup pot along with 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat or just until the mushrooms begin to soften.
Add 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce to the pot. In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the soup pot and stir to combine.
Bring the soup up to a boil over medium-high heat. While waiting for the soup to boil, whisk two eggs in a bowl. Once the soup is boiling, turn the heat down to low and wait until the soup stops boiling. Use a large wooden spoon to stir the pot and make the broth swirl in one direction. While the soup is swirling, slowly pour the whisked eggs into the soup in a thin stream. Let the eggs sit in the hot liquid, undisturbed, for 1-2 minutes to fully set.
Finally, add the fresh spinach to the pot and stir until it has wilted. Taste and adjust the salt by adding more soy sauce, if needed. Serve hot.

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Notes

The speed at which the soup is swirling and how quickly you pour in the eggs will determine the size of the egg “threads.” If you want larger or thicker egg threads, don’t stir the soup as fast and pour the egg in faster. Do NOT pour the eggs into a rapidly boiling soup or else it will break apart into very small pieces and you will not have egg threads.

*I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 67.92kcalCarbohydrates: 4.45gProtein: 4.52gFat: 4.2gSodium: 749.95mgFiber: 0.83g

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Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Overhead view of a bowl full of easy egg drop soup

Perfect for a cold rainy day!

How to Make Egg Drop Soup – Step By Step Photos

Begin by washing and slicing 8oz. mushrooms, slicing three green onions, and peeling and grating about 1 Tbsp fresh ginger. The original version of this recipe only used 4oz. mushrooms, so you can cut it in half if needed.

Add the mushrooms, green onions, and ginger to a large soup pot along with 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes, or just until the mushrooms begin to soften.

Add 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce to the pot.

I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth. It’s super convenient, takes very little storage, and you can mix up any amount needed (1 tsp BTB + 1 cup water = 1 cup broth).

In a small bowl, stir together 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the soup pot. Bring the soup up to a boil. The small amount of cornstarch helps thicken the soup ever so slightly, giving it more body and helping the egg stay in nice threads rather than just mixing into the broth. It’s a very small, almost undetectable amount of thickening, but it’s important.

While waiting for the soup to come up to a boil, whisk two eggs in a bowl.

Once the soup reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and wait for it to stop boiling. If you like your egg drop soup to have a million small pieces of egg, go ahead and add it while it’s boiling. If you like thin, pretty threads of egg, you must wait for it to stop boiling. Then, take a large spoon and start swirling the soup in one direction. As the soup swirls, slowly drizzle in the egg in a thin stream, then DON’T TOUCH IT for at least a minute, maybe two, to give the egg threads a moment to set.

And then you can stir the pot to bring the egg threads up to the surface and see their beauty. I was trying to take photos with one hand while pouring in the egg with the other, so some of my threads are a bit thick, but they’re pretty none the less.

Finally, add in a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach and stir until they are wilted into the broth.

Finished pot of homemade easy egg drop soup with spinach, mushrooms, and a wooden spoon in the side

And that’s that! Seriously easy Egg Drop Soup! It’s always a good idea to taste and adjust the salt if needed. To keep with the flavor profile, I’d add soy sauce if you need more salt, rather than adding plain salt.

A bowl of easy egg drop soup on a black and white napkin with a black ceramic soup spoon on the side

That ginger in the broth makes it SOOO soothing!

Posted in: Asian Inspired Recipes, Dairy Free Recipes, East Asian, Globally Inspired Recipes, Quick Recipes, Recipes under $5, Soup Recipes, Under $1 per serving

Beth MoncelI’m a food lover, number cruncher, and meticulous budgeter. I love science and art, and the way they come together when I cook. I love to create, problem solve, and learn new things. Making great food is my passion, my purpose, and my favorite thing to share with others.More About Beth

Easy Homemade Egg Drop Soup

How Do You Thicken Egg Drop Soup?

Variations

What to Serve with Egg Drop Soup