This fast and easy homemade Egg Drop Soup comes together quicker than ordering takeout and has a ginger-infused broth that’s extra comforting (especially if you’re feeling under the weather). And because this soup is so incredibly simple with just 10 ingredients, it lends itself well to several variations, allowing you to customize the soup based on what you have on hand. So skip the takeout and make a giant pot of soup for what you’d probably spend on one serving of delivery. 😉
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“Made this for tonight! It was a hit my mom loved it so much! I can’t believe how easy it was, tastes just like something out of a restaurant but better because it was in the comfort of my own home :) Thank you so much!!!!”
Aria
Easier than Takeout Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup (also called egg flower soup) is a staple on many Chinese restaurant menus, but it’s surprisingly quick and budget-friendly to make at home. My take uses a ginger-infused broth and a couple of add-ins for extra texture and nutrition. I added mushrooms and spinach to my recipe to try to sneak in some veggies, but if you want a plain, brothy egg drop soup, you can either reduce the amount used or leave them out!
Recipe Success Tips
- 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. If you want your soup thicker, double the amount of cornstarch slurry.
- Add in what you want! I went for spinach and mushrooms, but noodles or pulled chicken would make it even heartier. Simmer any added veggies (eg, shredded carrot, broccoli, or corn kernels) in the soup for a few minutes to soften them before adding the egg.
- Want to make a vegetarian egg drop soup? Simply sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and you’re good to go.
- For silky egg ribbons, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and wait until the broth is calm. Create a gentle swirl, drizzle in the whisked egg, and let it sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes before stirring so the strands have time to set. The quicker you stir the soup, the smaller the egg strands will be!
Easy Egg Drop Soup
Cost $4.61 recipe / $0.77 serving
Ingredients
- 3 cups mushrooms (sliced, (8 oz, 225g) $1.88)
- 3 green onions (sliced, $0.36)
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger (grated, $0.48)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 4 cups chicken broth (32 oz., $0.37*)
- 2 cups water (16 oz., $0.00)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.06)
- 2 large eggs ($0.82)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (optional, (60g) $0.55)
Instructions
- Gather all of your ingredients.
- 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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Equipment
- Grater
- Large Soup Pot
- Small Bowl
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Egg Drop Soup Step-By-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients. Begin by washing and slicing 8 oz. mushrooms (you need about 3 cups sliced), slicing 3 green onions, and peeling and grating about 1 Tbsp fresh ginger.
Sauté the veggies: 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.
Make the soup base: Add 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce to the pot.
Add the cornstarch: 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 you’re waiting for the soup to come up to a boil, whisk 2 large eggs in a bowl.
Add the egg: 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.
Add the spinach: Now stir the pot to bring the egg threads up to the surface and see their beauty! Finally, add in 2 cups fresh baby spinach and stir until they are wilted into the broth.
Serve: And that’s that! This is a seriously easy egg drop soup recipe! 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.
That ginger in the broth makes it SOOO soothing!
What to Serve with Egg Drop Soup
When I make this egg drop soup for a group, I love to turn it into a full takeout-style spread at home for way less than delivery. Pair it with our spicy firecracker chicken, or try honey garlic chicken for a sweeter, less spicy option. On the side, my vegetable fried rice or easy Lo Mein are both super budget-friendly. Then a serving of homemade egg rolls makes the whole meal feel like it came straight from your favorite takeout spot!
Storage & Reheating
You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or, for the best texture, on the stovetop over low heat to avoid overcooking the egg. I don’t recommend freezing this one, as the egg can become rubbery once frozen and thawed.
More Takeout Fakeout Favorites
Our Egg Drop Soup recipe was originally published 11/8/11. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 10/6/25.
Would this work with just egg whites? Or maybe 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg? Homemade ice cream and lemon curd leave me with extra whites.
You definitely could make this with whites only!
Soy sauce works in this recipe well, but if you can get fish sauce from the Asian section of your supermarket or an actual Asian market, IMO it’s even better. A dash of white pepper also is nice.
I like this recipe for a few reasons. It has simple ingredients and I really like that it puts the measurements in the method – that way you don’t have to scroll up and down to see how much to put in. Also the added instructions with pictures are likely helpful for people.
My son loves egg drop soup as it is served in most Chinese restaurants. But, he loves this variation!!! Is it ok to freeze this recipe or does it decrease the flavor and texture of the dish?
Hi Delores- If freezing, just freeze the broth. The eggs get rubbery when you reheat them from frozen. XOXO -Monti
I have freezed a similar recipe of egg drop soup from my local restaurant and reheated via stove top, it always comes out as if the soup was freshly prepared. I didn’t experience a difference.
So easy and so soothing on a cold rainy day. I halved the liquids to make it a bit more filling and was quite happy with the result (being a solo diner)
Been making this one at least every two weeks, if not more. Same with your mushroom portabella orzo, mushroom rice, the mushroom fajitas….I think you can guess that I enjoy recipes with mushrooms. Lol
Definitely a few steps up from the homemade egg drop soup my mom and I used to make from a beginner cookbook. That one was good, but your version with the mushrooms and spinach is more flavorful and filling. We’ll be making THIS version from now on when we want egg drop soup.
I love this soup! Sometimes I add Gyozo and it makes such an easy meal!
Tried it😊
Love this soup. Can’t believe I used to buy at Chinese take-out.
But then, I love all your recipes.
Delicious, comforting and actually easy! I have executive dysfunction so trying new recipes makes me nervous, but this was quite easy to put together (especially since I used pre-sliced mushrooms) and incredibly satisfying, so it will definitely become a go-to.
Love this recipe! I needed something light but satisfying today and this soup hit the spot. Very much recommend the better than bouillion to bring the flavor, and I used bok choy instead of spinach, which worked out really well. Delish! =D
Would it be ok with veg broth instead of chicken?
It’d probably be okay, but I definitely prefer chicken for this one. It’s mostly going to be a matter of personal preference.
This is super tasty but no matter how many times I try I can not get ribbons of egg. I’m curious if I have it hot enough. Does it need to be at a roaring boil before being removed from the heat?
Hmm, what does your egg end up looking like? That might help me troubleshoot what the issue is.
It is just a bunch of small bits of egg, however, when I add the egg the soup doesn’t seem to be boiling. Maybe I’m a bad judge of what boiling looks like lol
Okay, that helps! Yes, you want to bring the soup to a boil, then turn off the heat and wait for it to stop boiling before adding the egg. Swirl the soup so it is moving a little, then pour in the egg. Then just let the egg sit in the soup for a few minutes before stirring. If you stir before the egg has had a chance to cook it will break up too much. So maybe let it sit in the hot soup a few more minutes than you were before. I hope that works! :)
I don’t know how Chinese restaurant egg drop soup is supposed to take, but this was really good.