{"id":201918,"title":"Chinese Egg Drop Soup","modified":"2026-11-03T09:32:04+01:00","plain":"A lightly thickened chicken broth, thin ribbons of egg and green onion: that Chinese restaurant soup, made at home.\n\n\n\nOn a rainy evening, or an evening when you\u2019re not in the mood for anything complicated, this soup sets everything right. It arrives steaming and pale yellow, with ribbons of egg floating in a broth thickened just enough to coat the spoon. \n\n\n\nThe white pepper brings a gentle heat, the toasted sesame oil perfumes every sip and the green onion adds freshness. It\u2019s the soup you order at a Chinese restaurant without even reading the menu, and it comes together faster than delivery.\n\n\n\nAnother Chinese restaurant soup, sour and spicy this time: hot and sour soup\n\n\n\nWhat Is Chinese Egg Drop Soup?\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s a seasoned chicken broth, lightly thickened with cornstarch, into which beaten eggs are poured in a very thin stream. As soon as it hits the hot broth, the egg cooks into pale strands that stay suspended. It\u2019s sipped piping hot as an appetizer, just before the main course.\n\n\n\nIts Chinese name, d\u00e0nhu\u0101t\u0101ng (\u86cb\u82b1\u6c64), means \u201cegg flower soup\u201d: the strands open up in the broth like petals. In English, it\u2019s egg drop soup, the soup where you \u201cdrop\u201d the egg.\n\n\n\nFrom the Chinese Family Table to the Takeout Menu\n\n\n\nIn China, d\u00e0nhu\u0101t\u0101ng is a quick home-style soup, set on the table alongside the other dishes. Its broth is light, almost clear, and often garnished with tomato or seaweed. It\u2019s everyday Chinese cooking, made in a few minutes.\n\n\n\nIn Chinese restaurants in the United States, and later in Europe, the soup gained body. The cornstarch thickens the broth and keeps the egg ribbons from sinking to the bottom of the bowl. Chicken bouillon powder and monosodium glutamate give it a clean umami flavor, the same from one service to the next.\n\n\n\nOn the same takeout menu, char siu, Cantonese-style glazed pork\n\n\n\nThe deep yellow of some restaurant bowls often comes from a touch of turmeric or food coloring: it\u2019s purely for looks. At home, you can add corn, carrot, peas or mushrooms, cooked in the broth before thickening.\n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients in Chinese Egg Drop Soup\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe base takes very little: water, chicken bouillon powder, preferably an Asian one already enriched with MSG, two eggs and green onion. Cornstarch, mixed with cold water, makes the broth glossy and gives it that spoon-coating texture. Tapioca starch can be used instead.\n\n\n\nThe seasoning is what gives it that restaurant taste: salt, white pepper, MSG, a pinch of sugar to round out the saltiness and a few drops of toasted sesame oil for aroma. White pepper brings heat without leaving black specks in the clear broth.\n\n\n\nTechnique Tips for Getting the Egg Ribbons Right\n\n\n\nIt all comes down to the moment you add the eggs. The broth should be just below a simmer: if it boils, the egg cooks too fast, toughens and clouds the soup. Stir gently in one direction, then pour the eggs in a very thin stream into the swirling broth. A thin stream gives light, restaurant-style strands, a thick stream larger pieces.\n\n\n\nKeep the thickening light: the broth should coat the spoon without turning into a sauce. If it\u2019s too thick, thin it with a little water. If it\u2019s too runny, add a little cornstarch slurry.\n\n\n\nAnother warm, comforting bowl: congee, Chinese rice porridge\n\n\n\nThe broth without the eggs can be made ahead and keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. When you\u2019re ready to serve, bring it back to a simmer and pour in fresh eggs: reheated, they turn rubbery. \n\n\n\nFor a Chinese meal at home, serve it before Cantonese fried rice or General Tso\u2019s chicken. And if you like takeout soups, wonton soup is next on the list.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tChinese Egg Drop Soup\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tBroth1 L water4 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder, (preferably Asian, with MSG)1.5 teaspoons salt0.125 teaspoon white pepper, (ground)1 teaspoon MSG, (monosodium glutamate)0.25 teaspoon sugar2-3 drops sesame oil (toasted)Cornstarch Slurry2 tablespoons cornstarch2 tablespoons water (cold)Eggs2 eggs1-2 teaspoons water1-2 green onions, (thinly sliced)\t\n\t\n\t\tBrothPour the water and chicken bouillon powder into a saucepan.Heat over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the bouillon powder.Bring to a gentle simmer.Add the salt, white pepper, MSG, sugar, and sesame oil.Stir.Taste and adjust the seasoning: the broth should taste like a well-seasoned chicken soup.Cornstarch SlurryIn a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water.Stir until you have a smooth liquid: the mixture resists at first, so keep stirring for a few seconds.Bring the broth back to a simmer.Stir the cornstarch mixture once more, as it settles quickly.Slowly pour it into the broth in a thin stream, stirring constantly.Simmer for 1 to 3 minutes, until the broth has some body and lightly coats a spoon, without being as thick as a sauce.EggsBeat the eggs with the water until the mixture is completely smooth, with no visible white.Beat with a fork or chopsticks, without beating in any air.Lower the heat so the broth is just below a simmer, not boiling.Gently stir the broth in one direction only.Pour in the eggs in a very thin stream, still stirring gently in the same direction.Once all the eggs are in, simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes so they cook through.Taste and adjust the seasoning one last time.Sprinkle with the sliced green onion and serve.\t\n\t\n\t\tFor the yellow color you see in restaurants, add 0.5 teaspoon of ground turmeric along with the other seasonings, or a few drops of yellow food coloring. This is purely cosmetic.\nIf the broth is too thick, add a little water, then adjust the seasoning. If it is too thin, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and pour it in in a thin stream. Tapioca starch can be used in place of cornstarch.\nA very thin stream gives fine, light strands, restaurant style. A thicker, faster stream gives larger pieces. If the broth is boiling when you add the eggs, they cook too fast, toughen and cloud the soup.\nYou can add corn, carrot, peas or mushrooms: cook them in the broth before adding the cornstarch slurry and the eggs.\nThe broth without the eggs keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and can be frozen. When ready to serve, bring it to a simmer and pour in fresh eggs: reheated eggs turn rubbery.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSoupes et bouillonsChinoise","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}