American Chinese / Cantonese Recipe
Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup is a quick broth soup with thin ribbons of egg, white pepper, scallion, and optional corn or tofu.
Recipe at a glance
| Purpose | High-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish |
| Cuisine or format | American Chinese / Cantonese |
| Menu variation rule | Protein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family. |
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, optional
- White pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Scallions
- Corn or tofu, optional
Method
- Bring broth to a simmer.
- Season with soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil if using.
- Add cornstarch slurry if a thicker soup is desired.
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Pour beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring slowly.
- Stop stirring once ribbons form.
- Finish with scallions.
Variations and substitutions
- For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
- For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
- For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.