Egg drop soup also called egg flower soup, is a classic Chinese soup, made with minimal ingredients, yet so good and flavourful. There are a lot of variations out there as everyone has their own way of preparing. Egg drop soup is a bit different from hot and sour chicken soup in that, no sauces are added to this.
A good quality chicken stock is a must as it is the body of the soup. Chicken stock can be made whenever possible and stored in the freezer for future use, which makes preparing this soup a breeze.
This tip that I came across in serious eats, that adding a bit of cornflour to the egg will not make the eggs rubbery, has made the soup even more tasty and enjoyable.
I came across quite a few recipes adding soy sauce, minced ginger, finely sliced tofu, mushrooms to this soup. But I always stick with this basic recipe, as it is very easy, quick and soul comforting. You can go ahead and add on as per your personal preference.
Over to the recipe…
Egg drop soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups good quality chicken stock
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1-2 tbsp scallions (spring onions)
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves(optional)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- a big pinch of turmeric powder
- salt, pepper & sugar (to taste)
- 1/4 cup water (optional)
Instructions
- Heat up the chicken stock with salt, pepper, sugar added to taste, and the sesame oil.
- Make a slurry out the cornflour, by either mixing it with a little bit of chicken stock or water. Keep the egg ready by beating it and adding a tsp of the cornflour slurry to it.
- Once the stock starts boiling, add the cornflour slurry. Constantly stir the soup till it thickens.
- Now using a fork pour the egg into the boiling soup, in a circular fashion, stirring constantly so that the egg forms thin strands.
- Simmer for a minute or two till the egg gets cooked. Garnish with finely chopped scallions and/or coriander leaves.
Hema’s P.S
- This soup takes on all its flavor from the chicken stock. So if the stock is bland the soup will be bland too.
- Sesame oil adds to the flavor of the soup.
- If you could pass the egg through the fork then there is no need to stir as the egg has already dropped as thin strands into the soup. If not stirring is a must, as otherwise the egg gets clumped up in places.
- You can opt to mix the egg lightly if you want the white and yellow strands to show up separately.
- The addition of turmeric gives it a yellow restaurant hue.
- I have used only 1 egg and it was perfect for this quantity of soup.
Do try out my other soups
