Egg Drop Soup

4.70 from 20 votes
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This is the ultimate egg drop soup—quick, delicious, with diced tomatoes just like the ones served in Shanghai. Ready in just 15 minutes, this easy and homemade Egg Drop Soup recipe rivals any takeout with its refreshing, comforting flavors and silky texture!

Egg drop soup served in a bowl.
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What Is Chinese Egg Drop Soup

I’m sure everyone has tried egg drop soup, whether at a Chinese restaurant, buffet, or through takeout.

This soup is always warm and comforting, with silky threads of eggs in every spoonful.

This recipe is from my best-selling Chinese cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes. I added fresh tomatoes for a sweet tang.

Looking for a hearty soup recipe to enjoy with family and friends? Check out my Hot and Sour Soup, and Chinese Hot Pot recipes!


My Egg Drop Soup Recipe

My recipe is far from the cookie-cutter versions you often see; it closely replicates the egg drop soup I enjoyed in Shanghai. There, the local version includes tomatoes, adding a refreshing and mouthwatering twist. Imagine silky threads of beaten eggs in a lightly starchy chicken broth, with pieces of diced tomatoes throughout. It’s eggy, soothing, and utterly comforting—the thought of it makes my mouth water.

This soup is hearty and especially delightful during the fall and winter months. It warms the body and comforts the soul with a perfect blend of flavors and textures. Plus, my recipe is 100% homemade, healthy, and super easy to make, taking only 15 minutes to whip up a small pot.


Recipe Variations

  • Add Tofu – Add cubed tofu to the broth for a protein boost. Gently heat the tofu in the broth before swirling in the beaten eggs.
  • Add Clams – Incorporate fresh Manila clams into the broth. Add the clams before thickening the soup and stir in the beaten eggs for a seafood twist.

How To Make Egg Drop Soup

Homemade egg drop soup with tomatoes, eggs and chicken broth.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water and set aside. In a pot, bring chicken broth and water to a boil, then add tomato, white pepper, and salt. Thicken the soup with the cornstarch mixture, stirring with a ladle before turning off the heat.

Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup and gently stir three times with chopsticks. Cover the pot with its lid for 2 minutes, allowing the eggs to cook and form silken threads. Serve the soup immediately in individual bowls.


Frequently Asked Questions

Can egg drop soup be frozen?

Eggs will become rubbery when frozen. Therefore, freeze the broth and add the eggs when necessary before serving. This will make for the best reheated soup!

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 52 calories per serving.

Healthy tomato egg drop soup.

What To Serve With This Recipe

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.70 from 20 votes

Egg Drop Soup Recipe

This is the ultimate egg drop soup—quick, delicious, with diced tomatoes just like the ones served in Shanghai. Ready in just 15 minutes, this easy and homemade Egg Drop Soup recipe rivals any takeout with its refreshing, comforting flavors and silky texture!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 14 oz (400g) store-bought chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 tomato, diced
  • 3 dashes white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with the water. Stir to blend well. Set aside.
  • Bring to boil the chicken broth and water in a pot. Add the tomato, white pepper, salt, and thicken the soup with the corn starch mixture. Stir the soup with a ladle and turn off the heat.
  • Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup and immediately stir around for three times with a pair of chopsticks. Cover the pot with its lid for 2 minutes. The eggs should be cooked and form into silken threads.
  • Dish out into individual serving bowls and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 52kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 600mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





35 Comments

  1. Loann says:

    Delicious!
    I might salt the (coarsely chopped) tomatoes and let them sit for a few moments before adding to soup.
    Also add a dash of sesame oil, as well as some scallions for even more extra flavor!
    White pepper yes!

    1. Admin says:

      Thanks for your trying!

  2. JoyceK says:

    Hi Bee! Just made this soup, and it is so delicious with the tomatoes! What an excellent idea. I saw this recipe awhile ago, and remembered it when I was in the mood to make some today. SO glad those tomatoes stuck in my head!

    1. Admin says:

      Thanks!

  3. nisha nehwal says:

    As much as your thinking is appreciated, it is very important to have a beautiful mind to write a beautiful post and in fact, you have rarely seen such a beautiful post as the beautiful post you have written, it is very much in my life Beautiful post.

    1. Admin says:

      Thanks for your support, Nisha.

  4. Yeh Ximin says:

    5 stars

  5. Arpita Patel says:

    5 stars
    I made this for a Chinese theme potluck. I was going to make for 12, hubby said….double that. I was very, very doubtful we needed that much. I was WRONG!!! We ran out! Even the people who said they don’t normally eat egg drop soup ate it and they raved! “Souper” EASY!!! and “SOUPER” DELISH!!!!

  6. Emilio says:

    5 stars
    I only had Egg Drop once in a while, always thought to be a little bland but I still liked it. This soup was AWESOME! I have my favorite chicken broth I use which is Simply Organic, trust me I set them all up one day, tried them and this had the most flavor. Instead of using water I used all broth and it turned out excellent. I guess I could use my own chicken stock for a more intense flavor, but why waste the stock, it was fine as it was.

    I didn’t know you had a book, I will buy it. I would like to do more Asian dishes. Thank you….

  7. Neli Howard | Delicious Meets Healthy says:

    5 stars
    This recipe looks great! I can’t wait to try it. Perfect for a rainy day. Love your recipes Bee!

  8. Marcus says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe, although I’ve not made it with tomatoes (I need to try that still). I’ve made it several times successfully and the family really likes it. It really is super easy to make. For me the white pepper is what makes this dish so good. I’ve made other recipes for this soup that did not contain it and there always seemed like there was something missing.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Marcus, yes, white pepper is the secret to many Chinese cooking! :)

  9. Karen Stone says:

    5 stars
    My go-to soup when my stomach feels ‘iffy’. Excellent recipe, Bee.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks Karen for trying my egg drop soup recipe.

  10. Max Ong says:

    5 stars
    This 1 nice! Thx for sharing the recipe