This easy vegetarian egg drop soup recipe is made with minimal ingredients and takes only 20 minutes from start to finish. With a savory broth flavored with sesame oil, sweet corn, and delicate ribbons of egg, this easy weeknight meal will become a family favorite.
Jump to:
One of my favorite parts of traveling is the food. I love seeing new places, finding new foods, and sparking new ideas.
On a trip to California a few years ago, I watched the sunset at Carmel Beach and had dinner in town after, three nights in a row - twice at the same place - Tommy's Wok.
This soup is inspired by one I ordered several times during those few days. This is one of the most delicious soups, and it's one of my favorite meals. I love that it's so quick and made with simple ingredients.
This is an egg drop soup with corn, beautiful egg ribbons, a slight tang of rice vinegar, and nutty sesame oil. The soup is thickened with a cornstarch slurry and served with a scoop of rice and sliced green onions.
For a more filling, complete meal, serve this easy soup with a scoop of rice and some greens on the side.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- vegetable stock - This is the main liquid for the soup so use your favorite one. This makes a big difference to the final soup so make sure to use one with a lot of flavor.
- corn - I use canned creamed corn for this recipe, it gives a creaminess and sweetness to the soup.
- eggs - Eggs are the key ingredient and make this soup amazing. There's a trick to getting perfect wispy bits throughout your soup. Read the instructions for the tip.
- corn starch - You'll make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup.
- rice vinegar and sesame oil - these both give amazing flavor to this soup, so don't skip them. I can find these easily at my grocery store in the International aisle. I always garnish my bowl with a little bit more sesame oil.
- green onions - I garnish with green onions, it gives a nice freshness to the soup.
Substitutions
- chicken - If you don't want to keep the dish vegetarian, start the soup by cooking some sliced boneless skinless chicken breast.
- vegetable stock - use chicken stock if you don't need to keep the soup vegetarian.
Instructions
Prep Tips
- In a large pot, mix the corn and the broth and heat it over medium heat to bring it to a simmer. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and the rice wine vinegar to the pot.
Stir and then simmer another 2-3 minutes, until the soup has thickened. Taste for seasoning here and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Add the eggs.
- Add the sesame oil.
To get soft, wispy little egg bits:
- whisk the eggs well in a small bowl.
- stir the soup to get it moving in a circular motion
- slowly pour the whisked eggs into the simmering broth in a very thin stream
TIP: you can pour the eggs over a fork the first time you try it, to help get the wispy bits, but after some practice it won't be necessary.
Turn the heat off and stir in the sesame oil.
Serve with white rice and chopped green onions.
Tips for making Egg Drop Soup
What to serve with Egg Drop Soup
Because this is one of the easiest soups to make, and it's made with pretty basic ingredients, you'll probably want to serve something on the side, like some greens. Try brown sugar Brussels sprouts, honey sriracha Brussels sprouts, or sesame roasted broccoli.
Storage
Always make sure to cool hot soup to room temperature before storing it. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or a in pot on the stovetop, just until hot.
FAQs
The main ingredients in egg drop soup are eggs, a flavorful broth, and a cornstarch slurry to thicken it.
Recipe
Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 14 oz creamed corn
- ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 green onions sliced
- kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
- cooked rice optional, to serve
Instructions
- In a large pot, mix the stock and creamed corn. Bring to a simmer then lower heat to medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix the cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry. Add the rice wine vinegar and the cornstarch slurry to the pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thickened.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl or measuring cup with a pouring spout.
- Stir soup while slowly pouring in the beaten eggs.
- Turn the heat off and add the sesame oil.
- Serve hot, over rice if desired and garnish with the green onions.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
This post was originally posted on March 25, 2016.
SHARE THIS RECIPE
Rating, commenting, and sharing my recipes really helps. Thanks for taking the time! Mention @pipercooksblog on Instagram.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!