Egg Drop Soup Recipe
This recipe guides you through preparing a classic Chinese egg drop soup. It features a deeply flavored broth infused with Chinese ham, ginger, and peppercorns, which is then strained for clarity. The soup is gently thickened with cornstarch and finished with delicate ribbons of beaten egg, garnished with fresh scallions for a comforting and aromatic dish.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For simmering the broth
- 1 Fine-mesh Sieve For straining aromatics from the broth
- 1 Whisk For incorporating cornstarch slurry and creating egg strands
- 1 Small Bowl For mixing cornstarch slurry and beating eggs
- 1 Chef's Knife and Cutting Board For preparing ham, ginger, and scallions
Ingredients
Main
- 1 quart homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 ounces chinese ham chinese dried sausage, or slab bacon
- 6 scallions greens thinly sliced, whites left whole
- 1- inch knob of ginger
- 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
- Kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 whole eggs
Instructions
- Prepare the aromatics: Thinly slice the green parts of the scallions for garnish, leaving the white parts whole. Slice the Chinese ham or bacon into small pieces. Peel and slice the ginger.
- Combine chicken broth, ham, whole scallion whites, ginger slices, and whole white peppercorns in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Carefully strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, discarding all the solids (ham, scallion whites, ginger, peppercorns).
- Return the strained, clear broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of cold water to create a smooth slurry.
- While gently stirring the simmering broth, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry until the soup reaches your desired, slightly thickened consistency.
- Lightly beat the two whole eggs in the small bowl.
- With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup in a thin, continuous stream while simultaneously stirring the soup gently in one direction with a whisk or chopsticks to form delicate egg ribbons.
- Remove the soup from the heat and season with kosher salt to taste.
- Ladle the hot egg drop soup into serving bowls and garnish generously with the reserved thinly sliced scallion greens.
Notes
1. For truly silken egg strands, ensure the soup is at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, when adding the eggs. Drizzle the beaten eggs slowly and continuously in a thin stream while gently stirring in one direction with a whisk or chopsticks. This creates delicate ribbons rather than clumps. 2. The quality of your broth is paramount. A rich, homemade chicken broth will yield superior flavor compared to store-bought. 3. Always create a smooth cornstarch slurry with cold water before adding it to hot liquid to prevent lumps. Add gradually until desired thickness is achieved. 4. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt only at the very end.