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WokHei
Soups 30-Minute Meals Vegetarian

Egg Drop Soup

Silky ribbons of egg suspended in clear golden broth. Ten minutes, five ingredients, and one pouring technique that decides everything.

Egg drop soup in a white porcelain bowl with delicate golden egg ribbons in clear broth
Prep
5 min
Cook
8 min
Total
13 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy

Egg drop soup is three ingredients and one skill. The skill is producing long, delicate ribbons rather than a cloudy broth full of egg crumbs, and it depends almost entirely on the state of the broth when the egg goes in.

Two conditions have to be met. The broth must be lightly thickened with cornstarch so the egg has something to hang in, and it must be barely simmering — hot enough to set the protein, calm enough not to tear it apart. Get those right, pour slowly from height while stirring in one direction, and it works every time.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring the broth to a simmer with the ginger coins and let it infuse for 3 minutes, then fish the ginger out.

  2. 2

    Stir the cornstarch slurry and whisk it in. Simmer 1 minute until the broth thickens very slightly — enough that it just coats a spoon. This is what suspends the egg instead of letting it sink.

  3. 3

    Season with salt, white pepper, and the turmeric if using.

  4. 4

    Reduce to the barest simmer — no rolling bubbles. Stir the broth in a slow circle with one hand while pouring the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream from about a foot above the pot.

  5. 5

    Stop stirring and let it sit undisturbed for 20 seconds while the ribbons set.

  6. 6

    Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and top with scallions.

Cook’s Notes

  • The slightly thickened broth is the trick nobody mentions. In thin broth the egg sinks and clumps; in lightly thickened broth it hangs in delicate ribbons.
  • Pour from height and pour slowly. A high thin stream breaks into fine threads; dumping the bowl in gives you scrambled egg in soup.
  • Never let it boil after the egg goes in. A rolling boil shreds the ribbons into cloudy fragments.
#soup #beginner #quick #comfort-food

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