Why is my egg drop soup not clear?

Make sure the broth is on a low flame – if it is too hot the egg will turn the soup cloudy. Ensure the egg is being poured in a THIN, EVEN stream into the soup!

How long will egg drop soup keep in the refrigerator?

You probably won't have leftovers if you're making one serving, but if you make a big batch you can store the leftover soup in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

How to do an egg drop?

Surround the egg with cotton balls and then place it inside a small cardboard box . The cotton balls will absorb the shock of the impact, protecting the egg from breaking. This works because the cotton balls are made of fibers that have tiny pockets of air.

Is egg drop soup good when sick?

It's especially perfect when you're sick and trying to rest up and recover . It takes minimal effort, is soothing on your throat, and actually provides some nutrients to help keep your energy up. Please don't wait to make this until your next head cold, you really need egg drop soup in your life immediately!

Why is my egg drop soup so yellow?

Egg Drop Soup Recipe Instructions Stir in the sesame oil, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Add in the turmeric or yellow food coloring, if using. Using turmeric or yellow food coloring gives the soup that rich restaurant-style yellow color but this is optional. Taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Why is my egg drop soup thick?

Most egg drop soup recipes use cornstarch as a thickener , but my dad prefers potato starch for a few reasons.

What is the most important ingredient in soup?

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What gives soup the best flavor?

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

Can I eat egg drop soup left out overnight?

So, yeah: Toss that soup that sat out overnight . Now, to the question of whether or not boiling it will kill off these bugs -- that might be technically true, but it comes with a big caveat. To be completely safe, you'll have to boil the soup vigorously for 10 minutes.

Is it OK to eat egg drop soup?

IS EGG DROP SOUP HEALTHY? Yes. It's very low calorie and packed with protein ! One bowl of soup (about 1 cup) is only 71 calories.

Why is egg drop soup good for you?

Protein is essential for muscle repair, immune function, and overall cellular health . Easy to digest: Being mostly liquid and containing soft, cooked ingredients, egg drop soup is a great option for someone whose appetite is impaired by illness and who can't handle large, rich meals.

Is egg drop soup good for stomach issues?

is egg drop soup good for upset stomach? Yes, egg drop soup is often considered soothing for an upset stomach . Its mild flavor and easy-to-digest ingredients, like eggs and broth, can provide comfort and nourishment.

Is egg drop soup a full liquid diet?

A full-liquid diet includes: Broth-based soup; add in a beaten egg white or Eggbeaters to boiling broth for a healthy “egg drop” soup. Sugar-free and low-fat or fat-free regular or Greek yogurt, without fruit. Unsweetened applesauce and fat-free or low-fat whipped cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, pureed together.

Egg Drop Soup Recipe (2024)

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The best egg drop soup has clear, ever-so-slightly thickened broth with the intense flavor of chicken and a hint of sweet Chinese ham.

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated August 13, 2023

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Why It Works

Starting with a good chicken broth then simmering with cured pork and aromatics creates a flavorful foundation for the soup.
Beating the eggs with cornstarch before adding to the broth thickens them so they will be evenly distributed throughout the broth.

Who doesn't love classic Chinese and Chinese-American appetizers? Throw your own Chinese take-out party at home, without the take-out!

For the longest time I really disliked egg drop soup, and it's because I'd only ever had it from the Chinese deli buffets where it'd been sitting out all day in a steam table, slowly reducing into a viscous, mucous-like neon-yellow glop with rubbery bits of overcooked egg floating in it, along with the occasional odd sliced raw mushroom.

The best egg drop soup, on the other hand, should have a clear, ever-so-slightly thickened broth with the intense flavor of chicken, supported by a hint of the sweet depth of Chinese ham. You should taste ginger or scallion from the broth itself, but their aroma should waft up along with the steam from the bowl. The eggs should form tender, silken curds, some large, some small, offering texture, sure, but predominantly flavor and richness to an otherwise extremely simple soup.

So how do you get there?

Well, two simple steps.

Making Egg Drop Soup Broth

The brothis a simplified version of a Chinese superior stock, traditionally made with an old stewing hen, pork bones, sweet Chinese ham, and occasionally dried scallops along with a few aromatics. It's intensely savory due to the presence of a couple of key chemicals found in these foods. Glutamates are the compound responsible for the flavor we refer to as umami, and they're found in meat—particularly dried, cured meats like Chinese ham. Inosinate, on the other hand, is found predominantly in cured fish products, like anchovies or dried scallops, although cured meats do contain them as well, to a slightly lesser degree. These compounds work in conjunction with glutamates, amplifying their savory qualities by an order of magnitude.

Of course, nobody wants to simmer a big 'ol pot of chicken, pork, and scallops at home, but you can get a quick and easy workaround starting with plain old chicken broth (homemadeor low-sodium store-bought), fortifying it with some cured pork (a chunk of slab bacon works well if you can't find Chinese ham or sausage), along with some scallions, ginger, and white peppercorns. Just simmer 'em together for 30 minutes or so, and you're golden.

Adding the Egg to Egg Drop Soup

The egg flower, as it's referred to in Chinese, is really simple to do. The key is to swirl the soup in a lazy vortex while slowly drizzling in the eggs, which are scrambled with a bit of cornstarch.

Unless you thicken it properly, the egg has a tendency to float to the top instead of being evenly dispersed throughout the broth. A small amount of cornstarch slurry whisked into it will thicken it to the right consistency and prevent the eggs from turning rubbery.

The best way to drizzle in the egg is to hold either two chopsticks or a fork across the top of a small bowl and drizzle the egg slowly through the tines. It's essential that the soup be hot, but not boiling as you do this. You want the egg to set into relatively large curds that you can then break up to your desired size by stirring more or less vigorously after you drizzle it. If all goes well, you should have evenly dispersed, thin strands of egg that resemble flower petals.

Add small handful of sliced scallion greens on top—okay, if you really want them, some mushrooms too—and the soup is ready to serve. It goes best with a free egg roll and a fortune cookie.

April 2011

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