Chinese
Egg Drop Soup
Silky ribbons of egg in a light savoury broth — a soothing 10-minute soup from pantry basics.
About this recipe
Egg Drop Soup is a chinese lunch for 2 that is a gentle, mostly hands-off simmer. It’s built around egg, and it takes around 10 min start to finish. We sized it for a small household and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 3, beaten egg
- 600ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 stalk spring onion
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Equipment
Method
- 1
Bring the stock to a gentle simmerSimmer.Cook in liquid with gentle bubbling, just below a boil.Glossary → with white pepper.
~4 min
- 2
Stir the cornstarch into 2 tbsp water and whisk into the broth to lightly thicken, 1 min.
~2 min
- 3
Turn off the heat and slowly pour in the beaten egg while stirring in one direction to form ribbons.
~2 min
- 4
Finish with sesame oil and spring onion.
~1 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Spring onion
- thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish.
- Sesame oil
- use sparingly — a tiny bit of tahini, or just skip it; it’s a finishing flavour.
Cook's notes
- Dice the onion before anything heats up so it’s ready when the pan is — a even dice cooks evenly. How to dice an onion →
- Keep the white and green parts separate — whites go in early with the aromatics, greens at the end. How to chop spring onions →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 10 min.
Storage & leftovers
This keeps well — store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavour often deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened.
Frequently asked
How long does Egg Drop Soup take to make? +
Around 10 min from start to finish, almost all of it hands-on.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 2. To cook for 4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: induction hob, pot. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Spring onion → thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish; Sesame oil → use sparingly — a tiny bit of tahini, or just skip it; it’s a finishing flavour. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Egg Drop Soup ahead of time? +
This keeps well — store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the flavour often deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it’s thickened.
More Chinese recipes
Chinese
Tomato & Egg Stir-Fry
The everyday Chinese home dish — silky eggs, sweet-tart tomato, ready in 10 minutes over rice.
Chinese
Garlic Soy Pan-Fried Noodles
Springy noodles tossed in a glossy garlic-soy sauce — faster than delivery, cheaper too.
Chinese
Steamed Egg with Soy (Chinese Custard)
Silky savoury steamed egg — soft, soothing, and almost entirely hands-off.