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Easy Egg Drop Soup With Vegetables

This easy egg drop soup recipe is loaded with vegetables and fluffy egg ribbons, making it a healthy and delicious version of the popular Chinese restaurants soup.

A versatile, nutritious hearty soup and just 16 minutes to make!

Easy Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables

I think of this soup when I seriously need Spring to hurry up and get here. I add lots of bright veggies  – asparagus, baby spinach, baby bok choy and carrots. For a complete meal in a bowl, I add tofu or chopped leftover chicken.

What is egg drop soup?

The direct translation of egg drop soup in Chinese is egg flower soup, named for the flower-like ribbons created by slowly adding a whisked egg mixture into simmering broth.

A classic egg drop soup, in its simplest form, contains savory broth (traditionally chicken broth), eggs and cornstarch for thickening. Pepper, scallions, sesame oil and tofu are often added as well.

I love that the whole soup comes together in less than 20 minutes and I can scrounge around in my fridge for the veggies I have on hand to create it. It makes great leftovers the next day for lunch too.

What to serve with egg drop soup

Keeping with an Asian theme, try serving the soup with Dumpling Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce, Best Pad Thai Recipe, Vegetable Summer Rolls or Honey Garlic Chicken or Beef. All easier to make than you might think. You can also add some crunch with fried wonton noodles.

Tailor To Your Taste

Here are several variations and substitutions you can try.

Broth

  • Use the the best chicken broth you can find. I often use undiluted Campbell’s chicken broth in a can (not the ready to serve kind) and add slightly less water than called for to maintain a richer broth. Box broths work fine too as you can add plenty of your own flavors.

Vegetables

  • I used asparagus, baby spinach, baby bok choy, green onions and carrots in the pictures.
  • Other good options are diced broccoli, corn, cauliflower, snow peas, nappa cabbage, peas,  mushrooms.
  • Tip: Finely dicing the vegetables means very little cooking time is needed to make them tender but not mushy. So don’t over boil the vegetables.

Flavors

  • Good options are ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha
  • To get a deeper yellow color, you can add a pinch of turmeric, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.
  • For those whose flavor profile need hot sauce on everything, go for it.

Add-ins

  • Add chopped leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken
  • In a vegetarian version, add small diced tofu.

How to make vegetable egg drop soup

ingredients for Easy Egg Drop Soup with Vegetables - carrots, eggs, ginger, onions, spinach, chicken broth, asparagus, bok choy
Gather ingredients: carrots, large eggs, ginger, green onions, spinach, chicken broth, asparagus, bok choy, sesame oil, cornstarch
chopped carrots, spinach, bok choy, green onions on cutting board
Dice or finely chop vegetables.
eggs lightly beaten in measuring cup
Lightly beat eggs in cup with a spout for easy pouring
Simmer vegetables in chicken broth until tender for a few minutes. Add a small amount of cornstarch slurry to slightly thicken soup.
egg ribbons added to vegetable egg drop soup in pot
Stir soup in circular motion and slowly add beaten eggs in a steady stream by pouring from a cup with a spout. The eggs will turn into fluffy strands.
vegetable egg drop soup in pot ready to serve
Turn off heat. Add spinach to wilt, then sesame oil and green onions. (a good idea is hot sauce if you like).
vegetable egg drop soup in pot with chicken
Add chopped cooked chicken as well for a non vegetarian substantial meal.
vegetable egg drop soup in bowl p5
Egg drop soup with vegetables in a small bowl.

Good to know

Is egg drop vegetable soup healthy?

Yes. It’s packed with protein and fiber, it’s low calorie, low saturated fat and has very good vitamin A and C and iron. Our homemade egg drop soup is considered healthy eating compared to the restaurant version, especially since some restaurants still use MSG as a flavor enhancer.

Is egg drop soup gluten free?

Yes, as long as you use a cornstarch that is free of gluten contamination. Argo&Kingsfords and Bob’s Red Mill are two examples.

What is the difference between Chinese egg drop soup and Italian stracciatella soup?

The core ingredients are the same – broth and egg ribbons. The add ins and flavors are different. Stracciatella (sometimes called rag soup) is an Italian egg drop soup make with chicken broth, eggs, Parmesan cheese and semolina (for thickening). Sometimes spinach, lemon, small pasta, basil or parsley are added as well.

Can I make a vegetarian egg drop soup?

Absolutely. Although chicken broth is more traditional for this soup, feel free to substitute it with a good quality vegetarian broth.

Shortcuts

  • Use a frozen cube or two of ginger instead of grating fresh ginger.
  • Buy pre-shredded carrots.
  • Try adding a cup of prepackaged red or green coleslaw/cabbage (undressed of course)

Make Ahead

  • This easy soup can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days and rewarmed in the microwave or on the stove. The spinach may not maintain its vibrant green color but the taste won’t be affected. One option is to omit the spinach until you’re ready to serve the soup.
  • This soup should not be frozen.

If you’re looking for another quick and easy healthy Asian soup, try our vegetable wonton soup. 

Or, how about some other lighter meals – check out our 31 delicious low calorie meals under 400 calories.

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4.92 from 34 votes

Easy Egg Drop Soup With Vegetables

This easy Egg Drop Soup is loaded with vegetables and fluffy egg ribbons making it a healthy, low cal and delicious version of the popular Chinese restaurant soup.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time16 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (950 ml) chicken stock or broth, Note 1 Substitute veggie broth if you like
  • 2 carrots, peeled, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or more to taste)
  • 3 cups other vegetables, finely diced, Note 2
  • 2 tablespoon cornstarch (MIx with 2 tbsp water or broth to make a slurry)
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten I use a measuring cup with a spout for easy dribbling
  • 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped about 3 cups (90g)
  • 2 large green onions, finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon -1 tsp sesame oil
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp sriracha, 1/2 tsp rice vinegar

Instructions

  • BOIL BROTH WITH CARROTS: Bring broth to boil in a medium-large pot. Add carrots and ginger (and soy sauce if using). Lower heat to medium and simmer for about 2 minutes
  • ADD OTHER VEGETABLES: Cook for 2-3 minutes just until tender. 
  • THICKEN BROTH; Add cornstarch slurry to the simmering broth. Stir 30 seconds. Broth will thicken slightly. You can make broth thicker if you prefer by adding more slurry e.g. 3 tbsp cornstarch and 3 tbsp. water. 
  • ADD EGGS: Stir simmering broth in a circular motion and slowly pour in beaten eggs in a steady stream while continuing to stir. Eggs will become feathery. Turn off heat. Note 3
  • FINISH SOUP: Stir in chopped spinach to wilt (1 minute). Add chopped green onions. Add sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste (and sriracha and rice vinegar if using). Serve immediately. 

Recipe Notes

  1. Which broth to use: Try to get the best/richest broth you can for a flavorful soup. Or use homemade broth or stock. Obviously vegetarians will use vegetable broth. I often use undiluted chicken broth (such as Campbell’s Broth in the can) so that I can control the amount of water added and not dilute it too much. Several box brands work well though as the vegetables, ginger, soy etc add extra flavor. 
  2. Vegetables: good options are asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, corn, napa cabbage. Tip: Finely dicing the vegetables means very little cooking time is needed to make them tender but not mushy. So don’t over boil the vegetables.
  3. Making fluffy, feathery egg strands: It’s very easy as per the instructions, but if you want a visual, here’s a video on adding eggs to the broth
  4. Variations to try: 
    • Add chopped leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken. Or cubes of silken tofu
    • To get a deeper yellow color, you can add a pinch of turmeric, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.
    • For those who need hot sauce on everything, go for it.
  5. Make ahead: This soup can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days and rewarmed in the microwave or on the stove. The spinach will not maintain its vibrant green color but the taste won’t be affected. One option is to omit the spinach until you’re ready to serve the soup.
 
Nutrition values are estimates and depend on add-ins, vegetables used, etc.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 799mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 13612IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!

Egg drop soups with vegetables, originally published in Mar 2019, has been updated with new information. 

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10 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Very soothing when you have a sore throat. Added mushrooms and arugula as well as tofu to mine today. Will make again, perhaps with bone broth?

  2. 5 stars
    Great soup. Hubby enjoyed it. This recipe certainly a repeat in our kitchen.

    I added some fish cakes and mung bean noodles.

    1. Thanks for letting our readers know, Chevelle, especially if they want to make a more traditional version of egg drop soup. Ours is more of a customized version you could say – using the veggies you like or have around.