The Chopstick Tip That Will Seriously Upgrade Egg Drop Soup

Egg drop soup, or egg flower soup, is the ultimate Chinese comfort food. The main components of this savory, protein-rich soup are chicken or vegetable broth and eggs, although other ingredients can be added for extra flavor and variety. The key to creating velvety egg ribbons in your soup is to use chopsticks as you pour the egg into the broth. The chopsticks will help you create the perfect egg drizzle, forming thin strands resembling soft flower petals (hence the name "egg flower"). While you can use a measuring cup to pour the uncooked egg into the soup, it can be tricky to pour slowly enough to create the thin stream necessary for this tasty soup. 

The technique is simple, but it might take a bit of practice to figure out how to hold the chopsticks as you pour. After whisking your eggs together in a small bowl until the whites and yolks are fully blended, hold the chopsticks over the bowl as you slowly pour the eggs into the broth. It's as if you're straining the egg through the chopsticks as you pour: The egg drizzles down the chopsticks, forming a thin stream that results in perfect egg ribbons for your soup. This technique can also be done with a fork: Hold the fork over the bowl as you slowly drizzle the egg through the tines. After drizzling the egg, stir slowly with your chopsticks or fork to gently break up any large pieces.

Egg drop soup requires minimal ingredients and can be made in 15 minutes or less; once you nail the technique for drizzling in the egg, you'll be whipping it up for a quick and tasty appetizer in no time. Like the chopstick tip, there are a few additional helpful tips you'll want to follow to ensure a smooth process when making your soup. 

No egg drop soup recipe is complete without the addition of a cornstarch slurry: A fancy cooking term for a mixture of cornstarch and water (you can use broth instead of water). This is used to thicken the broth or stock for your soup. By thickening it, you'll not only improve the consistency — making it more velvety — but also help the eggs evenly disperse throughout the soup instead of just sitting on top of the broth. Additionally, you can whisk cornstarch into your eggs before you add them to the pot to make them extra silky and soft. 

Another simple tip for getting perfect egg ribbons is to stir slowly after adding the egg to your broth — chopsticks (or a fork) also come in handy for this since they allow you to gently stir the egg ribbons without chopping them into bits. Whatever you do, avoid vigorously whisking the soup after adding your egg since this will create small pieces instead of the long strands you're aiming for. 

If you find your eggs scrambling or curdling after adding them to the soup, there's a good chance you added them when the soup was boiling or too hot. Luckily, this is an easy mistake to avoid: Remember to turn the heat low when pouring in the egg and take the pot off the heat immediately after adding the egg. This way, you'll be left with silky smooth egg strands instead of chunks of scrambled eggs in your soup. 

Now that you know how to add the egg to your soup, you can focus on adding other ingredients to make it your own. Keep it simple with some scallions and chicken or vegetable broth, or step it up a notch by adding extra veggies like shitake mushrooms or additional protein like tofu. Amp up the flavor of your broth with some sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, or ginger. 

For a different flavor altogether, try making a tomato egg drop soup. Of course, you might wonder how tomato egg drop soup differs from the classic version. The answer is that tomatoes are used in the broth to give you more of a tangy flavor. Other than that, the seasonings and ingredients are similar to regular egg drop soup. Simply sautée the tomatoes before adding the broth and follow the other useful tips for creating a delicious and comforting egg drop soup.