Silky Egg Drop Soup with Scallions
Chicken stock thickened just enough to hold beaten egg in ribbons — ten minutes from cold stove to bowl.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Written
Method
-
Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water until smooth to make a slurry.
-
Bring the chicken stock, ginger, and soy sauce to a simmer in a saucepan.
-
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the broth thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
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Lower the heat until the broth barely moves, then drizzle in the beaten eggs in a thin, steady stream while stirring gently in one direction with a fork.
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Let the egg sit undisturbed for about 10 seconds so it sets into ribbons, then stir once more to separate them.
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Stir in the white pepper and sesame oil, then season with salt.
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Ladle into bowls and top with scallions.
Notes
The two things that turn this into clumps instead of ribbons: a broth that’s boiling too hard when the egg goes in, and stirring while you pour. Get the surface down to a bare shiver first, pour the egg in a thin stream from a height, and leave it alone until it sets before you touch it again.
Stir shredded rotisserie chicken and a handful of corn kernels into the finished broth for something closer to a meal than a starter, or swap in vegetable stock to make it meatless — the cornstarch does the same work either way.