By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 4, 2026
Serves 4
169 cal · 45 min
Chinese Egg Drop Soup
Recipe GLPR9e130d5995ee9f
A classic Chinese soup with a delicate, savory broth enriched with silky egg ribbons. Tender shiitake mushrooms and warming ginger create depth of flavor, while fresh green onions and white pepper add brightness and heat. This comforting appetizer comes together quickly and is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
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Ingredients
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
6 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 large egg
1 handful thinly sliced green onion
Directions
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and set aside. In another small bowl, whisk the egg lightly with a fork and set aside.
Pour the stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, rice wine, and grated ginger. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Stir in the salt and white pepper to taste. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir to recombine, then slowly pour it into the simmering soup while stirring continuously. Continue stirring until the broth thickens slightly—it should coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. With the soup still simmering gently, slowly pour the whisked egg into the broth in a thin, steady stream while stirring gently with a ladle. The egg will cook immediately upon contact with the hot broth, forming delicate ribbons. Do not stir vigorously; gentle, consistent stirring creates silky strands.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish generously with the sliced green onions. Serve immediately while hot.
Comments
Egg drop soup hits a sweet spot for a Charlotte weeknight: all core ingredients (stock, eggs, cornstarch, salt, pepper) are in every grocery chain, and shiitake mushrooms and fresh ginger are reliably stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Kroger. Rice wine is the one bump—most readers will find it at Harris Teeter's Asian aisle or Kroger, but not reliably at ALDI or Food Lion, so you might spend an extra stop unless you keep it on hand. The actual prep time is closer to 20 minutes: chopping mushrooms and ginger, bringing stock to boil, stirring in cornstarch slurry, tempering and whisking eggs—there's no hidden roasting or reduction. At roughly 60 cents per serving, it's genuinely cheap, driven by stock and eggs being your primary costs. Leftovers keep well in the fridge and reheat nicely without the eggs toughening if you're gentle with heat. This is a no-fuss dish that tolerates occasional interruptions, makes enough for family or lunch boxes, and tastes intentional without fussiness.
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