Egg Soup is an all-time favorite in Chinese-American restaurants, but here I will share a super easy Korean-style egg soup recipe that you can make at home any time you crave it!
Better known as “Egg Drop Soup”, many people have requested this recipe because it is a common menu item in Chinese restaurants here in America. This recipe, however, is how Koreans do it. With simple pantry items you may already have, this is an easy dish you can make in just 5-10 minutes.
If you are feeling sick, cold, or in need of something to accompany your meal—this is the perfect soup. It’s one of the things I personally make that complements Jjajangbap well. And now that I am a father, this is also something that I often make for my kids! They enjoy this so much!
Main Ingredients for Gyeran Guk
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The Broth
One of the main parts of the soup is the broth. It is going to be the basis of what the soup will taste like and here I’ll share different routes you can take so you can make the best egg soup!
For Chinese style Egg Drop Soup, what’s commonly used is a good chicken broth. You can use homemade, canned, or even chicken bullion for a meaty soup taste.
For Korean style, or how I usually make it, you can use different soup bases:
- Dashi packets, you need be boil this for 10 minutes to make a broth
- A medium-sized piece of dashima, you need to soak this in water for 15 minutes to make a broth
- A combination of fish sauce and soy sauce, or a combination of shrimp paste and soy sauce
For the option of using a fish sauce or shrimp paste + soy sauce, the former will bring the seafood taste (not fishy, I promise!) and the latter will add color to the soup. I think fish sauce is the most common in people’s pantries and the most economical so I’m going to use this! Broke boyz!!!
With all these in mind, you can consider what is available to you or you can also experiment with what recipe you like best. Either way, this is going to be the life of your soup!
The Egg and Other Toppings
Since we are going to make egg soup, of course egg is necessary. Koreans love egg, so we often use this in recipes like omelets, steamed eggs, marinated eggs, fried rice, salad, etc.
Aside from that, adding more toppings will bring more texture and make the soup more filling. My choice would be scallions, soft tofu, and mushrooms, which will both add more aroma, texture, and umami to the soup respectively.
If you don’t like mushrooms, you can skip it and add corn, carrots, dried seaweeds, or ground pork which add additional sweetness, crunch, and nutrients to the soup.
The Slurry
In my opinion, this is optional, but if you want your soup to be thick, you can combine 1/2 tablespoon of potato starch and 1 tablespoon of water. Add this to the soup gradually while mixing. Add until your desired thickness is reached.
How to Make Egg Drop Soup
First, boil water and while waiting, prepare your ingredients by beating the eggs, chopping the scallions, and preparing your other desired ingredient add-ons.
Once the water is on a rolling boil, add the tofu. Make the broth by adding fish sauce, soy sauce, and pepper to the boiling water. Taste and adjust to your liking by gradually adding fish sauce or salt.
As it continues to boil, add the egg in a swirling motion, going in one direction so that it creates ribbons. At this point, do not mix the eggs and allow them to cook and come up on their own so it doesn’t break down into small pieces.
Add the scallions, give it one last boil and mix so that you both have ribbons and little lumps of eggs in the soup, and place in a bowl. To serve, add a splash of sesame oil so it doesn’t become oily in the pot. Enjoy with rice, meat, or stir-fries for a tasty, light, and comforting side.
For any leftovers, store them in a clean container and store up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Heat this up in the microwave or stove as needed.
Other soup recipes you might like:
- Ginseng Chicken Soup
- Birthday Seaweed Soup
- Kimchi Stew
- Easy Dumpling Soup
- Soybean Paste Soup
- Short Rib Soup
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Easy Egg Soup Recipe (Gyeran Guk)
Ingredients
- 2-3 pcs Eggs Beaten
- 300 grams Soft Tofu
- 1 stalk Scallions Sliced into 3-inch pieces
- 3 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil. Prepare your ingredients while waiting.
- Add soft tofu and bring the soup to a boil again.
- Make the broth by adding fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper to the boiling water. Taste and adjust according to your liking.
- Add the egg in slow swirling motion, going in one direction; Don’t mix it around, allow it to come up, and once you see the egg is cooked, mix it.
- Finish the soup with sesame oil. Serve and enjoy!
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