Egg Drop Soup with Tofu

Name: Chinese Egg Drop Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 egg whites or whole egg; 1 can unsalted chicken broth (14 ounces); 1 ½ cups water; ½ block soft tofu (cut in small cubes); ½ teaspoon salt (add 1/2 tsp more if needed); 5-6 shrimp (peeled and de-veined); 3-4 sticks imitation crab or real crab meat; ¼ teaspoon sesame oil; corn starch slurry (2 tbs corn starch + ¼ cup water); green onion; cilantro; white pepper powder (optional)

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This silky 20 minute Chinese egg drop soup with tofu is inspired by the egg drop soup served at my parent’s restaurant. Silken tofu is cooked in a sweet chicken broth flavored with shrimp and crab for a boost of umami, and a cornstarch slurry gives the soup a smooth texture. Cook this easy and delicious soup for dinner tonight!

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Why You’ll Love This Tofu Egg Drop Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Egg Drop Soup
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More delicious soup recipes for a cold day:
Chinese Egg Drop Soup

At our Chinese restaurant, we used to serve egg drop soup to every customer that ordered lunch. My parents’ inspiration for good egg drop soup was to add seafood for an extra ‘sweet’ taste. If you don’t have seafood, feel free to omit as this dish is very fragrant without it!

Do you love soups? Try my Authentic Hot and Sour Soup or Sizzling Rice Soup. They both make a flavorful soup to enjoy with meals.

Why You’ll Love This Tofu Egg Drop Soup Recipe

Great Flavor and Taste. This soup is full of umami flavor from the addition of crab and shrimp. Most egg drop soups you find at Chinese-American restaurants don’t have these ingredients due to the high price of seafood.’
Quick and Easy Soup. Using simple ingredients, minimal prep, and short cooking time you can have a hot bowl of egg drop tofu soup on the table in under 20 minutes!
Versatile Recipe. You can easily customize your egg tofu soup recipe to make it your own taste. Check the section substitutions and variations for a bit of inspiration.

Ingredients

The type of ingredients will affect the look of your Chinese egg drop soup. I made some notes if you were to make slight substitutions to the ingredients in the recipe.

Egg whites or whole egg: The one we make is paler in color (more white than yellow) because we used egg whites instead of a whole egg. It also has a lighter texture than when made with an egg yolk.
Chicken broth: Use unsalted if possible to give you more control over the saltiness of your tofu and egg soup.
Soft or silken tofu: These are the best type of tofu to use for soup, especially egg drop soup. Try getting the ‘extra soft tofu’ for a silky texture! Have leftover silken tofu, use it to make this Vegetarian Mapo Tofu!
Salt: Adjust the amount you add according to your taste and how salty your brand of chicken broth tastes! Remember every chicken broth has different sodium levels.
Shrimp: Cut them into smaller pieces — aim for how large the tofu size is!
Crab: You can use imitation crab or real crab meat, which will taste even better! Adding crab makes the soup taste slightly sweeter and gives it more umami.
Sesame oil: Adds nuttiness and fragrance to the soup. Try to only add the recommended usage or less than a teaspoon. This ingredient can taste very strong in the soup and overpower the taste of the seafood if too much is added.
Corn starch slurry: Made by mixing cornstarch with water. It’s what will give your soup the ultra creamy texture you want in your tofu egg drop soup.
Garnish: Sprinkle the top with green onions, cilantro, and white pepper.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions and Variations

Vegetarian egg drop soup: Replace the chicken broth with your favorite brand of vegetable broth and leave out the shrimp and crab to make it vegetarian.
Add some vegetables: If you want to add some vegetables like mushrooms, peas, or baby corn can be added for nutrition and flavor.
Leave out the tofu: The tofu adds some texture and protein to the soup but if you prefer to leave it out you can increase the amount of shrimp and crab.
Leave out the crab and shrimp: If you aren’t a fan of seafood you can certainly leave these out of the soup.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

How to Make Egg Drop Soup

Raw Tofu, Shrimp and Crab in a plate ready to cook

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients. Cut the tofu into small cubes and chop the shrimp and imitation crab into pieces. Try to aim for similar sized pieces of each item to make the soup more balanced.

Preparing a mixture of corn starch and water

Step 2. Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing two tablespoons of corn starch with a quarter cup of water.

Step 3. Separate your egg whites from your egg yolks and then whisk the egg whites a few times.

Adding Crab and Scrip in Chicken broth with tofu soup

Step 4. Heat the chicken broth and water in a pot over medium heat. When the water reaches a boil, add the tofu and salt. Then add the shrimp and and imitation crab.

PRO TIP: The easiest way to separate the egg whites is to gently crack the egg on a flat surface, like the countertop, to avoid getting shell fragments into the egg. Open it into two equal halves and transfer the yolk back and forth between the eggshell halves, allowing the egg whites to fall into a bowl below. Repeat until all the egg white is in the bowl.

Slowly Adding the mixture of corn starch and water in the soup

Step 5. Slowly pour your cornstarch slurry into the soup while mixing with the spoon. Boil for a minute and you will see that the soup has thickened.

Step 6. Pour your slightly beaten eggs in the soup while mixing with the spoon. Boil for one more minute and add the sesame oil.

PRO TIP: Be sure to stir as your adding the egg. This prevents the egg from clumping together and contributes to the final silky and creamy texture of your tofu egg drop soup.

Expert Tips

Here’s a recap of the most important tips when making egg drop soup with tofu.

Cutting Your Ingredients. For the best texture, try to cut the tofu, shrimp, and crab into similar sizes.
Don’t Forget to Stir. As you’re adding the egg whites, it’s important to stir continuously to avoid clumping and achieve the right consistency for the soup.
Choose the Right Tofu. Silken or very soft tofu is the best option for a silky egg drop soup with tofu.
Adjust the Salt to Your Tastes. You may need more or less depending on the sodium level of your chicken broth. Add ½ teaspoon salt to 1 teaspoon more if needed to the soup.
Use Egg Whites. The egg white makes the dish tastes lighter with a smoother texture. If you use the egg yolk, the dish will have a slightly heavier taste and the dish will be a darker yellow color.

Recipe FAQs

How can I store leftovers?

Store leftover egg tofu soup in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat it in a saucepan on the stove over low heat until heated through. If the soup seems to thick you can add additional broth to thin it out.

How can I serve this soup?

Egg drop soup with tofu makes a great starter for your meal. Enjoy it with just about any main course including, sweet and sour pork ribs or Chinese Stuffed Tofu with Shrimp with rice and your choice of vegetable sides such as Chinese eggplant with Garlic or Chinese Green Beans.