This hot and sour egg drop soup combines two classic Chinese soups into one delicious and hearty bowl. No need to choose between your favorites any more!
I’m already a soup fanatic in the winter. Soup and tea actually.
I basically just live off hot liquids from the months of January through March when New York weather is at its absolute worst.
This winter though, this one takes the freakin’ cake.
When it’s warmer in Alaska (by like 20 degrees too!) than it is in NY, you know it’s bad.
*This post is sponsored by Zoup! Broth. All content and opinions are 100% my own.
Our wood stove is plowing through wood like it’s a locomotive, our poor new pup is absolutely stir crazy with energy unable to go outside for more than 5 minutes without her paws freezing and I’m just over here slurping down bowl after bowl of soup like this hot and sour egg drop soup.
When it comes to Asian themed soups, there aren’t many (save miso – YUCK!) I don’t like.
From pho to Tom Kha Gai to ramen to egg drop, wonton and everything in between, I’ll eat them all.
Especially this red curry noodle soup. Yum!
The takeout selection in our area, however, is pretty limited.
It’s basically just fast food Chinese restaurants and your typical egg drop, wonton and hot and sour selection, all soups I love…when done right.
But sometimes “done right” isn’t exactly easy to find in your sketchy little strip mall Chinese food joint.
Know what I mean?
This hot and sour egg drop soup came to be for two reasons:
1- I know I can “do it right” (aka: no clumpy or disgustingly thick gloopy cornstarch egg drop soup).
2- Why choose one of those soups when you can get the best of both worlds and combine the two?!
Good soup starts with good broth.
Without that depth of flavor as the building block of the soup, you might as well not even bother.
It’s what makes a good soup good and a bad soup bad.
I love a good flavorful broth (that’s actually my issue with miso, it tastes like dirty water) and knew Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Bone Broth would make the perfect starting point for this hot and sour egg drop soup.
Zoup! actually started out as a fast-casual restaurant but now sells its broth to supermarkets as well.
All their broths (they make chicken, veggie and beef too) are cooked in kettles in small batches.
They’re low in calories, zero carb/paleo-friendly, gluten-free, totally free of hormones and all fats.
If you prefer making your own broth, definitely check out this recipe for cooking a stewing hen. It results in some of the most flavorful homemade chicken broth I’ve tasted.
This broth is so flavorful you could literally drink it straight up (hey, lots of people do that with bone broth too so go for it if you want!) out of the jar.
But I went a step further with this recipe and used some dried mushrooms that simmer in it for a few minutes to bring an even more flavorful and earthy depth to this soup.
Dried mushrooms are one of those things that you’ll see in the store, wonder if they’re really worth their price tag when you can buy fresh for so much cheaper and hesitate to buy.
Don’t.
A little goes a long way with them and the addition of just a few to this broth (or any recipe for that matter) brings a whole new layer of flavor you just can’t get with fresh mushrooms.
Besides the mushrooms, there’s thinly sliced pork, tofu, those beautiful egg ribbons you love in egg drop soup and that spicy tanginess that defines hot and sour soup.
A soft boiled egg (these Korean marinated eggs are perfect for this recipe), a drizzle of sesame oil and some shaved green onions (read how to cut green onions for details on those) finish the bowl off in both taste and presentation in a way you could never get from takeout.
If you love noodle soups, go ahead and add your favorite to this bowl to make it even more filling and satisfying. Personally, I’m a sucker for udon noodles.
Next time takeout tempts, don’t be forced to choose your favorite, make this hot and sour egg drop soup at home instead.
Need a chicken version? Try this chicken hot and sour soup recipe instead.
You can even make some boneless spare ribs or general tso shrimp to go with it and have a takeout-worthy feast on your couch.
If you need more Chinese takeout inspiration to make at home, I highly recommend trying my sweet and sour tofu recipe or Kung Pao chickpeas too!
Love this hot and sour egg drop soup recipe?
More cozy winter soup recipes – Italian tomato pasta soup, spicy chicken lime soup (<– a fave when I’m sick) and Irish stout onion soup (St. Paddy’s is right around the corner!)
Hot and Sour Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 scallions, chopped, white and light green part only
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 small dried red chili peppers, chopped (depending on your heat preference)
- 6 ounces chicken broth or bone broth
- 1/2 cup dried mushrooms, I used a mix of shiitake and black mushrooms
- 4 ounces pork loin, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces fresh shiitake and/or oyster mushrooms, sliced
- 4 ounces canned bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces tofu, drained and cubed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, *see note
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Place the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add scallions and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add the garlic and dried chili peppers and cook another minute.
- Add the chicken bone broth and dried mushrooms to the pot. Bring to a simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes until mushrooms have softened.
- Add the fresh sliced mushrooms and pork, cook 2-3 minutes, stirring so the pork slices don’t stick together.
- Add bamboo shoots, tofu and soy sauce, stir to combine and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rice vinegar, taste for seasoning adding more soy sauce (for salt) or vinegar (for sour) if needed.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. With the soup mixture at a low simmer, gently stir the soup in a circular motion while pouring the cornstarch into the pot. This will prevent it from clumping. Soup should thicken slightly in the next 30 seconds or so.
- Using the same circular motion, slowly add the beaten eggs to the pot so that “ribbons” form. Once eggs are added, remove from heat.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with sliced green onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds and/or a soft boiled egg. You could even serve this with ramen if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
My kinda soup!! Love the photos too!
I am in total soup mode these days, this looks amazing!
Just reading your description of this soup is making me hungry. I can almost taste it through the screen! I will look for this jarred broth.
This looks so delicious!
Oh gosh, I am such a fan of egg drop soup…and I’ve never seen the two combined! I’d love to try the chicken bone broth, myself :)
Such a gorgeous presentation and my hubby would love this soup so much!
I love egg drop soup and this looks way better than take-out! I love that bone broth and need to try it!
This looks so comforting!
What a great idea to combine two favorites!
I’d love to cozy up to a bowl of this Gina! It looks awesome. I’ll need to check out that bone broth too. Thanks for sharing!