Egg Drop Soup
from any broth and one egg

This is the recipe you make when there's almost nothing left. One egg, some broth — leftover from a carton, from boiling vegetables, or just plain water with a few things added — and five minutes on the stove. It is genuinely good every single time.

Egg drop soup has a reputation for being a restaurant dish, something that requires skill or special stock. It doesn't. What it requires is understanding two things: what creates the silky broth and what creates the ribbons of egg. Once you know those two things, you can make this from whatever is in your kitchen.

The silky broth comes from a small amount of cornstarch dissolved in cold water. When you stir this into simmering liquid, it thickens just slightly — not like gravy, more like a very light coating. This gives the broth enough body to catch the egg and hold it suspended in threads rather than letting it cook into rubbery bits at the bottom of the pot. That's the whole technique. One teaspoon of cornstarch is all it takes.

What you need

• 2 cups any broth — chicken, vegetable, dashi, or the water left from cooking vegetables with a bouillon cube
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water (the slurry)
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• A pinch of white or black pepper
• Optional additions: ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger, 1 scallion thinly sliced, a few drops of rice vinegar, a small handful of frozen peas or corn stirred in with the slurry

How to make it

Step 1: Season the broth. Pour the broth into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Add the soy sauce and pepper. If you have fresh ginger, add it now — just grate a little directly into the pot. Bring it to a gentle simmer. Taste it. It should be lightly savory. If it tastes thin, add a little more soy sauce or a small pinch of salt. The broth is the base of everything here, and it needs to taste good on its own.

Step 2: Make the slurry and thicken the broth. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and the cold water until the cornstarch has fully dissolved. Cold water is important — hot water will start cooking the starch before it's even in the pot. Pour the slurry into the simmering broth while stirring constantly. You'll see the broth shift from clear to slightly opaque and glossy within about thirty seconds. This is what you want.

Step 3: Beat the egg. Crack the egg into a small bowl or cup and beat it lightly with a fork. You're not trying to make it uniform — a few streaks of white and yolk will actually give you better ribbons. Some people add a pinch of salt to the egg at this point; others don't. Either way is fine.

Step 4: Create the ribbons. This is the step most people overcomplicate. Use a fork, chopstick, or the handle of a spoon to stir the thickened broth in a slow, steady circle. While the broth is still moving, hold the bowl of beaten egg high above the pot and pour it in a very thin stream — the thinner the stream, the more delicate the ribbons. If the stream is too thick, you'll get clumps. If the broth is moving when the egg hits it, the egg spreads and cooks into strands.

Step 5: Let it set. As soon as the egg is in the pot, stop stirring. Let it sit undisturbed for about twenty seconds. The egg ribbons need to cook without being broken up. You'll see them turn from translucent to pale and set. That's when it's done.

Step 6: Finish and serve. Remove the pot from heat. Drizzle in the sesame oil. Add a few drops of rice vinegar if you want a faint brightness in the background. Ladle into a bowl and top with sliced scallion. Eat while it's hot.

The broth question

The recipe works with whatever broth you have. Chicken broth gives a rich, familiar result. Vegetable broth is lighter and lets the egg flavor come through more. Dashi — if you have a packet of instant dashi or some dried kombu — makes an incredibly delicate version. Even just water with a bouillon cube and a teaspoon of soy sauce will work. The cornstarch and egg provide enough structure that the broth doesn't need to be exceptional. It just needs to be seasoned.

When you have a little more

This soup is good bare, but it takes additions well. A small handful of frozen corn or peas stirred in with the cornstarch slurry adds sweetness and texture. A few drops of chili oil on top adds heat. A small cube of silken tofu, cut into rough pieces and dropped into the broth before the egg, makes it more filling. Leftover cooked rice ladled underneath turns it into a meal. These are not requirements — they're options for when your kitchen happens to have them.

The one rule

Do not skip the cornstarch. Everything else in this recipe is negotiable. The cornstarch is not. Without it, the egg sinks and scrambles at the bottom of the pot, and you end up with something closer to broth with egg bits in it. The slurry is what creates the silkiness. It takes ten seconds to make and makes the entire difference in the result.

See also: Miso-butter rice with fridge scraps · Shakshuka for one · Kitchen journal