Egg Drop Soup

Michael Eisenwasser

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Silky egg ribbons in a ginger-scented broth, with gluten-free tamari and scallion greens in place of onion.

Prep 5 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 6 cups (1.4 L) low-FODMAP chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated (about a 1-inch knob)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for color)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/3 cup scallion greens (~30 g), thinly sliced, plus more to finish
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

Warm the Broth

1. Pour the chicken broth into a medium pot. Add the grated ginger, tamari, white pepper, and turmeric if using. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
2. Taste. Add salt only if the broth needs it — tamari is already salty.

Mix the Slurry

1. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until smooth. No lumps.
2. Stir the slurry into the simmering broth in a thin stream. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the broth thickens to a light, glossy body. It should coat the back of a spoon.

Drop the Eggs

1. Beat the eggs in a measuring cup with a spout or a small pitcher. A spout gives you control over the ribbons.
2. Lower the heat so the broth is barely simmering — a rolling boil scrambles the eggs into chunks.
3. Stir the broth in a slow circle with one hand. With the other, pour the beaten eggs in a thin steady stream across the surface. Stop stirring once the eggs are in.
4. Wait 30 seconds. The eggs will set into silky ribbons.

Finish

1. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and most of the scallion greens. Reserve a pinch for garnish.
2. Ladle into bowls. Top with the remaining scallion greens and a few extra grinds of white pepper.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use homemade broth. Most supermarket chicken broths (Swanson, Pacific, Kitchen Basics, Better Than Bouillon) list onion powder, garlic powder, or both in the first few ingredients. Homemade low-FODMAP chicken broth is the cleanest base. Fody Low-FODMAP Chicken Soup Base and Gourmend Organic Chicken Broth are Monash-certified shortcuts if you're out.
• Tamari for gluten-free. Regular soy sauce contains wheat, so tamari (San-J is widely available) is the go-to if you're keeping this gluten-free. Both are low-FODMAP at 1 to 2 teaspoons per serve. Coconut aminos also work but skew sweeter.
• Scallion greens only. The white bulb holds the fructans. The dark green tops are low-FODMAP in typical soup portions and give you the allium aroma without the onion load.
• Pour the eggs slow. A thin, steady stream across the surface of a barely-simmering broth is what creates ribbons. A fast pour into a rolling boil gives you scrambled clumps. Take the pot off the burner for a second if it's bubbling too hard.
• Cornstarch is the thickener. Arrowroot and tapioca starch work 1:1 as swaps and both stay low-FODMAP. Flour-based thickeners (roux, beurre manié) pull in wheat fructans.
• Add protein if you want a main. Stir in 1 cup diced firm tofu, shredded poached chicken, or baby shrimp with the sesame oil at the end. All three are low-FODMAP at these serve sizes.

Why This Works

The store-bought broth trap, again. Egg drop soup is 80% broth, so the base decides whether the bowl is low-FODMAP or not. Almost every supermarket chicken broth leads with onion powder or garlic powder. A cup of it puts a sensitive reader over the fructan line before the eggs go in. Homemade broth is the only way to know for sure.

Tamari keeps it gluten-free. Restaurant egg drop soup is seasoned with regular soy sauce, which is brewed with wheat. Gluten-free tamari delivers the same salty, umami hit without the gluten. One to two teaspoons across the pot is all the salt the broth needs — both tamari and regular soy are low-FODMAP at small serves, so the swap is about gluten, not FODMAP load.

Ginger and white pepper do the aromatic work. Without onion and garlic, the flavor has to come from somewhere. Fresh ginger and white pepper are both unrestricted on the low-FODMAP diet and give the broth the warm, savory backbone that makes egg drop soup taste like egg drop soup.

Cornstarch gives you that silky body. The light thickening isn't optional — it's what suspends the egg ribbons and keeps them from sinking. Two tablespoons of cornstarch across 6 cups of broth is the right ratio for a glossy, spoon-coating consistency that's still soup, not sauce.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container at 40°F (4°C) or below for 2 to 3 days. Egg drop soup doesn't freeze well — the eggs turn rubbery and the cornstarch slurry breaks on the thaw. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring once or twice. Don't boil; the ribbons will toughen.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.