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30 Minute Chinese Egg Drop Chicken and Rice Soup with Garlicky Chile OIl. For nights when youโre craving Chinese, but donโt want to leave the comfort of your kitchen. Classic egg drop soup made with a touch of soy sauce, tangy rice vinegar, creamy eggs, winter greens, and steamed rice. Top each warming healthy bowl of soup with garlicky chili oil spooned over top. This quick, simple, and healthy rice-filled Chinese soup can be made and ready in just twenty minutes, perfect for any night of the week.

I have this bizarre memory of eating Chinese food with my brothers on Christmas Eve when I was a kid. To set the scene, my mom was running around the house getting ready for her annual Christmas Eve party (so it was chaos). My brothers and I were watching The Santa Clause (still one of my favorite movies) while eating chicken fried riceโฆand basically ignoring everything my mom asked us to do. And yes, I too have no idea where my brothers scored Chinese food on Christmas Eve.
For whatever reason, I recall this memory every single December. It seems to have been ingrained in me. Because like clockwork, December rolls around and I always want to make Chinese food. I know, so weird and very random.
But Iโm not apologizing for making Chinese inspired food. Last year I made chicken potstickers. This year itโs classic Chinese style egg drop soupโฆwith a few twists, of course. Because you all know me, I canโt follow a recipe if my life depended on it.

Here is how you make Chinese egg drop soup.
If youโre not familiar with egg drop soup, itโs a classic Chinese soup made with seasoned broth and soft โegg noodlesโ throughout. The โegg noodlesโ are quickly made by whisking raw eggs into the simmering chicken broth. Itโs incredibly simple, but also incredibly delicious. And so cozy too!
I added a few additions to make my soup a little unique, while still keeping the cooking process very easy.
This soup is made in one pot, requires mostly pantry staple ingredients, and comes together in just about thirty minutes. Start out by cooking up a good amount of ginger, then adding in broth, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Then add the chicken for a nice dose of protein. Of course, if youโre vegetarian you can omit the chicken and simply use vegetable broth.
Simmer everything together until the chicken is cooked through. While thatโs happening, whisk up a few eggs, then slowly pour the eggs into the simmering broth. The eggs will cook and create pretty looking โegg noodlesโ throughout the soup.

Make extra garlicky chile oilโฆ
Yes, you should do this. I know they sell chili oil in the store, but this homemade chili oil is better. Itโs full of peanut oil, garlic, chili flakes (use Sichuan or Korean chili flakes if you can find), and a little salt.
Itโs without a doubt my favorite sauce to spoon over dishes for additional flavor. I almost always have a jar full in my pantry. Make the chili oil while the chicken is simmering. Trust me your bowl of soup NEEDS some chili oil.
Tip: double the oil recipe and keep some on hand to use throughout the week. The oil is delicious when spooned over basically anything savory.

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Finish things up.
The most important ingredient? Rice. Yes, your bowl of egg drop soup needs rice. Itโs not traditional by any means, but it sure is good.
I like to spoon steamed rice into bowls, then ladle the soup over top. This way the rice wonโt soak up all the soup broth in the larger pot. Top each bowl off with green onions and a few spoonfuls of that garlicky chili oil.

This soup isโฆ
โฆso incredibly easy to make
โฆa little creamy, but also brothy too.
โฆsalty, but full of ginger and garlic to balance it all out.
โฆhealthy, with plenty of greens and lean chicken.
โฆthe best thing you can make on a busy Wednesday night in December.

If you make this 30 minute Chinese egg drop chicken and rice soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Chinese Egg Drop Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 to 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 2 green onions chopped, plus, more for serving
Garlicky Oil
- 1/3 cup peanut oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or smashed
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ginger and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Add the chicken. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken with 2 forks. 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1โ4 cup cold water until smooth.3. Bring the soup to a boil and slowly add the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and carefully add the eggs, stirring to break them apart as they cook in the liquid. Stir in the spinach. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the green onions. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.4. Divide the rice among four bowls and pour the soup over the top. Garnish with green onions and chili oil.
Garlicky Chile Oil
- 1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peanut oil, garlic, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and very carefully transfer the oil to a heat proof bowl or glass jar.ย ย
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.


























super tasty. used chicken thighs instead of breasts
Hey Erin,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well for you!
Yum! Better than any restaurant egg drop soup I have had. Thanks!
Wow thank you so so much! Love to hear you enjoyed this egg drop soup! Have a great day! xT
This soup was delicious and relatively inexpensive during this time of high grocery prices. Love that! Everyone, including 3 picky eaters, absolutely loved it. I did find it a tad salty (and I love salt) but nobody complained, just high praise all around. Love that too.
I increased the recipe to feed six people so with that it called for 9 cups of broth. I used 9 cups of water and the recommended amount of Better than Bouillon for 2 quarts/8 cups of water, so I honestly thought I may need to add salt at the end but that was definitely not the case. Don’t know why it was salty, as I did use low-sodium soy… ahh, but maybe it was the few shakes of fish sauce that I added. In the future, I’ll cut down on the bouillon and keep the fish sauce because it’s delicious. ๐
Scrolled the comments wondering how other people might add more vegetables, decided against mushrooms and carrots due to picky people… Discussed upping the veg with the family over dinner, and decided that veggie eggrolls from our favorite take-out place would be fabulous, especially dipped in this delicious soup!
I love soups but there aren’t many that my whole family enjoys. Thanks for this one HBH! It’s definitely going in the rotation.
Hey Melissa,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing your handy notes and adjustments! xx
This was absolutely delicious and SIMPLE. Without a doubt this is becoming a staple in our cold weather recipe rotation! This soup is bursting with flavor and nutrition. I think next time Iโll sneak more veggies like green beans in ๐ Highly recommend to wait until the very last minute to add spinach. Mine became a bit slimey after awhile so I skimmed the rest off the top before storing the leftovers. Thank you for another stunning recipe Tieghan!
Hey Ariana,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xT
This was honestly such an amazing soup! So full of flavor with just the right amount of spice. The crispy garlic was such a nice addition. I cooked it with rice noodles instead and turned into a delicious noodle soup! Thank you for this recipe. Iโve sent it to everyone I know who will enjoy this easy and delicious soup!
Hey Rochelle,
Love it!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Happy Monday!๐