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This Easy Vegetable Egg Drop Soup takes a simple classic to hearty new level. We amp up classic egg drop soup with lots of sweet corn, hearty spinach, and orzo noodles to transform this side soup into a dinner-worthy meal.
Vegetable Egg Drop Soup
Sometimes I’ll order Chinese takeout purely for the chance to inhale a bowl of egg drop soup. I love it. I love the salty, ever-so-delicate broth I can slurp up in just a handful of spoonfuls. Love the silky ribbons of cooked scrambled egg floating throughout the broth. And I love the way it fills me up before the main meal so I don’t overindulge in Crispy Honey Beef or General Tso’s Chicken.
The only thing I don’t love about it? The scant amount of veggies typically included. Many versions don’t even include veggies, but the ones that do seem to only include a few peas and carrots haphazardly thrown in at the last minute.
That changes now. Our version of vegetable egg drop soup is filled with the usual suspects – a salty broth and plenty of scrambled eggs – but we’ve also included a good amount of sweet corn, lots of hearty spinach, and a handful of orzo.
It’s egg drop soup meets Asian vegetable soup and I’m just as in love.
Ingredients in Vegetable Egg Drop Soup
Chicken broth. You’ll need low-sodium broth so you can control the amount that goes into the dish.
Tamari. We use tamari all the time around here, it’s basically a less salty, more savory version of soy sauce. You can easily swap out regular soy sauce.
Sesame oil. Sesame oil isn’t traditional in egg drop soup, but I love the subtle nuttiness it adds in our version.
Cornstarch. Cornstarch is used in two different ways, first to thicken up the broth. Second, to make the eggs a little bit more gelatin like in texture.
Egg. I’ve tried this soup with two and three eggs, and I prefer only two. If you want a more egg-heavy soup, then add three.
Orzo. I love the heft a little bit of pasta adds to the soup. You can definitely leave it out or swap it out with your favorite small-sized pasta.
Corn and spinach. These were simply my preferred vegetables of choice, but frozen diced carrot and peas would also be a nice addition.
Let’s make Vegetable Egg Drop Soup!
Make the broth. Add the chicken broth, tamari, and salt to a large pot. Whisk two tablespoons of chicken stock with a little bit of cornstarch. Slowly whisk in the broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until thickened, about three minutes. Whisk in sesame oil.
Whisk the eggs. Add the eggs and a little bit of cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined.
Add the eggs and other ingredients. Slowly pour the eggs in the broth while stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Stir in the orzo. Simmer until the orzo is aldente and then add spinach, corn, and green onion. Stir until spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Can I make this in advance?
So you COULD, however, vegetable egg drop soup is best served right away. The pasta tends to get mushy and the eggs don’t ever reheat as well the next day.
Substitutions and Tips and Tricks
- Any type of small pasta noodle will work – ditalini, small shells, broken spaghetti, and pastina are all great substitutes.
- Don’t overcook the pasta! Be sure to add the pasta just before you want to serve otherwise, the orzo can easily get mushy and overtake the soup.
- Same goes for the spinach, add it just before serving.
- Like all of our recipes that include tamari, you can swap it out for soy sauce – lite or regular.
- Make sure when you mix the cornstarch with the chicken broth, it’s room temperature or cold. If you add hot broth to the cornstarch it will immediately seize up instead of slowly thicken.
Vegetable Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups + 2 tablespoons chicken stock
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp tamari
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2-3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 2 green onions, sliced
Equipment
- Large stockpot
Instructions
- Add chicken broth, salt, and tamari to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the sesame oil.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of reserved room temperature or cold chicken stock. Slowly whisk in cornstrach mixture to the broth. Continue to simmer.
- Whisk eggs and 1 teaspoon cornstarch together in a small bowl.
- While stirring the broth with chopsticks or a fork, slowly stir in the scrambled eggs.
- Add the orzo. Simmer until orzo is aldente. Stir in the corn, spinach, and green onion. Stir until spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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