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Chicken Egg Drop Noodle Soup

Chicken Egg Drop Noodle Soup reads salinity 4.9, umami 4.4 and allium 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 25 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.3 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Salinity 4.9 · Umami 4.4 · Allium 4.4 · Richness 4.2 · Nutty 3.9 · Sourness 3.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Floral 1.3 · Sweetness 1.3 · Earthy 0.7 · Heat 0.7 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (13)

• low-salt chicken broth — 1420 g
• boneless chicken — 454 g
• soy sauce — 15 g
• cornstarch — 44 g
• dried chinese plain noodles — 170 g
• dark sesame oil — 14 g
• ginger — 15 g
• garlic — 9 g
• eggs — 300 g
• scallions — 300 g
• salt — 5 g
• white pepper — 3 g
• rice wine vinegar — 11 g

Time & effort: about 25 min (15 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 83.1 kcal, 7.6 g protein, 2.4 g fat, 7.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken breast with the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch in a medium bowl until every piece is coated; let it sit at room temperature to absorb the marinade, about 10 minutes — this velveting step is what keeps the chicken silky instead of stringy in the hot broth.
2. Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain and divide among four serving bowls.
3. In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and saute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and add the salt and white pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the broth is at a bare simmer, then add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Poach until the chicken is opaque throughout and reaches 165°F, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring once or twice to separate the pieces.
6. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth, then stir this slurry into the simmering broth. Cook, stirring, until the broth thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
7. Reduce the heat to low so the broth barely ripples. Pour the beaten eggs in a slow, thin stream around the pot while gently stirring the broth in one direction with a fork; the egg will set into fine ribbons within seconds — do not stir vigorously or you'll get small curds instead of ribbons.
8. Off the heat, stir in the rice vinegar and half of the scallions. Taste and add more salt if needed.
9. Ladle the soup and chicken over the noodles in each bowl and scatter the remaining scallions on top. Serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Spicy Wonton Noodle Bowl — Chinese-American
• Crispy Sesame Tofu — Chinese-American
• Ground Turkey Teriyaki Bowl — Japanese
• Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs — Japanese
• Sesame Chicken — Chinese-American

Keep reading: what salinity, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.