Wonton egg drop soup is the perfect dish for colder days. With soft and juicy wontons along with fluffy egg ribbons, simmered in a ginger- and scallion-infused chicken broth, this is the perfect soup for make-ahead meals.

Whether you use store-bought or homemade gluten-free wonton wrappers, let me show you my family secret to have a bowl of restaurant-worthy nourishing soup in no time.

Feature image shows silky soft wontons boiled and served in a bowl of egg drop soup with spinach and seaweed in the bowl.
Silky wontons, fluffy egg ribbons, flavorful chicken broth…tastes just like how it’s made in Asia!
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What is wonton egg drop soup made of

Egg wonton soup comprises two main components that come together in perfect harmony – the savory pork and shrimp wontons and the delicately flavored egg drop soup broth. With easy-to-find ingredients, here are what you need to make a bowl of authentic flavors that tastes just like how my grandma would make.

Ingredient photo shows what you need to make wonton and egg drop soup.

For the wontons (shrimp and pork wonton filling):

  • Shrimp: I use white shrimp at 26-30 counts per pound. They are peeled and deveined.
  • Fresh shiitake mushrooms: They add umami flavor to the wonton filling.
  • Green onions and shallots: A touch of aromatics to keep the filling flavorful and fresh.
  • Ground pork or chicken: Traditional wonton filling uses ground pork. If using chicken, I recommend a mix of breast and dark meat.
  • Egg white: Helps the filling remain moist and silky texture. You can also use olive oil.
  • Coarse sea salt, coconut aminos, or light soy sauce: Season the protein and add flavor.
  • Toasted sesame oil and ground white pepper: add a nutty toasty flavor and keep the filling fresh.
  • Tapioca starch: helps bind the ingredients and adds a bouncy texture to the filling.
  • Wonton wrappers: You can use store-bought or gluten-free wonton wrappers.

For the soup:

  • Chicken stock: Can use store-bought or homemade broth such as Chinese chicken soup or Instant Pot bone broth.
  • Scallions and ginger: They are added to the broth to add flavor and make the soup taste authentic.
  • Coarse sea salt: Season to taste because different chicken broth has different salty levels.
  • Shiitake mushroom seasoning: A good alternative to MSG. You can also use chicken bouillon.
  • Eggs: whisked them well but don’t over-whisk so the egg ribbons taste soft and smooth.
  • Seaweed snacks: Add a few pieces to the serving bowl. It’s a trick to instantly add flavor to the broth that tastes just like the restaurants.
  • Ground white pepper and toasted sesame oil: Add a small amount to the serving bowl to fragrant the broth.
  • Baby spinach: Add to the soup pot before turning off the heat. It adds extra nutrition and color.

Substitutions and variations

  • Dumpling and wonton flavors: You can use any wonton filling ideas you prefer for mixed wonton egg drop soup. Shrimp wontons or beef wonton are both excellent choices.
  • Folding the wontons: There are multiple ways to wrap the wontons. See our How to fold wontons article for more ideas.
  • Little spicy broth: Add a few teaspoons of garlic chili sauce or Taiwanese shacha sauce to the soup and serve on the side.
  • Different Vegetables: Bok choy, napa cabbage, yu choy are all great choices. Learn more from my articles on how to cut bok choy and how to cut napa cabbage for more info.
  • Other ingredients to add to the soup: fresh shiitake mushrooms, soft tofu, or egg tofu are popular choices among the locals.
  • Thickener: Traiditonally, the soup is served in clear broth. If you prefer a thicker texture, mix-in a small amount of tapioca or cornstarch slurry.

How to make egg drop soup with wontons

Making authentic egg drop wonton soup is easier than you think. Let me show you my secret “flavor-building” steps to make a bowl of delicious soup with soft juicy wontons and fluffy egg ribbons.

Person demos what is wonton egg drop soup with wonton fillings of shrimp and pork mix.
  1. Make the wonton filling: Pulse shrimp to a paste in a food processor. Finely chop mushrooms, scallions, and shallots. Combine all filling ingredients with shrimp and pork in a mixing bowl and stir continuously in one direction until a sticky, thick paste forms that holds its shape.
Person demos how to fold the wontons.
  1. Fold the wontons: Set up a workstation with a small bowl of water, filling, wrappers, and a baking sheet. Place 1 tsp filling in the center of a wrapper, dab edges with water then fold in half to make a triangle, pressing out air. Dab one corner with water, bring points together, and press to seal.
Person demos why boiling the wontons and making the egg drop soup separately in two pots to keep the soup broth clean.
  1. Boil the wontons: In a large pot, bring water to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Carefully add a few wontons at a time, providing space in between. Gently move them around to prevent sticking. Cook 3-5 minutes until they float. Transfer wontons with a slotted spoon to a plate, drizzle oil to prevent sticking.
Person demos how to make egg drops in broth and what seasonings to add to the serving bowl to make a bowl of authentic wonton egg soup.
  1. Make the egg drop soup: Similar to my gluten free wonton soup, boil scallion whites and ginger in broth for 15 minutes, and discard solids. Taste and season broth liquid. Whisk eggs, and set aside bowls with seasoned broth. Slowly pour a thin stream of eggs in circles into the boiling broth to form ribbons. Then stir in spinach till wilted.
  2. To serve: Set aside 4 bowls. Put torn seaweed snacks, white pepper, and sesame oil in each bowl. Ladle the hot finished soup into each serving bowl. Top with 5 wontons per bowl. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Tips for restaurant-worthy flavorful broth

  • Boil wontons and the soup separately:
    Boil wontons separately from the broth so the flour doesn’t cloud the clean soup flavors. This prevents starch interference allowing the delicate aromas of the broth to shine.
  • Flavor-building technique:
    To make the broth taste like an Asian restaurant, flavor both the soup pot and your bowl. First, smash ginger and scallion whites then boil them in the broth to extract their essence then scoop them out.
  • Next, put torn seaweed, sesame oil, and pepper in your soup bowl. The seaweed gives extra savory flavor and the sesame oil and white pepper make the broth taste brighter. These easy steps give you a crystal-clear broth that perfectly complements the yummy wontons.

How to make-ahead, store, and reheat

Making wonton and egg drop soup on demand is easy. Fold up a batch of wontons on a relaxing afternoon and freeze them. Then whip up flavorful soup broth plus grab your premade dumplings anytime for an almost instant restaurant-worthy meal.

  • Make ahead: Fold wontons in advance if making from scratch. They freeze beautifully for months, ready to drop into hot broth anytime.
  • Store: Keep cooked wontons and broth separate when storing leftovers so skins don’t oversoften.
  • Reheat: Reheat wonton with egg drop soup gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop, stirring often for even warming. Or microwave for 1 minute, stir, then continue heating for 1 minute more or until steaming hot throughout. Stir again before serving.

What to serve it with

Wonton egg soup makes for a light, comforting meal on its own, but also pairs deliciously with sides and heartier mains. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Serve with vegetable side dishes: Hibachi vegetables with perfectly crisp and charred veggies or Tatsoi greens salad tossed in a bright Asian dressing complement the flavors beautifully.

To make it a hearty meal: Keto chicken lo mein noodles tossed with chicken and vegetables, steak fried rice, hibachi noodles, or the fluffy Din Tai Fung fried rice with shrimp would make nice additions to your soup bowl and round out the meal nicely. And don’t forget to serve the soup with air fryer wonton chips!

Expert tips

  • Wonton fillings: Stir the mixture in one direction until it turns into a sticky paste. Either pork, shrimp, beef, or chicken wontons will make a great choice.
  • Seal the wontons: Only add 1 teaspoon of filling to wrap the wontons and seal it tight so they don’t open up during cooking.
  • Wonton wrappers: Try store-bought yellow Hong Kong or white Shanghai-style wrappers for ease, or homemade gluten-free wonton wrappers for specialty diets.
  • Use two pots: Boil wontons separately from the broth to allow clean, delicate soup flavors to shine without interference.
  • Make ahead: Fold wontons in advance and freeze for easy future soups. You can make the soup with frozen wontons.
  • Flavorful broth: Build layered flavor in both the soup pot and serving bowls for authentic restaurant essence. Boil aromatics directly in broth then discard. Add seaweed, sesame oil and pepper to each bowl.

FAQs

What is wonton egg drop soup?

A Chinese comfort dish of pork & shrimp wontons in an aromatic clear chicken broth with whisked egg ribbons.

What is Chinese egg drop soup made of?

Chinese egg drop soup comprises a basic broth made from chicken stock, aromatics like scallions and ginger, seasoning like sesame oil and white pepper, and starch to thicken the soup. The egg ribbons with beaten eggs are stirred in just before turning off the heat.

What does egg drop soup taste like?

Egg drop soup tastes light and delicate yet fully-flavored with silky egg ribbons, and clear aromatic chicken broth infused with scallions and ginger.

Is egg drop or wonton soup better?

Whether egg drop or wonton soup is better comes down to personal taste. Egg drop shines brighter in delicateness while wonton soup satisfies more as a hearty, filling comfort meal. Both classics have devoted fans worldwide.

Egg drop soup vs. wonton soup

Egg drop soup is a delicate chicken broth with egg ribbons while wonton soup features pork & shrimp stuffed dumplings in clear broth. The main difference is egg drop lacks wontons & wonton soup doesn’t usually contain egg flowers.

More egg drop soup recipes you might like

Craving more egg drop soup ideas? This wonton version puts a twist on the classic. But we also have many traditional egg drop soup recipes to suit all tastes. Check out this selection of our mouthwatering, easy-to-make eggs drop soups next.

A side close shot image shows soft wontons floating in fluffy egg flower broth with spinach and seaweed in the broth.
Recipe image shows wontons in egg drop soup with spinach and seaweed to flavorful the broth.
5 from 4 votes

Wonton egg drop soup recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith
Wonton egg drop soup with silky wontons & fluffy egg ribbons in flavorful chicken broth. An authentic recipe just like how it's made in Asia.
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Ingredients 

For the wontons: (makes 40-45 small wontons)

  • ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined (see notes if can’t have shellfish)
  • 4 oz. fresh shiitake, finely chopped
  • 3 bulb scallions, finely chopped
  • 2.5 oz. shallots, finely chopped
  • ½ lb. ground pork, or chicken
  • 1 whole egg white, lightly whisked, or 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos, or 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch
  • 45 sheets wonton wrappers, 3 to 3.5 inch square, or gluten-free wonton wrappers

For the soup:

  • 3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup water, or to taste
  • 4 whole scallions, divided (pound 2 white parts then fold in half; the other 2 dice up for garnish)
  • 0.1 oz ginger slices, about 2 long and thin pieces
  • to taste Coarse sea salt
  • 1 tsp Takii mushroom seasoning, or more to taste, optional
  • 2 large eggs, whisked
  • Half packet Seaweed snack, optional
  • Pinches ground white pepper
  • Drizzle toasted sesame oil
  • Handful Baby spinach, optional

Instructions 

To make the wonton filling:

  • Place the shrimp in a small food processor. Pulse a few times to turn them into a sticky paste. Finely chop the shiitake, scallions, and shallots.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients from shrimp to starch. Stir the mixture in 1 direction for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns into a sticky paste. The mixture will seem loose at first but will turn sticky after stirring.

To fold the wontons:

  • Set up your work station with one small bowl filled with room temperature water, shrimp wonton filling, wonton wrappers, and a large lined sheet pan to hold the wontons.
  • To wrap, take a piece of wonton wrapper and add 1 teaspoon of wonton filling to the center, dap the wrapper with a small amount of water along the edge then fold it in half into a triangle shape. As you fold, gently press out the air bubbles so that the wonton won’t burst. Seal the edges well.
  • Flip the triangle up-side-down, dap one corner with water, then gentle fold from the center to bring the two points together. Press to adhere well. Rest it over the sheet pan. Repeat the process to finish the wonton filling.

To boil the wontons:

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil, lower heat to simmer. Carefully transfer a few wontons to the pot. Make sure there’s plenty of space for the wontons to float so they don’t stick to each other.
  • Simmer over medium-low heat, use a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks to gently push the water along the pot. This prevents the wontons from sticking.
  • When the wontons are floated to the top, about 3 minutes (with store-bought wonton wrappers) or 5 minutes (with homemade gluten-free wonton wrappers), simmer for 1 minute additional then use a slopped spoon to transfer out the wontons to a large serving plate.
  • Drizzle with a small amount of oil to prevent the wontons from sticking. You can keep them warm by storing them temporarily in an unheated oven. Repeat the process to cook the second batch of the wontons.

To make egg drop soup with wontons:

  • In a medium-sized soup pot, add the stock, water, ginger, and 2 whole scallions with the white parts lightly pounded before adding to the broth. Cover and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat then lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the scallion and ginger. Taste the soup and adjust with more salt and mushroom seasoning, if needed.
  • In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a measuring cup with spout. Set aside 4 serving soup bowls and add a few pieces of torned up seaweed, a small pinch of white pepper, and sesame oil to each serving bowl.
  • To make egg ribbons, bring the soup back to a gentle boil. Slowly drizzle in the eggs in a circular motion from higher up. Let the eggs stand in the hot broth for a few seconds then gently stir the soup to break up the ribbons. Add-in the spinach and as soon as they are wilted, turn off the heat.
  • To serve, ladle the hot soup broth into each bowl and add 5 wontons to each bowl. Garnish with the remaining chopped scallions. Serve hot.

Notes

  • The soup broth serves 4 with 5 wontons in each bowl. The 1lb. wonton filling quantity (0.5 lb shrimp + 0.5 lb pork) will give you around 40-45 pieces of wontons that you can freeze for next time use. You can easily cut the wonton filling quantity in half to make a smaller batch.
  • Boil the wontons and the soup separately: Boil wontons separately from the broth so flour doesn’t cloud the clean soup flavors. This prevents starch interference allowing the delicate aromas of the broth to shine.
  • Flavor-building technique: To make the soup broth taste like an Asian restaurant, boost flavor in the pot and your bowl. First, boil smashed ginger and scallions in the broth, then remove. Next, place torn seaweed, sesame oil, and pepper into your bowl. These easy layering techniques give you a crystal clear, umami-rich soup that lets the yummy wontons shine.
  • For the wonton fillings, if you can’t have shellfish, use a total of 1 lb. of ground meat such as pork or chicken with a ratio of 50% breasts and 50% dark meat. You might need to increase the starch quantity to help bind the ingredients See my wonton filling ideas for more info (recipe coming soon).
  • Make ahead: Fold wontons in advance if making from scratch. They freeze beautifully for months, ready to drop into hot broth anytime.
  • Store: Keep cooked wontons and broth separate when storing leftovers so skins don’t oversoften.
  • Reheat: Reheat wontons in broth gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop, stirring often for even warming. Or microwave 1 minute, stir, then continue heating 1 minute more or until steaming hot throughout. Stir again before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 649mg, Potassium: 280mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 120IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese
Keyword: egg drop wonton soup, Wonton egg drop soup
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