Is Egg Drop Soup Healthy?

If you're wondering if egg drop soup is healthy, whether you want to make your own at home, or are just curious about how it stacks up at your favorite Chinese restaurant, we've got your answers. We'll give you to low down on egg drop soup nutrition plus give you easy swaps to make it even healthier!

Is Egg Drop Soup Good for You?

And whether you're here to just answer a question of "is egg drop soup healthy?" or if you're deciding whether or not to make an easy homemade recipe, we do have two on our website that we know you'll love!

• Healthy egg drop soup
• Instant Pot egg drop soup

But ultimately, whether or not you consider egg drop soup good for you depends on what's in it, whether it's all-natural ingredients or perhaps some are artificial. It also depends on what YOU consider healthy? If you're watching your sodium, perhaps you don't consider it healthy. If you can't eat gluten, egg drop wouldn't be on your menu unless you made your own with healthy swaps.

We love to make homemade egg drop soup at home since it's seriously BETTER than any restaurant version, plus we can control what gets added. Did I mention it just takes 10 minutes? 😉

What Is Egg Drop Soup?

First things first, what is egg drop soup? Egg drop soup is a Chinese soup made with chicken broth and eggs, the whisked noodles get stirred into the soup and it creates "ribbons." It's typically served simply without added protein or veggies but it's easy to

Egg drop soup is a popular soup that can be found on the menu of many Chinese restaurants, it's an authentic soup they eat in China too. In most restaurants, corn starch is added to thicken the broth and make it more glutinous.

What's in Egg Drop Soup?

A list of basic ingredients usually added in egg drop soup:

• Chicken or vegetable broth
• Eggs
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Ginger
• Scallions
• Salt and pepper to taste, perhaps garlic too
• Cornstarch (optional)

To be honest, it's possible some places could add other artificial ingredients to their soup base to add flavor, or use ingredients such as bouillon instead of broth to cut costs. Or perhaps use powdered eggs instead of fresh ones.

This is why if you're wanting to make the healthiest egg drop soup, you'll want to make it at home yourself so you know exactly what's in it! Other popular mix-ins to turn egg drop soup into a meal can include:

• wontons
• vegetables like corn, mushrooms, peas, or spinach
• protein such as chicken, crab, or shrimp
• seaweed flakes
• tomato sauce

Calories and Macronutrients

The nutritional value of egg drop soup can vary depending on the recipe you're using (hopefully ours!) and the ingredients used. Plus whether or not you add mix-ins such as protein or vegetables.

However, in general, egg drop soup is a low-calorie soup that can be a good option for those trying to maintain or lose weight. Our healthy egg drop soup recipe is super filling and only has 0.6 net carbs per serving and just 52 calories!

Egg drop soup is also a good source of protein. One cup of egg drop soup contains around 7-10 grams of protein, depending on the recipe. You'll add even more protein if you add in cubed chicken, raw shrimp, or lump crab meat.

In terms of macronutrients, egg drop soup is pretty low in fat and carbohydrates, which is why it's a popular soup for a low-carb diet. On average, one cup of egg drop soup typically contains around 2-3 grams of fat and 8-10 grams of carbohydrates.

Vitamins and Minerals

Egg drop soup can also be a good source of vitamins and minerals. Chicken or vegetable broth is a good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin A, and iron. Eggs are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, vitamin B12, and selenium.

But again, the nutritional value of the soup depends on the ingredients you're using plus the quality of the ingredients too. Adding extra veggies and lean protein will definitely give your egg drop soup an additional health boost.

Sodium Content

One potential downside of egg drop soup is its sodium content. Broth, especially chicken broth or even vegetable broth, is high in sodium. One cup of egg drop soup can contain up to 800 milligrams of sodium, which is about one-third of the recommended daily intake for most adults.

To cut back on the sodium content of your egg drop soup, you can try using low-sodium broth or reducing the amount of salt used in the recipe.

Is Egg Drop Soup Vegetarian?

Traditional egg drop soup is made with chicken broth, which of course means as written, egg drop soup isn't vegetarian. To make egg drop soup vegetarian, you can swap the chicken broth for your favorite vegetable stock.

Eggs are technically included as a vegetarian food since they don't come from animal flesh.

Is Egg Drop Soup Gluten Free?

Most egg drop soup recipes are not gluten-free because both corn starch and soy sauce contain gluten. To make a gluten-free egg drop soup without corn starch, simply make the recipe with no corn starch (like ours is), and also be sure to swap the soy sauce for wheat-free tamari sauce or coconut aminos.

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