Give Your Ramen An Egg Drop Soup Upgrade In One Easy Step

A steamy bowl of ramen can bring warmth to the body and soul any day of the week. To make the famous broth and noodles dish even more hearty and flavorful, many ramen recipes call for topping the soup with an egg. However, for an easy upgrade, you can give your ramen the egg drop soup treatment by cooking eggs to form luscious strands directly in the broth. In addition to imparting a creamy texture and extra protein, adding eggs to ramen this way is simpler and quicker than many other egg-cooking methods like boiling or poaching (and it doesn't require a separate pot of water).

If you've tried egg drop soup at a Chinese restaurant, you know (and probably love) the luscious ribbons of eggs that add texture and depth to the simple bowl of broth; and if you've cooked egg drop soup at home, you know the beauty of a soup that comes together in 15 minutes or less. When the same egg-cooking technique is incorporated into the best ramen noodle recipes — from vegan miso ramen to the ultimate tonkotsu ramen with pork belly — the result is a rich, easy, and delicious upgrade to your soup base. To give ramen an egg drop twist, cook and simmer your broth and noodles just as your recipe calls for. Then, in the last minute of cooking, lower the heat and slowly pour in whisked eggs, constantly swirling the soup with a wooden spoon as you do.

The key to seamlessly incorporating the perfect egg drop ribbons into ramen broth is a light hand. Though you can certainly add a bit of cornstarch to the whisked eggs or soup to help hold the striations of cooked egg in solution, the best way to get thick, uniform egg ribbons is to pour the whisked eggs in a thin stream directly into the hot liquid. Whisk your eggs in a glass measuring cup with an indented lip to help pour the eggs in quickly (but little by little) as you stir the broth. Instead of whisking the soup as the eggs are added, stir the soup in a wide, back-and-forth motion to create a swirling effect. Remember that the eggs will cook in under a minute or two, so you'll want to work efficiently. You want the eggs to cook through tenderly without becoming tough.

After the eggs are incorporated, quickly remove the pot from the heat and let the broth sit for about a minute, allowing the eggs to cook fully. Then, serve the egg drop ramen mashup atop cooked ramen noodles and your favorite fixings like sautéed bok choy, baked tofu, chicken, or pork. For extra flavor, top your bowl with a drizzle of soy sauce, tangy rice vinegar, sesame oil, or chili oil for heat, and garnish your bowl with chopped scallions.