How long is egg drop soup good for

It may surprise you, but it is possible to revive your leftover egg drop soup and bring it back to its former, creamy glory.

In this article, I share the results of my experiment testing four different egg drop soup reheating methods.

Psst: my favorite reheating method is on the stove.

The experiment

I made a big batch of (delicious) egg drop soup and then left it in the fridge overnight.

It’s said that egg drop soup is always best eaten straight away because the creamy texture can become a bit foamy after storage.

Thankfully my soup didn’t suffer too much.

It was slightly thinner but still tasted great.

I tested reheating the egg drop soup:

• On the stove, combined (eggs and broth)
• On the stove, broth only
• In the microwave
• In a double boiler

The best reheating method was on the stove, it was quick, easy and the soup was pretty much as good as new.

The microwave was quick but left the eggs slightly overcooked.

The double boiler method worked but was very slow!

The key to reheating the drop soup is to go low and slow – this will give you the best chance of keeping the soup smooth and silky.

Tips for reheating egg drop soup

• Egg drop soup tastes best when the broth is really hot, so don’t serve it too soon. You want the soup to reach simmering point before you take it off the heat.
• Storing egg drop soup can mute its flavors slightly. To give the soup a new lease of life, add in some extra sesame oil, lime juice, or hot sauce when you’re reheating it.
• If your soup has thinned out during storage, you can thicken it by adding a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water). Just make sure the soup reaches at least 203°F (95°C), or the cornstarch won’t activate.
• If your soup has got too thick during storage, simply thin it out with some water or stock.

Reheating egg drop soup on the stove

To reheat egg drop soup on the stove, put your soup into a pot and heat it in medium heat until it’s simmering. Stir the soup frequently to prevent any egg from settling on the bottom of the saucepan and cooking. If you need to add fresh egg, pour it in slowly once the soup is simmering.

How to reheat egg drop soup on the stove:

1. Pour your soup (or broth) into a saucepan and heat it on medium heat. If there’s no eggs you can use a high heat.
2. Stir the soup frequently as it’s heating.
3. The soup is done when the broth is just simmering.
4. If you need to add fresh eggs – when the broth starts simmering, use a fork or a whisk to create a whirlpool and slowly pour in your whisked eggs to create ribbons.

Keep the heat low so you don’t accidentally scramble the eggs.

Another tip is to make sure the pan is appropriately sized.

You don’t want your soup spread too thinly around the bottom of the saucepan because this will increase the risk of overheating.

I tested:

• Heating the soup with the eggs in.
• Straining the soup to remove the eggs, heating the broth, and then pouring the hot broth over the soup.

There was no real difference in the end result, so save yourself the hassle of straining and just heat the soup altogether.

Verdict

This is now my go-to method.

It was fast and the soup tasted good.

You can also heat large portions, which isn’t possible in the microwave or a double boiler.

Reheating egg drop soup in the microwave

Pour a portion of soup in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it so it doesn’t splatter. Using 50% power (if you have this option), heat the soup in 30-second intervals, stirring during each break. If you need to add fresh egg, pour it in slowly once the soup is near-boiling.

How to reheat egg drop soup in a microwave:

1. Pour one portion of soup into a microwave-safe bowl
2. Cover the bowl with a paper towel, some plastic wrap, or other lid to prevent splattering.
3. Set the microwave to 50% power and heat the soup in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
4. Stir the soup during each break.
5. If you need to add fresh eggs to the soup, heat the broth until it’s nearly boiling, and then slowly pour the eggs into the broth while stirring.

50% power and short time intervals give you good control over the reheating process, so you don’t end up with overcooked eggs.

Heat one portion of soup at a time to minimize how long the soup spends in the microwave.

Verdict

The microwave was the quickest reheating method, but the texture of the eggs was a little rubbery (nothing too off putting though).

If you strain the soup first and just heat the broth, you can avoid the rubbery eggs, but this removes the convenience of using the microwave.

Reheating egg drop soup in a double boiler

To reheat egg drop soup in a double boiler, bring some water to a boil in a saucepan, and pour the soup into a separate bowl. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Stir the soup while the steam heats it.

Note: don’t use this method if you need to add fresh eggs to the soup. The broth will never get hot enough.

How to reheat egg drop soup in a double boiler:

1. Set up your double boiler by bringing some water to a boil in a pan.
2. When the water is boiling, pour your soup into a bowl and rest the bowl on top of the saucepan.
3. Let the steam heat the soup, stirring occasionally.

Make sure there’s s gap of 1-2 inches between the water level and your bowl. Otherwise, the soup might overheat.

Verdict

This method worked – eventually.

It was really slow compared to the other two methods, and there was no benefit in terms of taste or texture.

The only time I’d recommend this method is if you don’t have a microwave or a pan small enough for your portion of soup.

How to store egg drop soup

Wait for your egg drop soup to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Egg drop soup will last 3-4 days in the fridge. It’s best to store just the broth and then add fresh eggs and garnishes when you reheat the broth, but the combined soup (broth and eggs) keeps fine too.

If you have a big pot of soup to cool, you can speed it up by submerging the saucepan in cold water.

Can you freeze egg drop soup?

You can freeze the base of egg drop soup (the broth), but it’s a bad idea to freeze it once you’ve added the eggs. The eggs will lose their creamy texture and instead turn rubbery. The broth will freeze well for up to 6 months, and you can add fresh eggs when you reheat it.

How to freeze egg drop soup:

1. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature.
2. Strain the soup through a sieve to remove the egg ribbons (if you’ve already added the eggs).
3. Pour the broth into a freezer bag and remove excess air.
4. Lay the freezer bag flat in the freezer and use the broth within 6 months.
5. When you want to make the soup, heat the broth until it’s simmering, and then pour in fresh eggs while stirring.

You can also freeze the broth in an ice-cube tray to make it easy to portion out later.

Once the broth has frozen, pop the cubes out into a freezer bag for storage.

How to thaw and reheat egg drop soup

To thaw the egg drop soup base, take it out of the freezer and leave it in the fridge overnight. You can also simply put the frozen broth in the microwave or a saucepan and heat it that way. If the broth is stuck in its airtight container, pour hot water over the base to loosen the soup.

Use a low heat until the soup has melted, then turn the heat up.

Top 8 how long is egg drop soup good for edited by Family Cuisine