Easy 5-Minute Korean Egg Drop Soup (Gyeran-guk)
In Korea, there is a culture of eating warm soup dishes the morning after drinking to relieve a hangover.
Many Koreans eat spicy and hot soups like haejang-guk (hangover soup) or spicy ramyeon, but I personally prefer a mild soup that gently soothes the stomach rather than foods that are overly spicy or salty to the point of causing heartburn.
This 5-minute egg drop soup (Gyeran-guk) is the ideal hangover dish for mornings with a hangover. It takes just 5 minutes using chicken bouillon and basic vegetables, making it great for soothing a tired stomach before heading to work on a busy morning. The soft eggs and warm, clear broth comfortably settle your stomach without any burden, so give this a try on days when you have a bad hangover.
Quick Overview
- Prep Time: 1 mins
- Cook Time: 4 mins
- Servings: 2 servings
- Difficulty: Very Easy
Ingredients & Substitutions
Main Ingredients
- 500ml water (approx. 2.5 paper cups)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 green onion or scallion (white part and green part separated)
- 0.5 tbsp chicken bouillon (powder or liquid)
- A few shakes of black pepper (optional)
Step-by-Step Cooking Guide
Step 1. Boil water
- Pour 500ml of water into a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Step 2. Prep vegetables and make broth
- While the water is boiling, thinly slice 1/4 yellow onion and finely chop the white stem part of the green onion.
- Once the water boils vigorously, add the sliced onion and white green onion first to draw out a natural sweetness and clean vegetable flavor into the broth.
Step 3. Drizzle beaten eggs
- Beat 2 eggs thoroughly in a bowl.
- Lower the heat to medium, and slowly drizzle the beaten eggs from a slight height in a circular motion around the edge of the pot.
- Failure Prevention Tip: If you pour the eggs all at once or stir immediately after pouring, the eggs will clump into large chunks or the broth will turn cloudy. After pouring, leave it untouched for about 20 seconds and wait until the eggs float up softly.
Step 4. Season with chicken bouillon
- Add 0.5 tbsp chicken bouillon and stir gently once or twice to dissolve. (Simmer for about 30 seconds)
- Texture Tip: If you stir too hard at this point, the cooking eggs will break apart and look messy, so gently glide across the bottom of the pot.
Step 5. Add green onion tops and finish
- Turn off the heat, finely chop the remaining green parts of the green onion, and place them on top of the soup to cook with the residual heat.
- Lightly shake some black pepper to taste, transfer to a bowl, and finish.
Easy 5-Minute Korean Egg Drop Soup (Gyeran-guk)
Make Korean egg drop soup in 5 minutes with silky egg ribbons. A warm, light soup for a quick breakfast or dinner.
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 500ml water (approx. 2.5 paper cups)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 green onion or scallion (white part and green part separated)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 0.5 tbsp chicken bouillon (powder or liquid)
- A few shakes of black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Boil & Simmer Veggies: Bring 500ml water to a boil over high heat. Add sliced onion and chopped white parts of the green onion to build a sweet vegetable base.
- Drizzle Eggs: Lower heat to medium. Slowly drizzle beaten eggs in a circular motion around the edge of the pot.
- Rest Untouched: Leave untouched for 20 seconds without stirring until fluffy egg ribbons float to the surface.
- Season Broth: Add 0.5 tbsp chicken bouillon powder and glide a spoon gently across the bottom once to dissolve without breaking the eggs. Simmer for 30 seconds.
- Garnish & Finish: Turn off heat. Add the chopped green parts of the green onion and a pinch of black pepper, letting residual heat soften them. Serve hot.
Notes
20-second rule: Never stir immediately after drizzling eggs; resting allows them to set into fluffy ribbons without clouding the broth.
Gentle stir: Dissolve bouillon by sliding the spoon along the pot bottom so delicate cooked egg curds do not tear apart.
Residual heat: Add green onion tops after turning off the stove to preserve their bright color and fresh aroma.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: korean
