Let’s make delicious Korean egg drop soup (gyeran guk) in just 5 minutes! You only need eggs—no special ingredients required!
Table of Contents
What is Gyeran Guk?
Gyeran guk (계란국) is a Korean egg drop soup. It’s one of the most iconic and essential soups in Korean home cooking and is known as guk(soup). Made with just eggs and a few everyday ingredients that you probably already have, this simple, comforting soup is beloved in Korea as soul food.
When to Eat Korean Egg Drop Soup?
Gyeran guk (Korean egg soup), a warm and soothing soup, is often eaten for breakfast in Korea because it’s easy on the stomach. Its light, gentle flavor is perfect for starting the day.
It’s also a popular hangover soup. While some Europeans eat pizza after a night out, Koreans prefer something hot and soupy. Instead of greasy food, we usually turn to comforting broths, such as instant ramen or traditional soups. This is why dishes like Vietnamese pho, dumpling soup (mandu-guk), and egg drop soup (gyeran guk) are popular hangover remedies.
Easy Egg Soup Ingredients
Korean egg drop soup uses really simple ingredients.
- Eggs
- Green onions (scallions)
- Salt
- Tuna extract or Korean soup soy sauce (Gukganjang): Tuna extract gives a deep umami flavor, but it can be hard to find outside Korea. If you can’t get it, soup soy sauce is a good substitute. Just use less soy sauce than tuna extract because soy sauce can be stronger, and adjust the salt to taste.
- MSG: Many Koreans don’t use MSG. My Korean mom really dislikes it because she thinks it’s unhealthy and leaves an aftertaste. But my friends who’ve tried egg soup with MSG were amazed by the umami and even asked what the secret was! MSG’s effect on flavor is pretty incredible, haha.
Korean Egg Drop Soup Recipe
- Bring water to a boil, then add tuna extract or Korean soy sauce for soup (guk ganjang) to enhance the umami flavor.
- Chop some green onions and add them in. Many Korean households simply cut the green onions with scissors directly in the pot because washing a cutting board seems like too much work! Korean home cooking is all about ease and convenience.
- Beat the eggs well, add them to the soup, season with salt to taste, and you’re done. Really easy, isn’t it?
Vegetarian Version of Egg Soup
Korean egg soup isn’t vegan, but making a vegetarian version is really easy. Just use Korean soy sauce for soup (gukganjang) instead of tuna extract. I also recommend adding a bit of MSG to boost the deep umami flavor.
Korean Egg Dishes
Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg)
You might have seen this at Korean BBQ restaurants. Making it over a gas stove can be tricky because you need to control the heat carefully and stir it often. Here, I’ll share a super easy and delicious recipe for gyeran jjim made in the microwave.
Gyeran Bap (Egg Rice)
This is like a Korean soul food, something many Koreans have eaten since they were babies. It’s basically rice topped with a fried egg, mixed with soy sauce and sesame oil. But sometimes, frying an egg feels like too much work, right? This recipe is an ultra-simple soy sauce egg rice you can make all at once in the microwave.
Gyeran mari (Korean Rolled Omelette)
It’s a Korean-style rolled omelette. Sometimes chopped green onions and carrots are added, or mozzarella or cheddar cheese. The version my mom made most often was the seaweed (gim) rolled egg omelette — gim gyeranmari.
What to Eat with Egg Drop Soup?
In Europe and the United States, soup is typically served as an appetizer before the main course. In Korea, however, Korean soup is eaten with rice and side dishes as part of the meal. You can take a bite of soup after a spoonful of rice or mix the rice directly into the egg drop soup.
Simple Banchan like seasoned seaweed (jomi gim) and kimchi are enough for side dishes. On busy mornings, however, many Koreans just eat egg soup with a spoonful of rice—no side dishes needed—before heading out.
Korean Soup, Guk
In Korea, soups (guk) and stews (jjigae) are commonly eaten with rice, resulting in a rich and developed soup and stew culture. Some popular Korean soup dishes include the egg soup recipe featured today, beef radish soup (mutguk), kimchi soup (kimchiguk), and seaweed soup (miyeokguk).
If you’re interested in learning more about Korean soups, check out the blog post linked below.
Ingredients Guide
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5 Minute Korean Egg Drop Soup: Gyeran Guk
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 chopsticks
- 1 scissors
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 500 ml water
- 2 tbsp tuna extract (or 1tbsp soup soy sauce)
- 1/3 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 stak green onion
- 1 pinch Korean black pepper
Instructions
- Add water to a pot and bring it to a boil.
- Add tuna sauce. If you don’t have it, use Korean soup soy sauce instead.
- Cut the green onion with scissors and add it to the pot.
- Beat the eggs well and slowly pour them into the soup. Do not stir for 10 seconds—if you do, the broth will become cloudy.
- After 10 seconds, gently break up the egg with chopsticks.
- Taste the soup and add salt and Korean black pepper to adjust the seasoning.
Gyeran Guk 계란국: Korean Egg Drop Soup
- Jal meokgetseumnida 잘 먹겠습니다
- Enjoy it with rice!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @blondekimchi_ on Instagram and hashtag it #blondekimchi.