Gyeran-guk (Egg Drop Anchovy Broth Soup)
Soups Easy

Gyeran-guk (Egg Drop Anchovy Broth Soup)

Quick answer

Total time
15 min
Level
Easy
Servings
2 servings
Ingredients
6

About this dish

Gyeran-guk is Korea's most accessible comfort soup: a clear, golden broth seasoned with soy sauce and garlic into which a beaten egg is drizzled in a thin stream.

Read more

When the egg hits the rolling boil, it sets almost instantly into delicate, flower-like ribbons that drift through the liquid in pale yellow sheets. Sliced green onion and a drop of sesame oil added at the end bring a gentle fragrance that lifts the otherwise clean, mild broth. The result is soothing and restorative, mild enough for a sick day yet substantial enough to anchor a full meal of rice and side dishes. Its near-universal appeal on Korean dinner tables comes partly from the fact that nearly every household keeps eggs, soy sauce, and garlic on hand, making it the soup most likely to appear with no planning at all. From start to finish the bowl is ready in under ten minutes.

Ingredients

servings
IngredientAmountUnit
eggs3 eaeaShop
water1000 mlmlShop
soup soy sauce1 tbsptbspShop
minced garlic½ tbsptbspShop
sesame oil½ tsptspShop
Shop All Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps
  1. 1
    Prep

    Crack 3 eggs into a bowl and beat until no streaks of white remain.

    Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove chalazae, so the egg sets into clean ribbons instead of cloudy bits.

  2. 2
    Heat

    Slice 0.5 green onion thinly and keep it separate.

    It loses fragrance if boiled for long, so have it ready before heating the broth and save it for the final minute.

  3. 3
    Control

    Add 1000 ml water, 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, and 0.5 tbsp minced garlic to a pot.

    Bring it to a strong boil over high heat, then reduce to medium once the garlic aroma rises.

  4. 4
    Heat

    When the boil calms to steady small bubbles, pour the egg in a thin stream while moving in a circle.

    Do not stir hard during pouring, or the ribbons will break into fine crumbs.

  5. 5
    Step

    After adding the egg, leave the soup undisturbed for 30 seconds so the surface turns pale yellow and sets.

    Then stir only once with a wide motion to loosen the ribbons without clumping them.

  6. 6
    Prep

    Add the sliced green onion and 0.5 tsp sesame oil, then turn off the heat immediately.

    Ladle once to check that the egg ribbons are soft and the broth is clear before serving hot.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique
Gyeran-guk creates delicate egg ribbons drizzled into a golden broth seasoned with soup soy sauce.
Finish cue
Ladle once to check that the egg ribbons are soft and the broth is clear before serving hot.
Avoid this
Do not stir hard during pouring, or the ribbons will break into fine crumbs.

Cooking decision evidence

Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.

This recipe

15min, 6 ingredients

Category median

45min, 8 ingredients

Based on 310 recipes

Use-up ingredient planner

Turn these ingredients into two more meals

The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.

Tips

Slightly reduced simmer gives softer egg ribbons than a rolling boil.

Estimated nutrition (per serving)

Calories
140
kcal
Protein
10
g
Carbs
3
g
Fat
9
g