Egg drop soup, possibly the most popular home-style soup can be made with lots of various versions. If you have a pre-made chicken stock, then you can make one pot of yummy egg drop soup directly only with several other seasonings. But egg drop soup can be made with water instead of stock.
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What's tomato egg drop soup
Tomato and egg drop soup, sometimes called egg flower soup, is a warm and comforting soup that combines the familiar flavors of tomato soup with ribbons of egg. This Chinese-inspired soup is a unique twist on a classic that comes together in just 15 minutes. With its satiny texture, bright acidity, and protein-packed egg, this soup makes for a quick weeknight dinner or light weekend lunch.
Simple ingredients, great flavors
Tomato and Egg Drop Soup is more than just a dish for us. It's a memory for many as a childhood dish or from grandma. Its simplicity embodies the essence of Chinese home cooking: transforming basic ingredients into something deeply satisfying. When you read the ingredient list, you may wonder how simple and short it is.
Taste profile
Successful tomato egg drop soup has a strong sweet and sour taste. Without the help of canned tomatoes, I fry one tomato until very thick and soft. During the strong boiling process, the tissues are broken and spread evenly in the soup base, which provides the very basic aroma of tomato soup. Sliced tomatoes are added for decorating and adding more texture to the soup.
However please note it is a very light soup, not for eating but in most cases served for drinking like " beverage" in Western meals. You may find it to be a little bit plain if you want to make a Western-style strong soup.
A Simple Yet Flavorful Ingredient List
- Tomatoes: Fresh, ripe tomatoes are the soul of this dish. They contribute a natural sweetness and tang that forms the soup's base.
- Eggs: Beaten eggs create delicate, cloud-like ribbons when poured into the simmering soup. Their subtle flavor balances the tomatoes' acidity.
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth or water: We use water only and it creates a lovely flavor. If you have stock, either chicken or vegetable stock can be used to make tomato egg drop soups.
- Green Onions/Scallions: For a touch of sharpness and color.
- Seasonings: Salt, white pepper, and a touch of sugar enhance the natural flavors of the main ingredients.
- Light soy sauce: I also use light soy sauce to improve the umani flavor.
- Cornstarch: The purpose of using cornstarch is to make the stock thick so the egg drops can float in the soup base. It also helps to tenderize the egg flower.
Cook's Note
- Choose mature tomatoes, which create a rich flavor for the soup. And it helps to create a lovely sour taste.
- Let the base simmer for around 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors can be well combined.
How to make perfect egg ribbons
If you want larger egg flowers, gently stir the soup after pouring the egg liquid. For finer egg drops, stir the soup a little bit quicker, softly.
When the base is ready, slow down the fire.
Pour the egg liquid to the surface while stirring the soup. Once the ribbon is formed, stop stirrying because resist stirring too much or the ribbons will break into shreds And then remove from heat to prevent overcooking.
Getting the egg texture just right takes a little practice. But even if they break apart, the egg still provides a luxurious feel and protein content.
Tomato Egg Drop Soup -The best ever
Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes ,try to choose the mature ones
- 4 cups water
- 1 or 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 tbsp. water
- 2 tbsp. cooking oil
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- ⅛ tsp. white pepper
- ½ tsp. salt
- chopped green onion and coriander for garnishing
Instructions
- Sautee the tomatoes: Heat oil in pot, add tomatoes in. Fry for 1 minute until the tomatoes becomes quite soft.
- Add water: add water or stock in.
- Season and adjust texture: season with salt and white pepper as well as soy sauce . Let the soup base simmer for around 10 minutes. Then pour in the starch water mixture.
- Swirl in the eggs : crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. While stirring the simmering soup, slowly drizzle in the eggs so they form thin ribbons.
- Finish and serve: turn off heat as long as the ribbones formed. Add chopped scallions and any other toppings.
Video
Nutrition
Variations
While the classic recipe is timeless, you can twist this soup based on your personal preference.
- Protein Addition: Diced tofu, chicken, or shrimp can be added for a more filling version.
- Vegetables: Spinach, bok choy, or mushrooms provide added nutrition and texture.
- Tofu: If you are a tofu lover, adding tofu can enhance the texture as well as the color.
What to serve with it
Tomato egg drop soup, with its savory, tangy, and silky-smooth qualities, makes an excellent starter or main dish. Following is my
- Steamed Jasmine Rice: The subtle flavor of jasmine rice perfectly complements the tangy richness of the soup, absorbing any excess broth for a delightful bite.
- Stir-fried Vegetables: Consider greens like bok choy, snow peas, or broccoli stir-fried in a light garlic sauce. The crunch and freshness of the veggies contrast beautifully with the soft and velvety texture of the sou.
- Dumplings or Potstickers: These can be filled with pork, shrimp, vegetables, or chicken. Dumplings have crispy bottoms that can match tomato egg drop soup perfectly.
- Chinese Pancakes: Scallion pancakes are always best matches for light Chinese soups.
- Buns and Rolls: Steamed buns, either plain or filled with sweet or savory fillings, can be a delightful side.
Recipe FAQ
Ensure you sauté the tomatoes well to release their juices. And remember to add the cornstarch water before stirring it once again.
Certainly! Fresh cilantro or basil can add a refreshing touch.
Sautéing the tomatoes until soft and using chicken stock can greatly improve the depth of flavor for this soup.
Andreas
Hi Elaine,
when using self made chicken stock for this soup - like the one from your recipe - I suspect that when using it "pure", the taste would be very strong. So my question is, at what rate would you mix chicken stock with water for this?
Elaine
This is a good question! For me, I will use 1/3 chicken stock and 2/3 water to make a combination.
Andreas
Thank you Elaine,
I tried it and it really was the best tomato egg drop soup I ever made!
Elaine
Thanks!
Andreas
Hi Elaine,
I think that's a common misconception about soups when coming from "western" style cooking. I fell into that trap, too and at first thought "Why are the soups so bland?". A countryman of yours explained this quite well (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5NVhZu5Jzk sorry, it's in German) . In my opinion, he puts it very well down in the sentence: "A soup is not for eating, but for drinking." Continuing he mentions, that soup in China has more the role of a beverage in a meal,, like water, juice, beer or wine would have in a western style meal. That's maybe something, that you might want to emphasize a little bit more, too.
Susan
How much Chicken Broth/Stock is used in this recipe?
Thank you
SG
Elaine
Susan,
If you get light chicken stock, you can use only chicken stock and no water. So it should be 4 cups too.
Ace
Made this with water (i follow a low sodium diet), this was absolutely amazing. I had my doubts, but I was so wrong. This is my new quick snack / dinner option.
Elaine
Thanks Ace. It need only very basic and simple ingredients but super delicious as long as the tomatoes are mature enough. Happy cooking, I hope you will like other recipes on the site.
Zie
I just tried, very nice, thanks for sharing!
Elaine
Thanks for trying and giving feedback!
Merche
This is one of my favourite chinese dishes! Can't wait to try it at home, just discovered your blog and it's amazing, congratulations for your great job! My dad was a doctor, he studied a master's degree in acupuncture and he made a 1 month internship in a hospital in Beijing to practice acupuncture. My mum, brother, aunts, uncles and cousins accompanied him and we were so lucky to live in your amazing country for one month and discover how delicious Chinese food is. That was in 2007 and I have been since then looking for recipes in english (tried to learn Mandarin for one year but it's sooo difficult). And then I find this website n_n with all my favourite recipes in it!
Warm greetings from Málaga (Spain), and thank you for you wonderful work!
Elaine
Thanks Merche for your lovely feedback. Guys like you are my initial motivation. Happy cooking and happy to see you.