Tomato Egg Drop Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin

China (Nationwide / Essential Home Cooking)

Description

The quintessential Chinese comfort meal. This unpretentious, beloved home-style soup pairs the juicy, sweet-tart brightness of lightly simmered fresh tomatoes with fluffy, wispy ribbons of egg in a clear, comforting broth that tastes like a warm hug.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served family-style in a rustic ceramic bowl, showing off a gorgeous visual contrast of deep red tomato wedges swimming among golden egg ribbons and green scallions. It is spooned generously over plain white rice.

Ingredients

• 3 large, ripe Roma tomatoes (cut into wedges)

• 2 large eggs (well beaten)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 scallions (separated into white parts and green parts, finely chopped)

• 3.5 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

• 1/2 tsp sugar (crucial for balancing tomato acidity)

• 1/2 tsp pure toasted sesame oil

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Sauté Aromatics: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the white parts of the chopped scallions. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

2. Break Down Tomatoes: Dump the tomato wedges into the pan. Add the sugar and salt. Stir-fry the tomatoes for 3 to 4 minutes, using the back of your spatula to press down on them gently until they soften, blister, and release their rich, bright red juices.

3. Pour Water: Pour the 3.5 cups of water or chicken stock directly into the pan with the jammy tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for 4 minutes so the broth absorbs the tomato flavors.

4. Kill Heat for Eggs: Turn the stove heat completely off (or drop to the lowest setting).

5. Drizzle Egg Circuit: Pour the beaten eggs in a slow, wide circle over the surface of the hot soup. Let it rest untouched for 10 to 15 seconds to allow the eggs to poach into soft, velvety layers.

6. Finish: Stir gently once to break the egg sheets into long strands. Drizzle with sesame oil and scatter the bright green scallion tops across the surface. Serve warm.

Cooking Tips

• Don't Forget the Sugar: Even if your tomatoes seem perfectly ripe, cooking them intensifies their natural acidity. Adding a tiny half-teaspoon of granulated sugar doesn't make the soup sweet; instead, it rounds out the sharp acid edges, creating that deeply comforting, balanced flavor profile.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving)

• Calories: ~85 kcal

• Total Fat: 5.5g

• Saturated Fat: 1g

• Cholesterol: 95mg

• Sodium: ~410mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 5g

• Dietary Fiber: 1g

• Sugars: 3.5g

• Protein: 4g