Tomato and Egg Soup
A light, savoury soup of ripe tomatoes and ribbons of beaten egg, seasoned with soy sauce and spring onion.
Photograph credit: Tomato and egg soup (image of tomato and egg soup on Wikidata Q7818554) by NNU-10-HanRongrong · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Tomatoes and eggs are one of the most common pairings in Chinese home cooking, and this soup shows why. The acidity of the tomato cuts through the soft, mild egg.
Cook the tomatoes in the oil for 3 minutes before the water goes in. They break down and give the broth a deep red colour and a sweeter taste. Ripe tomatoes work best; if yours are pale, add a pinch of sugar.
Pour the beaten egg into the simmering broth in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction. Keep the heat low when the egg goes in. A hard boil breaks it into small crumbs rather than long ribbons.
Season at the end. Soy sauce is salty, so taste before adding more. Serve it straight away, while the ribbons of egg are soft and the broth is hot, ideally with a bowl of steamed rice alongside to soak up the tomato.
How to Make Tomato and Egg Soup
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Heat the oil in a pan and cook the tomatoes for 3 minutes until they start to collapse.
-
Add the water, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
-
Turn the heat down low. Pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream, stirring gently in one direction.
-
Add the soy sauce and salt, then the sesame oil. Serve with the spring onions on top.
Worth Getting Right
- Cook the tomatoes until they break down before adding water.
- Pour the egg slowly while stirring for long ribbons.
- If the soup tastes sharp, add a pinch of sugar.
- Taste before adding extra soy sauce.
Ingredient Swaps
- Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
Serve It With
Steamed rice · Egg fried rice · Stir fried greens
Keeping and Reheating
Best eaten straight away. Keeps in the fridge for 1 day; reheat gently so the egg stays tender.
Tomato and Egg Soup Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Chinese cooking and quick meals ideas from Weekly Delight.
Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry
The dish every Chinese household cooks and no restaurant bothers to: eggs scrambled soft, tomatoes cooked down to a…
Chinese Steamed Eggs
Eggs beaten with warm water and steamed into a silky, wobbling custard, served with soy sauce and spring onion.
Egg and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Whole eggs and egg whites scrambled in large curds, then tossed with fast-cooked cabbage, garlic and ginger. Two…
Lap Cheong Fried Rice
Cold cooked rice stir-fried with sliced Chinese sausage, egg, spring onion and peas until the sausage renders into…
Egg White Fried Rice
Cold cooked rice stir-fried with scrambled egg whites, peas, carrot and spring onions, seasoned with a little…
Vegetable Fried Rice
Day-old rice fried with egg, peas, carrot and spring onion in soy sauce and sesame oil. Four servings in 20 minutes.