Tomato Egg Drop Soup (番茄蛋花汤 (fānqié dànhuā tāng))
Overview
Tomato egg drop soup is a simple Chinese home soup of ripe tomatoes and soft ribbons of egg. Tomato wedges are stir-fried briefly until they soften and release their juice, then water or stock is added and the soup is lightly thickened with cornstarch. Beaten egg is poured in a thin stream so that it sets into delicate golden flowers in the red-orange broth. A drop of sesame oil and chopped spring onion finish it. It is ready in about fifteen minutes.
History
Tomatoes became common in China only in the twentieth century, but tomato and egg quickly became one of the country's favourite pairings, both as a stir-fry and as a soup. The soup is a fixture of family dinners, student canteens and simple restaurants across China. It is often one of the first dishes people learn to cook.
Main ingredients
Ripe tomatoes, eggs, spring onion, vegetable stock, sesame oil, cornstarch. The soup is built on vegetable or chicken stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Tomato soups · Egg soups · More soups from China
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~25 min
Ingredients
- 3 ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 l vegetable stock or water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 spring onions
Allergens: Contains: Eggs, Sesame. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Stir-fry the tomatoes in a little oil for 3 minutes.
- Add the stock, bring to the boil and season with salt.
- Thicken lightly with the cornstarch.
- Pour in the egg in a thin stream, stir once and finish with sesame oil and spring onion.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
