Chinese tomato egg soup
Juicy tomatoes and silky ribbons of egg in a light, savory broth, the homestyle soup that’s on the table in 20 minutes for about a dollar a bowl.
- 20 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.01 a serving
- 270 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 green onions, sliced, whites and greens kept apart
- 3 large eggs
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes, check the box: most cubes make 2 cups each
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 package microwave rice pouches, heated, for serving (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cups water
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 270 calories, 13 g protein, 17 g carbs and 17 g fat, and costs about $2.01 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No tomatoes? Roma tomatoes work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Cut the tomatoes into wedges, the green onions, and beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork until no streaks of white remain.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Heat the oil in a medium over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the green onion whites and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes, until the tomatoes and release their juice.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min
Dolly’s tip: Press on the tomatoes with your spoon as they cook. The more they break down, the richer the broth.Pour in the water, in the bouillon cubes, add the soy sauce, sugar and salt, and over high heat.
Crumble. Crumbling means breaking food into small, rough bits with your fingers or a spoon, like feta or ground meat in the pan. Small bits spread through the dish, so there’s some in every bite.
How you’ll know: The pieces are small and uneven, about pea-size, with no big clumps left.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Stir the cornstarch and water together in a small cup, then stir it into the soup. Cook for 1 minute, until the broth is slightly and glossy.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Turn the heat to low. Stirring the soup slowly in one direction, pour in the eggs in a thin stream so they set into soft ribbons.
Low heat
Dolly’s tip: Pour slowly and keep stirring gently. Pouring fast makes clumps instead of silky ribbons.Let it sit over low heat for 30 seconds, until the egg is set, then turn off the heat.
Low heatTimer: 30 sec
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Stir in the sesame oil and pepper and serve topped with the green onion tops, with rice on the side.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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