This tomato egg drop soup recipe is sponsored by Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that keep this blog going.
Add this quick and colorful tomato egg drop soup to your homemade Chinese takeout night menu! The aromatics and tomatoes are sauteed to release the fragrance, then cooked with egg ribbons in chicken broth with nutty sesame oil to finish it up. It is comforting and delicious and will warm your heart on a chilly day. {Gluten-Free, Vegetarian-Adaptable}
Today I want to share this quick and easy family recipe with you. This tomato egg drop soup has been a family staple of ours for as long as I can remember. My mom would make a small pot every couple of days to add a soup course to our dinner. As you might have heard regarding food in the Chinese home, it’s important to serve 3 dishes and 1 soup (三菜一汤, San Cai Yi Tang) for a complete meal.
Instead of the traditional egg drop soup, my mom always prefers the tomato egg drop soup because it adds more nutrients to our meal. If you like egg drop soup, you must try out this version! The bright tomato flavor works so well with the tender eggs and the hearty chicken soup, and it takes the soup to another level.
Ingredients
You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Since the soup is lightly seasoned and the egg is the main star, it’s important to use high quality eggs.
I love to use Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs for my everyday cooking. Their eggs are high in quality and very flavorful and they have beautiful bright orange yolks. There are no GMOs, antibiotics, chemicals, or pesticides involved in their organic egg farming. The hens aren’t cooped up in cages, either. You can truly taste the difference when you use their eggs in your tomato egg drop soup.
Cooking process
Whenever my mom is feeling lazy, she will simply bring a pot of broth to a boil and cook the ingredients in the broth. However, here is how to make the best tasting soup with just one extra step – sauteing the aromatics and the tomatoes before you add the broth:
- Saute the ginger and garlic with a bit of oil
- Add the tomato and green onion
- Cook the tomato until it’s blistered and tender
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer
- Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup
- Slowly drizzle in the eggs to make the egg ribbons
- Let the eggs cook for a few seconds to set, then break them apart further
- Finish it up with green onion and sesame oil
How to make beautiful egg ribbons
To make long, thin egg ribbons like in the restaurant, you need to:
- Use the cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup first. So the eggs won’t sink to the bottom immediately.
- It’s also important to pour the egg slowly, so it runs into the pot as a thin stream. You can achieve this by holding either a fork or a pair of chopsticks against the bowl, so the eggs will pour in more slowly.
- Lastly, let the eggs set before stirring them, so they won’t break into a thousand pieces.
Make vegetarian tomato egg drop soup
To make this dish vegetarian, you can use 4 cups of water plus 2 teaspoons of mushroom powder to make the broth. Vegetable broth works too but it will change the flavor of the soup depending on the brand you use.
Final thoughts
Tomato egg drop soup is a great dish to pair with other main courses to make a complete Chinese dinner. For example, my mom would make braised chicken or pork ribs in advance and reheat it before serving. For dinner, she’d cook quick sides like fried cabbage and cucumber salad to go with this tomato egg drop soup, with rice on the side.
Here are some more good dishes to pair the tomato egg drop soup with:
- Beef Lo Mein
- Easy Shrimp and Broccoli
- Real Deal Sesame Noodles
- Vegetarian Mapo Tofu
- Chinese Curry Chicken
Tomato Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
Slurry
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
Soup
- 2 teaspoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 slice ginger
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes , chopped into bite-size pieces
- 3 green onions , chopped, white and green parts separated
- 3 large Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs , beaten
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- To make the slurry: Combine the cornstarch, white pepper, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
- To make the soup: Heat oil in a small pot over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook and stir for 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
- Add the tomato and white part of the green onion. Cook until the tomato is blistered, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Cook over medium-high heat until brought to a boil. Turn to a low heat and let the soup reduce to a simmer.
- Stir the slurry again to dissolve the cornstarch. Swirl it into the soup and mix well with a spatula. The soup will thicken up once it reaches a simmer. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can mix more cornstarch with water and add it to the soup, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water at a time.
- To add the eggs, hold a fork (or two chopsticks slightly apart) across the edge of the egg bowl, and drizzle the egg mixture slowly through the gaps into the soup. Let the eggs set for a few seconds, then stir gently to break up the egg into desired sized pieces.
- Drizzle sesame oil and sprinkle with the green part of the green onion.
- Serve warm.
Very simple and quick for breakfast! Thank you for sharing and remind me this recipe! Good things for you!
Hi,
This soup looks delicious! I’m attempting a Keto food plan, what can be used instead of cornstarch for the slurry?
Try 1/2 tsp. Xanthum gum or Guar gum, whisked in vigorously before eggs are added.
This is honestly one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. I can’t find the words to describe how yummy it was. So simple and tasty it brought me to tears 😅 thank you it’s my new favourite soup ever!
My mom made this all the time and now so do I. It is pure comfort food.