Simple homestyle Chinese tomato egg drop soup that the whole family loves! The perfect combination of tangy tomatoes, and savoury egg drop soup. One of my go-to soup recipes for busy days. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and is super delicious!
To create a complete meal on your busy days, you will also like our Rice Noodle Stir-Fry and Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onions recipes. If you love quick and delicious meals like me, you don't want to miss my 10-minute Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry Recipe.
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Why Chinese tomato egg soup is so special?
Chinese egg and tomato soup is one of the best and easiest Asian tomato soups with silky egg ribbons, tangy tomatoes, and seasoned with pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Tomatoes and eggs go really well and you can see them together in many international dishes and sandwiches, noodles and salads. Chinese families usually have this egg tomato soup in the summertime as a seasonal dish, but can enjoy it at any time. Each family has their favourite seasonings and soup base, but the main ingredients are eggs and tomatoes.
This homemade soup is so special and always gives us a feeling of nostalgia. My recipe is adapted from my late grandfather's tomato egg soup. He used to make it for us with tomatoes, eggs, chopped coriander, and just simply seasoned with salt and sesame oil.
Soups are good for you when you are losing appetite from heat and this tomato egg soup is nourishing and refreshing at the same time. It is usually served after cooling down for a bit and is not necessarily served boiling hot.
Why you would love this recipe
- This is one of the easiest Chinese soup recipes with super-fast cooking time.
- Healthy and refreshing soup, which is also great for kids and elders.
- You can simply pair it with any dish for an accomplished meal.
- You can have a complete meal with soup even on your busiest days.
- Looks colorful, appetizing, plus budget-friendly.
What do we need
You need the simplest ingredients you have ever imagined. Following is a quick guide and detailed measurement is on the recipe, at the bottom of the page.
- Egg - You will need two large eggs for this recipe. Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
- Tomatoes - 2 large or 3 small tomatoes will be good to go. You can either dice them into small dices or slice them into thin small wedges. You can cut it into large pieces but the larger the pieces, the more time it will take to get softened. If the tomatoes are not softened, the soup color will remain clear. If you want the soup in reddish color, make sure the tomatoes are softened until the juices come out.
- Corn starch - It is a must-include ingredient and without it, the soup won’t be complete. Why so? The starch makes the soup looks glossy, thick, and more appetizing. Make sure to mix the corn starch well in cold water before adding it to the soup.
- Chicken stock/broth - Though I would say it is optional, I suggest you use chicken stock instead of water. The flavor coming out from the broth is what makes the soup taste more delicious and nutritious.
- Can I use vegetable stock? You can also try it with vegetable stock, dashi stock, or broth for the soup base.
- Spring onions - Add freshly chopped spring onions or coriander. Stir in just right before serving and also use it as a garnish.
How to make it
- First, beat the two eggs in a small bowl and set it aside. Cut the tomatoes into wedges.
- Heat the pot to medium heat. Saute the tomato wedges with a drizzle of oil for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Season with salt.
- Next, pour the water and chicken stock in, then add chopped garlic and bring it to simmer.
- Stir gently in the same circular direction to make a whirlpool, then pour the beaten egg slowly. Season it with soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil.
- In a small bowl, mix corn starch with water to make a corn starch slurry, then pour it into the soup.
- Once the soup is starting to thick and glossy, stir in chopped spring onions. Make a taste test and adjust the salt to your taste.
Top Tips
- Hold the cup far from the pot while swirling down the egg so the egg flakes would come out thin and beautiful. That’s the art of making any egg drop soup! If you pour from a very close distance, the egg will all bind together and come out as big egg fluffs that won’t blend in with the soup. The eggs flakes need to blend in so you can taste them in every spoon you take.
- The soup will taste saltier once it gets cooler. So make sure you don’t add a lot of salt if you are not going to serve it immediately while hot.
- Never add corn starch directly into the soup without mixing it with water first. Hot water can turn starch powder into one big sticky ball.
- For a richer flavor, add low-sodium chicken stock or broth instead of water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Egg drop soup is a staple in Chinese cuisine and is widely available in every Chinese restaurant and takeaway across the world. Also known as egg flower soup and is made of chicken broth, egg drops, tofu, mushrooms, and seasoned with soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Tomato egg soup is an egg drop soup with added tomatoes. The only difference is the tangy tomato flavour and the rest of the ingredients and seasonings are similar in general.
It is a Chinese dish originating from China and is loved by many people across the world. Back in the old days, Chinese people have this soup to restore water in the body during hot weather.
Yes, you can simply add water instead of chicken stock. And if you are using water, you can also add chicken bouillon or stock cubes for extra umami taste.
We love to serve it with plain rice and pair it with other stir fry dishes to make a complete meal. Or add the egg noodles or rice noodles to the soup and make it a delicious tomato egg drop noodle soup.
More delicious Chinese soup recipes
If you enjoy this egg drop tomato soup recipe, you will definitely love our family's favourite Chinese soup recipes.
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📖 Recipe
15-minute Tomato Egg Drop Soup
Equipment
- Stock/soup pot Medium size
Ingredients
- 2 Egg Whisked
- 3 Tomatoes Ripen tomatoes, cut wedges
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 cup Chicken stock About 480ml Or vegetable stock/broth, see details in note
- 1 cup Water About 240ml
- 1-2 Spring onions Or coriander, cut thin slices
- ½ tsp Salt or salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce Light soy sauce or all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp Corn starch Mix it with with 2tbsp water
- 1 tbsp Groundnut/peanut oil Or any neutral flavour vegetable oil
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges and whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Set them aside.
- In a medium-size pot, drizzle a tablespoon of oil and saute the tomato wedges with medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle salt over the tomatoes.
- Once the tomatoes are softened and the juice comes out, pour the chicken stock, water, and garlic in. Bring it to simmer.
- Stir the soup gently in one direction and make a whirlpool. Pour the whisked egg slowly to make the beautiful egg drop.
- Season the soup with soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil. Then add the corn starch slurry ( a mixture of corn starch and water).
- Stir in chopped spring onions when the soup is starting to get thickened and glossy.
- Make a taste test and add more salt, or soy sauce to your taste if needed. Transfer to a soup bowl and garnish with spring onions or coriander.
Video
Notes
- White pepper - Add white pepper powder to taste more like authentic Chinese home cooking flavour. It has a uniquely hot, peppery, smoky flavour and is perfectly suited to this tomato egg soup.
- What type of tomatoes to use? - I love to add vine-ripened tomatoes. You can use any meaty tomatoes which are juicy and tangy. Do not recommend salad tomatoes for this recipe.
- How to serve this soup? You can serve up to 5 people as a soup or side dish. Or you can create tomato egg noodle soup by adding egg/rice noodles and serve it as a main meal for up to 2 people.
- Can you freeze it? Do not recommend freezing but if you have any leftover soup you can store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for a couple of days.
- Can you reheat it? You can simply reheat it over the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot. If the soup is too watery, you can add a splash of cornstarch slurry and cook it on the stovetop until thick. If the soup is too thick you can add more water.
- What other ingredients you can add? If you like the soup a bit sweeter, you can add a tablespoon of sugar. Tofu, shiitake mushroom, and enoki mushroom are also great add-ons.
- What type of chicken stock/broth to use? Use Asian-style chicken stock or simple clear chicken stock which do not contain any Italian seasonings and spices.
- What is the substitute for chicken stock/broth? You can add vegetable stock or water. If you add water, add chicken bouillon/stock cube for a delicious umami taste.
- Adjust the salt - Some store-bought chicken stock/broth already contain salt. You might want to adjust the salt or soy sauce, according to the types of chicken stock that you add.
Monica says
It's winter here, it's snowing and I didn't go grocery shopping. I've been searching through the web for a simple soup and I found this wonderful recipe! I had every ingredient on the list and I followed the instructions! What a wonderful soup! My husband ate three servings! I have given our neighbors half of a serving to try; now I must translate your recipe in German, so my neighbor can cook it as well. Thank you so much for posting. Greetings "aus Deutschland"!
Khin says
Hallo! So happy to hear it, Monica. This soup is one of my favourites too. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your feedback.
Mel says
I’ve been sick and wanted something different with tomatoes in it. I love egg drop soup and this was delicious and so easy. I subbed beef bone broth instead of the chicken broth because I had it on hand. Loved it!!
Khin says
Thanks for trying it out this recipe. So glad that you enjoyed it, Mel.
Plank Mario says
Simple, tasty.
Khin says
Thanks for trying it out and sharing your feedback.
Denise Lee says
Knocked this out the park in no time at all , absolutely super tasty , so pleased with the results, thanks for a fabulous recipe 😊