This tomato egg drop soup is a classic Chinese soup that's light, refreshing, full of tender tomatoes and egg ribbons in each bite, and tastes tangy, which helps to start up your appetite especially in the hot summer! It's super easy to make, takes less than 15 minutes, and it's a great way to use up tomatoes just like our tomato egg stir fry. Also try our classic takeout egg drop soup and hot and sour soup for more soup recipes with egg ribbons.
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Tomato egg drop soup ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Tomatoes - Any tomatoes will do, but the more flavorful the tomatoes the better! We usually use house tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, or campari tomatoes.
- Water or stock and chicken bouillon powder - These two ingredients makes the "soup base" of this tomato egg drop soup. Although regular chicken or vegetable stock can be use to make the soup more nutritious, the soup actually tastes better with a lighter broth base. So it's totally okay to make the soup with water as well.
- Vinegar - We like to add plain white vinegar to this soup because it's got a clean flavor, and it helps fortify the tanginess from the tomatoes. This soup is meant to be light and tangy to help entice an appetite, especially during the summer.
- Eggs - To make the egg ribbons for the egg drop soup!
- Green onions - It makes the soup more fragrant and flavorful. The whites are stir fried to impart its aromatic, and the greens are added at the end as garnish.
- Toasted sesame oil - Most of the time, sesame oil is optional to add a bit of toasted, nutty flavor. It's the same for this soup as well. However, we highly recommend it because it really finishes the soup and rounds it out.
- Salt - To season the soup.
- Oil for cooking - Any neutral oil is fine.
How to make tomato egg drop soup
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
1. Cut tomatoes. Remove and discard the woody core of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Preferably no larger than 1 inch. Save all the juices!
2. Stir fry tomatoes. To a pot or large saucepan over medium high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the whites of the green onions and stir fry until fragrant, about 5 to 10 seconds.
Then add the tomatoes (and their juices) and cook until softened and the tomatoes are are starting to stew.
3a. Add water and seasonings. To the pot, add the water, chicken bouillon powder, salt, and vinegar. Bring the soup to a boil.
3b. Optional - Thicken soup. We think this soup actually taste better thin, like regular soups. However if you prefer it thicker, like regular egg drop soup, you can add some slurry to it. Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with equal amounts of cold water to make cornstarch slurry (per recipe). Once the soup comes to a boil, take it off the heat for a moment and drizzle in the slurry while stirring the soup. Bring back to a boil and let the soup thicken before drizzling in the eggs. Make sure to stir occasionally.
4. Make egg ribbons. Once the soup is at a boil, slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs in a circular motion around the pot. Let the soup cook for a few seconds or until it comes back to a boil before stirring. At this point, the eggs will cover the surface of the soup due to the difference in density. It will settle down soon.
🌟 Pro tip: The earlier you stir the soup after adding the eggs, the thinner the egg ribbons will be. Likewise, the longer you wait, the thicker the egg ribbons. We usually like to wait about 5 to 10 seconds or until the soup comes back to a boil before stirring.
5. Finish. Add the toasted sesame oil and greens of the green onion. Stir to combine and remove from the heat. Enjoy while hot!
Optional add-ons
This tomato egg drop soup is a great base recipe for you to bulk up by adding additional ingredients. Some of our favorite ingredients we like to add are:
- small cubes of tofu
- purple dry seaweed
- peeled and deveined shrimps
- any seafood of choice
- Chinese chili oil is also a great condiment is you want to add a little kick and make the soup extra fragrant!
Storage
Leftover tomato egg drop soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure to allow the soup to cool completely before covering and refrigerating.
Reheating
Tomato egg drop soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Microwave method: Place the egg drop soup into a microwave safe bowl or container. Microwave until hot, stir midway through to heat evenly.
Stovetop method: Place the egg drop soup into a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally.
If you previously added slurry to thicken the soup and the soup looks thinned out after refrigerating, follow the stovetop method. Make a small amount of cornstarch slurry (start with mixing together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water) and drizzling it into the soup while it's heating up. Make sure the soup comes to a boil and thickens before removing from heat.
FAQs
Absolutely! We actually prefer our tomato egg drop soup more sour, so we usually add an additional tablespoon of vinegar. Likewise, feel free to use less vinegar if you if you prefer the soup less tangy.
We highly recommend using plain white vinegar because the flavor is the cleanest. You could use whatever vinegar you have in your pantry, but note that the flavor will be a little different.
Personally, our favorites are campari tomatoes because they are the most flavorful. But we've made the soup with house tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, and even cherry tomatoes, and they all tastes great!
📖 Recipe
Tomato Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tomato we usually use house tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, or campari tomatoes
- 4 cups water or chicken or vegetable stock for more nutrition
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 stalks green onion sliced (keep the whites and green separate)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon oil for cooking
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into small chunks. Anything less than 1 inch is perfect. Remove and discard the woody core but reserve as much tomato juice as possible.
- In a pot over medium high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the white parts of the green onions and stir fry until fragrant. Then add the tomato chunks and stir fry until the tomatoes are softened and almost begin to stew.
- Add the water or stock, along with the vinegar, chicken bouillon powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Once the soup comes to a boil, keep the soup at at high simmer. Slowly drizzle in the beaten egg in a circular motion around the pot then give soup a stir.Note: The sooner you stir, the finer the egg ribbons will be and the longer you wait, the thicker the egg ribbons. We recommend waiting about 5 seconds or until the soup comes back to a boil before stirring for decent size ribbons.
- Add the sesame oil and green parts of the green onions. Stir to combine and remove from the heat. Enjoy while hot!
Notes
- Soup thickness - Unlike classic egg drop soup, tomato egg drop soup is much thinner, think regular broth consistency. If you prefer a thicker consistency, mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with equal amounts of cold water to make cornstarch slurry (per recipe). Once the soup comes to a boil, take it off the heat for a moment and drizzle in the slurry while stirring the soup. Bring back to a boil and drizzle in the beaten eggs.
- Sourness - This is really up to your personal preference. 2 tablespoon (per recipe) will give the soup a pleasant tang. If you prefer a more mellow flavor, use 1 tablespoon instead.
Sukeerti Kesar says
My picky 2 year old loved this! I added an extra egg to increase the protein for her and she DEVOURED it.
Mei says
Hi Sukeerti! So glad your little one enjoyed it! Always a win when it's toddler approved =)
Mei ❤️
Ruth says
This sounds delicious, can't wait to try it!
Mei says
Hope you enjoy it, Ruth!
Mei ❤️