Tomato Seaweed Egg Drop Soup (番茄紫菜蛋花汤)

Tomato Seaweed Egg Drop Soup is a super-easy and tasty one, especially if you are short on time but want more flavor and complexity than regular Egg Drop Soup. The key to this soup is to cook the tomatoes first before adding water. Cooking the tomatoes slightly helps to release more of the tomato’s flavor and umami into the soup. You want to see some red tomato oil floating on top once the water is added.

Just like Egg Drop Soup, adding starch water will make the egg strings more velvety and silky. I like dropping in some seaweed at the end to spice things up a bit and to pack in more nutrition. But if you are not a fan or you don’t have any seaweed handy, you don’t have to add any. Just the tomato egg drop soup will have plenty of flavor already. Another variation in the egg drop soup family simply adds seaweed at the end without adding tomatoes.

Gluten Free, Low Carb

Preparation Time:  5 minutes

Total Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 small or 1 medium tomato¹
• a small amount dried seaweed or roasted seaweed²
• 4 cups low sodium chicken/vegetable stock or water
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 green onion (optional)
• 1 tablespoon starch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)

Preparation:

1. Cut the tomatoes into medium chunks or slices. Slice the green onion into thin pieces.

2. Heat a small sauce pan under medium heat. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil. When the oil is getting warm, add the tomato pieces and a sprinkle of salt, stirring and tossing. When the tomatoes release some juice (as shown), add the 4 cups of chicken/vegetable stock or water. Cover the lid and bring the liquid to a boil. Once liquid boils, lower the heat to medium-low or low and simmer the liquid for 10 to 15 minutes to let the soup absorb the tomato’s flavor.

3. While soup simmers, prepare the starch water by mixing 1 tablespoon of starch with 3 tablespoons of water. Crack the egg and beat thoroughly.

4. When the soup is done simmering, remove the lid and pour in the starch water (stir the starch water right before pouring), mixing immediately. When the soup bubbles again, slowly pour the beaten eggs into the sauce pan in a circular motion, gently stirring the egg strings while pouring to spread the eggs around (see pictures).

5. Raise the heat back to medium or medium high. When the soup boils again, turn off the heat. Add the dried seaweed or nori pieces, mixing well. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon of table salt) and more salt to taste especially if using water rather than stock. Sprinkle some green onions on top. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit

Notes:

1. If you don’t like tomato skins, you can remove them by immersing the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. You can follow step 2 from my Tomato Fish Fillet Tofu Stew recipe.

2. You can find dried or roasted seaweed in any Asian grocery store. Roasted seaweed is dried seaweed that is further roasted. It often comes in the form of a flat sheet, which is used for snacks or making sushi (as in nori seaweed). Dried seaweed without roasting is generally used in cooking. The one I used here comes in the form of a big round wheel.

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