Tomato Eggdrop Soup | Recipe

Coming from an immigrant family, getting exact recipes from your parents can be nearly impossible . They usually don’t come with directions, it’s “a pinch of this” or sometimes just “2 take out soy sauce packets,” as my dad told me once.

Love you from

my

head tomatoes

always.

When we went home for the holidays, I was determined to watch Jeromy’s dad cook, and take close notes on how to recreate. During this, I found myself getting back to the roots of why I love cooking.

Being back in the kitchen, watching firsthand how to slowly stir in the eggs for the perfect egg wisps, or that you should cook the tomatoes + onions before adding them into the soup for added depth of flavor — I felt so much more inspired to be creative in the kitchen again.

I love that in learning to make this dish from my father-in-law, I can recreate this piece of home for Jeromy and I… and how sharing food can bring back old memories, but also create new ones.
So if your family’s known to whip it up in the kitchen, take some time to observe. There’s nothing like firsthand inspiration from the OGs, and you know you won’t be getting those measurements over the phone.

What’s in it

• 1.5 tbsp neutral oil

• 3 cups vegetable stock + 1 cup water

• 3 eggs

• 1.5 tsp sesame oil

• salt + pepper

• white pepper

• cilantro

• 1 scallion, chopped

• 3 medium sized tomatoes

• 1/4 purple onion

• 2 slices ginger, minced

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 block soft tofu, cubed

• 1/2 cup sweet corn

• optional: corn starch slurry to thicken soup — 2 tsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water

How to do it

• prep all your aromatics + vegetables.

• add oil to a pan on medium high heat; add in onion + ginger, once they start to brown, add in your garlic + tomatoes until they begin to soften. You don’t want the tomatoes cooked all the way, just partially to help deepen the flavor of the soup.

• add vegetable stock + water to a pot on medium heat, once lightly simmering add in the pan of aromatics + tomatoes in.

• let that gently simmer for a few minutes on the stove uncovered.

• add corn + soft tofu into the pot, add salt + pepper to the soup to taste.

• whisk 3 eggs + sesame oil together in a separate bowl.

• for the gentle egg wisps; gently stir the soup in a clockwise motion, turn off the heat and add in your eggs in the same motion slowly. don’t add them all at once so they don’t clump up together.

• top with cilantro + scallions, a little white pepper + serve!