Tomato & Egg Noodle Soup (Xi Hong Shi Ji Dan Mian)

The story

When a Chinese student is homesick, this is what they cook: the tomato-egg combo they grew up with, turned into a slurpy noodle soup. It tastes like it has chicken stock in it. It does not.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Ripe tomatoes — 2, wedged
• Eggs — 2, beaten
• Dried noodles — 8 oz / 225 g
• Scallions — 1, sliced
• Soy sauce — 1 tbsp
• Toasted sesame oil — 1 tsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): salt, sugar (1 tsp), white pepper. Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Fry tomatoes with sugar and salt for 4–5 minutes until they collapse into sauce.
2. Add 4 cups / 1 L water; boil 5 minutes so the broth turns orange.
3. Add noodles; when 1 minute remains, pour in the beaten eggs in a slow stream while stirring — ribbons. Season with soy, pepper, sesame oil, scallions.

Swaps

Handful of frozen peas or spinach in the last 2 minutes makes it a full meal. Leftover rice instead of noodles = tomato egg rice soup.