How to Make Tomato and Egg Drop Noodle Soup with Easy Steps

Photo: KnowInsiders

What a wonderful time of the year it is! There are so many comings and goings—holiday parties, happy hours, family meals, Christmas shopping, and gift wrapping. I love this time of year. But how exactly does this Tomato Egg Drop Noodle Soup fit into a season of prime rib roasts and glasses of champagne? Hear me out.

A go-to emergency meal

As we busy ourselves preparing for our holiday and New Year’s celebrations, our regular routines like food shopping and meal planning can fall by the wayside. So what do you do when your stomach is growling, and your mind is realizing that there’s nothing in the refrigerator but a few eggs and old tomatoes? What is there to eat?

This nagging question is on everyone’s mind at least once, twice, or even three times a day, and we food bloggers don’t always dodge the same dilemma.

For years now, this 10-Minute Tomato Egg Drop Noodle Soup has been my go-to emergency meal. It’s quick, easy, nourishing, and it hits the spot like a good bowl of noodle soup always does.

Ingredients

4 Servings

2½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more

1 small yellow or red onion

2 garlic cloves

1 1" piece ginger

1 scallion

12 oz. instant ramen or other wheat noodles

2 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

4 large eggs

Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

3 Tbsp. (or more) light or dark brown sugar or granulated sugar

Toasted sesame oil or chili oil

Maggi seasoning sauce or soy sauce (for serving)

Steps

1. Fill a small Dutch oven or large saucepan with water, season with salt, and bring to a boil.

Photo: Martha Stewart

2. While water is coming to a bowl, prep your vegetables. Peel 1 small yellow or red onion, halve and thinly slice into half-moons. Smash and peel 2 garlic cloves, then finely chop. Scrape skin from one 1" piece ginger with a spoon. Thinly slice ginger; stack slices two at a time and cut into matchsticks. Line up matchsticks and cut crosswise into tiny squares. Finely chop 1 scallion; set aside for serving.

Photo: The Daily Meal

3. Add 12 oz. instant ramen or other wheat noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions until just tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water; set aside. Dry pot and reserve.

Photo: wikiHow

4. Heat 2 Tbsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil in a reserved pot over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds

5. Add one 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes and 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water to the pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover pot with a lid, and cook broth until flavors have come together 10–15 minutes.

Photo: Kitchen Stories

6. Meanwhile, whisk 4 large eggs, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and a pinch of freshly ground white pepper in a large measuring glass or a small bowl with a lip.

7. Uncover broth and stir in 3 Tbsp. light or dark brown or granulated sugar and add ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ Morton kosher salt. Taste and add more sugar and/or salt if needed. The broth should be slightly sweet and a little tart.

Photo: Kitchen Stories

8. Increase heat to medium-high and bring broth to a boil. Very slowly trickle beaten eggs into soup (no need to stir). Cook eggs until set, 30–60 seconds from when you start pouring. Remove soup from heat. The egg doesn’t need to be totally cooked through—it will continue to cook in the residual heat of the broth.

9. Rinse noodles under running water again to loosen them up. Divide among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil or chili oil and Maggi seasoning sauce or soy sauce and top with reserved scallions.

More quick and easy emergency meals:

Recipes with One main ingredient:

• Egg Drop Soup (Need I say more? It’s a no-brainer.)

• Steamed Egg (All you really need is a couple of eggs, and you have the comfort you crave in a bowl.)

• Egg Over Easy with Soy Sauce (One of my favorites.)

• Simple, Spicy Pan-Fried Noodles (Fun fact: this is the first recipe we ever posted on The Woks of Life. No Hong Kong-style egg noodles? Boil a pack of instant noodles until al-dente, drain, and pan-fry!)

• Supreme Soy Sauce Fried Rice (You won’t regret giving this one a go––and much additional go’s after that.)

• Campfire Curry Ramen (Curry + Ramen = a winning combo. A stove makes things easier.)

• “Spicy Numbing” Cacio E Pepe (A quick pasta with an Asian twist.)

• Soy Scallion Shanghai Noodles (An absolute Must-Try.)

• Egg Fried Rice (Another fried rice. Because everybody loves fried rice.)

• Smashed Cucumber Salad (Our chili oil is all you need to elevate this salad to the next level.)

• Garlicky Broccoli (Even your kids will thank you for it!)

Two main ingredients:

• Stir-fried Shrimp & Eggs (A must-order when The Woks of Life eats at any Cantonese restaurant.)

• Shrimp with Lobster Sauce (At a fraction of take-outs cost.)

• Bacon & Egg Fried Rice (How can you not love that combo?)

• Chinese Spaghetti Bolognese (We make it all the time.)

• 15-Minute Lazy Noodles (Sarah’s creation––it’s been getting high praise from readers.)

• Pan-Fried Tofu with Dipping Sauce (A scrumptious meatless choice.)

• 15-Minute Chinese Hot Oil Noodles (One of my absolute favorites.)

• 10-Minute Broccoli Tofu Bowls (Who needs to take the meat out of the freezer when you have this?)

Three main ingredients:

• 15-Minute Coconut Curry Noodle Soup (One of our all-time top 10 recipes––enough said.)

• 20-Minute Congee (Always keep washed rice in your freezer!)

• Everyday Vegetable Stir-Fry (A quick stir-fry to clean out the fridge.)

• Scallion Ginger Shrimp (Soak frozen shrimp in water for a few minutes to thaw, and a meal will appear in no time.)

• Vegetable Fried Rice (Keep cooked rice in the freezer to make fried rice any time.)

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