It’s late summer here in San Diego, and even though it’s still hot during the day, the first touches of fall are upon us – the sun is starting to set earlier, there’s a coolness to the mornings and evenings, and I’ve already decorated my front door with a fall themed wreath!
Soup is a great dish to make any time of year, but especially in the fall as the weather gets cooler. This makes a great warm and comforting meal any time of day – yes, even for breakfast! In Chinese medicine, one of the big principles for nutrition is eating with the seasons. So, when the weather gets cooler as summer turns to fall and winter, it is important to eat warm foods. In Chinese medicine, cold or raw foods (think smoothies, salads, cold drinks) can be harder on your body to digest. If you have issues with indigestion, bloating, gas, and/or fatigue and feeling tired after eating a meal, consider switching out the cold foods for warm soups and stews.
This soup is a combination of two of my favorite Cantonese soups – tomato egg drop soup and chicken corn egg drop soup. Growing up, my family used to order these all the time when we’d go out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. The soup would always come out first, and it was a great way to start a meal before the bigger main dishes. You could serve this soup as a light meal by itself, or with rice, vegetables or other dishes as part of a heartier meal.
This soup is a great combo of:
Sweet and fresh tomatoes and corn
Thin and delicate egg texture
Light and flavorful broth
Good way to use up your late summer produce
Makes a great side dish or light meal
Soup that’s light enough for summer, but warm enough for fall
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 as a side dish
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 ear of corn, approximately 1 cup of corn kernels
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon soy sauce (regular or light)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 scallions, chopped
Directions
Chop the tomatoes into small 1 inch chunks (I had small to medium sized tomatoes, so I chopped them in half, then in half again). Set aside.
Slice the corn off the cob and set the kernels aside.
Heat a large sized soup pot on the stove to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. When the pot is warm, add the tomatoes and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to soften and fall apart.
Add the corn, chicken broth, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid partially on for 5 minutes.
In a separate small bowl, add the cornstarch and water and mix vigorously with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch. Use a ladle to gently and slowly swirl the soup in a whirlpool motion. Keep swirling and add the cornstarch mixture to the soup until well combined. (the cornstarch is going to slightly thicken the soup).
In a separate small bowl, crack the egg and beat with a fork to combine the egg whites and yolk. Use a ladle and swirl the soup in the slow whirlpool motion again, and slowly pour the egg into the middle of the pot with one hand while you continue to swirl using the ladle with the other hand. This will create the thin and delicate egg texture that makes the classic egg drop soup effect.
Adjust the seasonings if necessary, and add the chopped scallions. Ladle the soup into small bowls and serve hot.
Recipe inspiration from The Woks of Life blog.
Substitutions / Alterations
I used a combination of cherry and small heirloom tomatoes, but any type of tomato would work well in this recipe.
Feel free to substitute fresh corn with canned or frozen corn.
I intentionally made the soy sauce and sesame oil measurements light this time to let the natural sweetness of the corn and tomato come through. Feel free to adjust these to your own preference if you’d like a more savory tasting soup.