Egg drop cherry tomato noodle soup.

Egg drop soup meets the Chinese tomato and egg pairing in one bowl. The tomatoes cook down until soft and sweet, and the egg goes in at the end, where it sets into thin ribbons in the hot broth. It is a quick dinner and one that suits a cool evening.

Use eggs within their date and keep them refrigerated.

Ingredients

• 250 g dried thin egg noodles
• 60 ml vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 300 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1.25 litres light chicken stock
• 40 ml light soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
• Spring onion, thinly sliced, to serve

Method

1. Boil a pot of water and cook the noodles as the packet says. Drain them and divide them between two bowls.
2. While they cook, warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, until it smells good.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until they have softened and split.
4. Pour in the stock, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the sugar and a good pinch each of salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Swirl the soup in one direction with a spoon and pour in the beaten egg in a slow stream. Let it simmer until the ribbons are set.
6. Ladle the soup over the noodles and top with spring onion.

Tips

• The SBS recipe calls for 2 to 3 large tomatoes and vegetable stock. Cherry tomatoes and light chicken stock are the swaps here, and a light vegetable stock works too.
• Cooking the noodles in their own pot keeps the soup clear.
• Keep leftover soup in the fridge apart from the noodles and eat it within two days.