Tomato & Cabbage Dough Drop Soup

 Tomato and Cabbage Dough Drop Soup is a classic, warm home-style Chinese soup dish.

 It features soft, chewy flour dough drops, tender cabbage, and sweet-sour tomato broth, light, comforting, easy to digest, and perfect for breakfast, light meals, or late-night supper.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 1 ripe tomato
• 2–3 small leaves of Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage)
• 100g all-purpose flour
• 1 small egg (optional)

Aromatics

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 small section of green onion (chopped)
• A thin slice of ginger (minced)

Seasonings

• Cooking oil
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of white pepper
• A little light soy sauce (optional)
• Sesame oil (a few drops)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the ingredients
   • Wash the tomato, cut a cross on the skin, blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds, peel off the skin, then dice into small pieces.
   • Wash Chinese cabbage, tear or cut into small strips.
   • Chop green onion, mince garlic and ginger, set aside.
2. Make soft dough drops
   • Put flour in a bowl. Add a small pinch of salt.
   • Slowly pour in a little warm water, stirring constantly with chopsticks, to form small, irregular, moist dough flakes (dough drops).
   • Do not make the dough too wet or sticky; keep it loose and flaky.
3. Sauté the tomato base
   • Heat a little cooking oil in a pot over medium heat.
   • Add minced ginger, garlic and white parts of green onion, stir-fry until fragrant.
   • Add tomato dices, stir-fry until soft and juicy, pressing gently to release more tomato soup.
4. Cook the soup base
   • Pour in enough hot water, bring to a rolling boil.
   • Add Chinese cabbage strips, cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly soft.
5. Add dough drops
   • Turn the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the dough drops evenly into the boiling soup, stirring gently at the same time to prevent clumping.
   • Let it simmer for 3–4 minutes until all dough drops float and are fully cooked.
6. Add egg (optional)
   • Beat the egg in a bowl. Slowly drizzle the egg liquid into the soup in a thin stream, stirring gently to form thin egg ribbons.
7. Season and finish
   • Add salt and a pinch of white pepper to taste. Add a tiny bit of light soy sauce if you prefer deeper flavor.
   • Simmer for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.
   • Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil, sprinkle with remaining green onion.
8. Serve
   • Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

Cooking Tips

1. Dough drops should be small and uneven for a softer, chewier texture.
2. Stir gently when adding dough to avoid them sticking together.
3. Cooking tomatoes fully until juicy is the key to a rich, sweet-sour soup.
4. Keep the soup light; do not over-season to preserve the fresh vegetable flavor.
5. This soup is gentle on the stomach, suitable for all ages.