Spicy Tomato & Egg Drop Soup Rice Bowls

WHAT A YEAR we have had. I am incredibly grateful the “new year new me” garbage that was filling up my social media is finally starting to dissipate. Or the “i must say, this year has been the best year ever” BS that some people put out there. Like…. WAS 2020 REALLY YOUR BEST YEAR EVER?

And also, do you live under a rock. And maybe completely lack empathy for what is going on in this world. Sociopaths made themselves SEEN.

((Unless you had a baby or won the lottery or had something miraculous happen, then sure, I get it)). 

I had some high highs, low lows, some in betweens of just laying horizontally and being like hmmmm, how long can i stay in this position before the bed sores kick in. Very magical moments.

Also dating during covid is absolutely HILARIOUS. I like basically didn’t but on one of the very few dates I did go on, I fell into a river *fully clothed & 45 degrees out*. SO there was that. However I’d love to say that was very on trend for 2020, but that was just very on trend for Julia, Always. Made a great story. Girl capsizes in kayak, the struggle is real.

I think the best thing, if there was a best thing, was reconnecting with people who I hadn’t really spoken to in a while. The ‘how the hell are ya?’ messages. Reminiscing over the good times or sometimes the bad times, which, maybe i didn’t like those so much. But that is why God made wine, duh.

AND FOOD. Because it soothes the soul. Just like this soup…….. (cue transition into recipe):

Spicy Tomato & Egg Drop Soup Rice Bowls

And it appears my titles are still incredibly too long. But how else do you describe something that isn’t a classic? Or a spin on a classic. I would be fooling humans if they came here thinking they were going to get your average Joe egg drop soup de loup.

OKAY some things. My Mimi (czech grandma) would make a very simple version of this soup whenever we were sick growing up and it literally brings back 1000 memories of her making us watch The Price is Right, followed by Days of Our Lives, where she would literally YELL at the TV at the, excuse my language, jackasses or crazy ‘cucamongas’ and then continue the obscenities in czech. Anywho she would make this using noodles… however I decided to use rice because my love for sticky rice is an affair that I pray will never end.

SO, short story long, this a rice bowl soup dish.

Quick Notes:

You may sub out garlic paste + ginger paste for fresh or ground. My grocery store sells both of those items as a paste in a bottle and I literally just prefer it. Personal thing.

The cornstarch + hot broth paste. It is NOT necessary HOWEVER your soup will be less… egg-drop soupy. Less thick. And this IS NOT a thick soup. But the texture that the paste gives you I feel is pretty important. Please note it is also important not to add the cornstarch directly to the giant pot of soup as you are likely going to have cornstarch clumps, which is a nasty thing to bite into. You’ve been warned.

Lastly. I REALLY TRIED NOT TO ABUSE THE SALT for this recipe. But just so you know, I absolutely abused it off camera. I added way more sodium. Which is why this recipe says “to taste”. Because I might cause someones tongue to dissolve if I gave you the actual amount of sodium I use for this dish to satisfy my own salty needs.

Okay, lastly lastly: What the dill? I loved the twist in flavor it gave the soup. Seriously. And it’s used purely as a garnish so it isn’t like JUST A DILL soup. Feel free to sub in fresh parsley or cilantro if dill ain’t your thing. Or perhaps even fresh green onions (I had those ready to go but felt like my soup had enough going on, didn’t want sensory overload).

OK OK OK one more thing. You’re hesitant about making this because of the white pepper and hot mustard powder. YOU GUYS. I use both of these ingredients almost DAILY for my meats, or whatever mash-up i’m making. Once you have these spices on hand you’ll use them quite often. Promise. Same with the toasted sesame oil (it’s the one usually in a small bottle and its BROWN not clear liquid, there is a difference between plain ol’ sesame oil and toasted sesame oil. Just look for the color as clarification). K bye.

Spicy Tomato & Egg Drop Soup Rice Bowls

 

Author: Julia Calleo

Recipe type: Dinner

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

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A simple soup with a ton of flavor served over a giant spoonful of rice to warm the soul and clear those sinuses up in no time!

Ingredients

• 4 cups of cooked rice (I prefer sushi rice, but any will do)
• 1 yellow onion, chopped into ¼" pieces
• 3 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 8 cups low sodium chicken or veg broth (or 64 oz/two boxes)
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tsp hot mustard powder
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• 4 eggs, whisked
• 2½ cups fresh spinach
• 8 sprigs fresh dill
• Red pepper flakes for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot (or whatever you'd typically use for soup) add 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat.
2. Next add your chopped onions, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add quartered tomatoes, stir, and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and pour tomato/onion mix into a separate bowl, set aside.
5. In that same soup pot, turn heat back onto medium and add 1 tbsp oil.
6. Add your garlic and ginger paste and let cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
7. Add your broth and bring to just a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
8. Add hot mustard powder, white pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and black pepper.
9. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Next take ¼ cup of your hot broth in a small bowl and quickly whisk in your 3 tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk until smooth, cornstarch is completely mixed.
11. Take that mixture and whisk it back into the soup (whisk for about 30 seconds to ensure a smooth transition).
12. Add your shelled edamame and simmer for an additonal 4 minutes (I do this bc my edamame is usually uncooked).
13. Next, using your whisk, begin to swirl your broth and slowly whisk in your WHISKED eggs (so much whisking). For about 15-20 seconds (I prefer some larger clumps of egg so I whisk less)
14. Add your fresh spinach, tomato/onion mixture.
15. Salt and Soy to taste (whichever you prefer here).
16. Now it's time to bowl it up: Take about ½ cup of rice (or hell, make it a cup, up to you) and place into a bowl. Pour over soup mixture (making sure to scoop up some tomatoes, edamame and spinach) and then garnish with some fresh dill springs and red pepper flakes. And a little more soy if that's your thing.
17. EAT, repeat.

3.5.3226