Xihongshi Doufu Tang, Tomato and Silken Tofu Soup
Xihongshi doufu tang is one of the first soups many Chinese home cooks learn, the sibling of tomato and egg but lighter, built on tomatoes and silken tofu instead. The tomatoes are the whole flavor engine: simmered until they slump and turn jammy, they release enough natural savoriness that the soup needs only a small measured splash of tamari to taste finished. A little toasted tomato paste deepens it out of season, white pepper gives the characteristic warmth, and a thin cornstarch slurry lends the broth its soft cling. Fold the tofu in gently and keep the heat low so the cubes stay whole.
Ingredients
- 4 mediums Fresh tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 14 oz Silken tofu, about 400 g, cut into cubes
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 pieces Scallions, sliced, whites and greens kept separate
- 2 tsp Low-sodium tamari
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch, stirred into 2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water
Method
- Toast the tomato paste in a dry pot over medium heat, stirring, until it darkens to brick red, about 2 minutes. Raw paste tastes tinny; toasting it turns the sugars savory and gives the broth a depth that a can of tomatoes alone cannot.
- Add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites with a splash of water and sweat 1 minute, then add the tomato wedges and 3 cups (710 ml) water and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until the tomatoes collapse into a loose sauce. Cooking the tomatoes down concentrates their natural glutamate, the savory backbone that replaces meat stock here.
- Stir in the tamari and white pepper, then slide in the tofu cubes and warm gently for 3 minutes without stirring hard. Silken tofu breaks at a touch, so fold it through rather than stir; the white pepper gives the warm, faintly funky background that Chinese soups are built on.
- Pour in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 1 minute until the soup takes on a light body. A thin slurry gives it a satiny cling and stops the tomato and water from separating, doing the job an egg drop usually would.
- Off the heat, scatter the scallion greens and serve hot. The cooked-down tomatoes and one measured spoon of tamari carry the salt, so none is added at the table.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 6 g protein, 2 g fiber, 220 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
