Tomato Geda Tang (Homestyle Tomato Dumpling Soup)

西红柿疙瘩汤

Tomato Geda Tang (Homestyle Tomato Dumpling Soup) — Home-styleShandong home cooking.

Ingredients

• ripe tomatoes
• all-purpose flour
• large egg
• scallions

Instructions

1. Blanch, peel, and finely dice 2 tomatoes. Reserve juice. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat; add scallion whites and sauté until fragrant (30 seconds). Add diced tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened and releasing deep red juices (~4 minutes). (Tomatoes break down into a thick, glossy, brick-red paste with visible oil separation at edges.)
2. Add reserved tomato juice and 600 ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Season lightly with salt (no soy sauce needed — tomatoes provide umami depth). Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes to concentrate flavor. (Surface bubbles gently and steadily; broth reduces slightly, turning deeper red.)
3. In a bowl, whisk flour with 120 ml cold water and egg until smooth. Rest batter 5 minutes. Using chopsticks or fingers, drop small irregular lumps (pea- to walnut-sized) directly into simmering soup. (Each geda floats immediately and holds shape without dissolving or clumping.)
4. Simmer gently for 3 more minutes until geda are cooked through and plump. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste and adjust salt only if needed. (Geda swell visibly, turn opaque white, and float freely in broth.)
5. Turn off heat. Stir in scallion greens and a drizzle of sesame oil (optional). Serve hot in deep bowls. (Scallion greens retain bright green color; oil forms delicate golden swirls on surface.)