Tomato and beef macaroni soup
Tomatoes cooked down into a rosy broth, then tender marinated beef slices and macaroni added — tangy, sweet and appetising, a homemade take on the cha chaan teng breakfast.
- 30 min
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient people tire easily and speak weakly, and Chushu's 'autumn fatigue' makes mornings especially hard. Beef strengthens the spleen and stomach and builds qi and blood, while tomato aids digestion and generates fluids, its tangy broth waking up the appetite. Soft macaroni is easy to digest, and a warm bowl sets you up for the day.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min- 1Mix the beef with half the soy sauce, the cornflour and 1 tsp water and leave for 10 minutes. Cut the tomatoes into wedges.
- 2Cook the macaroni in boiling water for 8 minutes until soft, drain, rinse with hot water and divide between two bowls.
- 3Heat the oil and fry the ginger until fragrant. Cook the tomatoes over a medium heat for 3 minutes until soft and juicy, add the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with the sugar, salt and remaining soy sauce.
- 4Turn the heat down, add the beef slice by slice and turn off the heat as soon as it returns to the boil. Ladle over the macaroni and serve.
Cautions
- Tomato is acidic, so use less if you have acid reflux or stomach pain; go easy on beef during a gout attack.
Chef's tips
- Use fully ripe tomatoes and cook them until juicy before adding water for a deep red broth; add the beef last and turn off the heat once it boils for the most tender slices.
The TCM view
Beef is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen and stomach, building qi and blood and fortifying the sinews. Tomato is sweet, sour and slightly cold, generating fluids and aiding digestion; wheat pasta is sweet and cool, calming the heart and supporting the spleen; ginger warms the middle and tempers the tomato's coolness. Sour and sweet together stir the appetite, tonifying without causing stagnation.
