Tomato, sweet corn & chicken macaroni soup
Fresh tomatoes simmered into a sweet-sour broth with sweet corn and shredded chicken — a bright red-and-yellow bowl that lifts the mood.
- 27 min
- Serves 2
- Quick soup
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi Stagnation brings low moods, and the shortening days of Autumn Equinox easily trigger autumn melancholy. Red tomato and yellow corn make a cheerful, sweet-sour bowl that wakes the appetite, onion moves qi, and the warm soup gets the day off to an easy start.
Method
Prep 12 min · Cook 15 min- 1Put the chicken breast into boiling water, turn off the heat, cover and leave for 15 minutes until cooked through, then shred. You can do this the night before.
- 2Dice the tomatoes and onion; for a smoother soup, blanch and peel the tomatoes first.
- 3Boil the macaroni for 8–10 minutes until tender, drain and divide between two bowls.
- 4Fry the onion in the oil until fragrant, add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until juicy, then add the water and corn and boil for 8 minutes.
- 5Add the chicken for 1 minute, season with salt, pour over the macaroni, scatter with spring onion and eat hot.
Chef's tips
- Poach two or three chicken breasts at once, shred and refrigerate, and use within two days — it saves time in the morning.
- Use really ripe tomatoes and the broth turns naturally red and sweet, with no need for ketchup.
The TCM view
Tomato is sweet, sour and slightly cold; it generates fluids, wakes the appetite and calms the liver. Corn is sweet and neutral and settles the middle; onion is pungent and warm and moves qi; chicken is sweet and warm and builds qi. Sour with sweet creates fluids against autumn dryness, while pungent warmth frees stuck liver qi — warm and cool in balance.
