Serves 4

Beef and tomato are a natural combination. For a heartier soup, add ½ cup of ground beef or lean beef.

4 cups beef broth

2 medium tomatoes

⅛ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 tablespoons water

1 egg white, lightly beaten

2 green onions, minced

A few drops of sesame oil

• Bring the 4 cups of beef broth to a boil.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the tomatoes briefly in the boiling water. (This will make it easier to remove the peel.) Peel the tomatoes and cut each into 6 equal pieces.

• When the beef broth comes to a boil, add the white pepper, salt, sugar, rice wine, and tomatoes. Bring the broth back to boiling.

• Mix the cornstarch and water, and pour it into the soup, stirring to thicken. Turn off the heat.

• Pour the egg white into the soup and quickly stir in a clockwise direction to form thin shreds.

• Add the green onions and a few drops of sesame oil. Give the soup a final stir.

Cholesterol Concerns

Using egg whites instead of eggs in the Egg Drop Soup–type recipes helps reduce the amount of cholesterol. Another option is to forego the egg altogether — heartier soups such as Chicken Velvet Soup taste fine without it.