Spicy Tomato Glass Noodle Soup

It’s soup season! This quick and easy Spicy Tomato Glass Noodle Soup is the perfect mealtime solution to keep you warm and snuggly on a cool damp day. It’s brimming with mung bean vermicelli noodles and an Asian vegetarian tomato broth that will have you swooning. Best of all, it’s ready in under 20 minutes.

But that is not all.  We can’t wait to share with you an easy way to peel and crush fresh tomatoes in seconds without boiling. Seriously, this hack is life altering!

Ingredients: Spicy Tomato Soup Broth

Have you ever had a Chinese tomato hot pot broth? It’s vibrant, zesty, savory, spicy and lip smacking good. This spicy tomato soup broth is made with simple ingredients and it’s ready in a flash. Here are the ingredients needed to make the broth…

• Vegetable or chicken broth
• Crushed fresh tomatoes.
• Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and green onions
• Crushed red chili flakes for the kick of heat.
• Soy sauce or a gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for the savory aspect.
• Ketchup – yep good old ketchup we used the sugar free version. This is a Hong Kong’s secret for a delicious tomato hot pot broth as it is lightly sweet and balances the heat.
• Quick cooking veggies of choice like bok choy, cabbage, or spinach
• Sesame oil – and a bit extra for serving.
• Egg to make a tomato egg drop soup.

The Secret Ingredient

One of my favorite things about Chinese hot pots or soups is the delicious broth that only grandma knows the secret to. One day, I was having a delicious tomato based hot pot in Causeway Bay and asked what was in the broth. The waitress responded with the usual garlic, onions, chili and then the surprise - KETCHUP.

Ketchup? Really! This condiment is a delicious addition to our African bobotie but this little Chinese grandma put ketchup in her soup base. I was baffled and thought it just might a translational issue.  But I kid you not, she brought out a bottle of Heinz ketchup to show me. Depending on where you live in the world you may refer to ketchup as catsup, tomato sauce or other names.

Dried Glass Noodles

These Asian noodles are a delicious addition to soups, salads and stir fries because they have a thin, chewy, and slippery texture that is completely addictive. Sometimes, these gluten-free noodles are also called cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, fensi, Japanese harusame, Korean sweet potato noodles, saifun or labeled as 粉絲 or 粉丝 in Chinese. The dried vermicelli noodles appear thin, white, and are bundled together in the package. However, after they are cooked or rehydrated, they become transparent like- almost like seeing through glass.

Glass noodles are usually made with water and a vegetable starch. Some of the different types include…

• Mung bean vermicelli is made from the little green legume – mung bean. We used these for the tomato soup recipe.
• Potato starch
• Sweet potato starch noodles are delicious in Korean Japchae or camote bihon.

Where to Purchase?

You can purchase glass noodles in the Asian market, Amazon and have even found in certain Walmart stores in the US.  Please do not confuse glass noodles with rice vermicelli noodles. Rice vermicelli are also thin noodles, but they are made with rice instead of a vegetable starch.

Feel free to exchange with other pre-cooked noodles of choice like rice vermicelli used in our steamed scallops or cooked angel hair pasta. Please note that adding different noodles will not give to tomato soup the same addictive texture.

How to Cook Glass Noodles in Soup

• Soak the cellophane noodles in warm water for 7 minutes OR per your package instructions BEFORE adding to the soup.
• Rinse with cool water, drain and cut into shorter segments before adding the pre-soaked noodles to the spicy tomato soup.

TOP TIP: Soaking the glass noodles before adding to a soup allows the noodles to soak up the water so it does not soak up all the soup broth while it cooks.

• Add the pre-soaked noodles to the soup broth and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until aldente.

How to Make a Quick and Easy Soup Broth

• Add oil to soup pot. Toss in the firmer white sections of bok choy or veggies of choice along with the white parts of the spring onion and stir fry just until aromatic.
• Pour in the freshly crushed tomatoes, ginger, crushed chili flakes, soy sauce and ketchup to the soup pot.
• Then, add the vegetable or chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

How to Peel Tomatoes Without Boiling?

Are you ready for this! Here are the steps for the quickest and easiest way to peel and crush a tomato in about 30 seconds flat! Watch the video below in the recipe card to see this in action.

1. Cut the top off the fresh tomato.
2. Lay the cut end of the tomato on the grater and carefully grate the tomato back and forth.
3. As the tomato is crushed and juiced, the peel will be left behind. You will need to change your grip on the tomato from holding to a flat finger position as the tomato flattens.

Grating a fresh tomato is much faster than scoring, soaking in boiling water, peeling it, and then chopping or crushing. We are not fond of the skin in a soup. If you don't mind the skin you can just chop and add it directly to the spicy tomato soup broth.

The Final Touch: Adding Noodles and Egg Drop

• Add the noodles, quick cooking greens, sesame oil and the green onions to the spicy tomato soup.
• Slowly add the beaten egg in a slow steam into the tomato soup.
• Gently stir the soup to form egg flowers in the soup.
• Enjoy a warming bowl of spicy tomato glass noodle soup today!

Recipe Tips for Success

• Follow the directions on your package of glass noodles for length of time needed for soaking. Usually, it will be for 7 to 10 minutes. Every brand is different.
• Cut the noodles with culinary scissors after soaking to make it easier to eat.
• The longer you leave the noodles in the soup, the more broth the noodles will soak up. Add them at the end.
• Do not overcook the noodles!
• If you want to make the soup in advance, soak the noodles and make the broth but keep them separated until ready to eat.

What to Eat with Tomato Soup?

• Grilled cheese sandwiches but of course, right!
• Dumplings or Beef Bao (Chinese pan fried beef bun)
• Tossed Salads or add some extra protein with a Thai Fish Salad
• Crackers or garlic toast
• Drizzle on a little extra heat with a spicy garlic chili oil.

Storage and Reheating

To prevent the noodles from soaking up all the broth, store the noodles and the broth separately for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

If you have leftovers after you have added the glass noodles into the soup, you can still store them for 3 days in the refrigerator. However, you will need extra vegetable broth or chicken broth for reheating. 

Be sure to heat up the soup until it is steamy hot so the noodles regain their springy texture. 

Stay Healthy!

Cold Damp weather is hard on the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is advised to drink warm fluids and eat warming herbs such as garlic, chili, and ginger to strengthen your spleen qi. Mung beans are cooling and are known to help relieve the dampness from your body. This delicious spicy tomato and mung bean noodle soup is just what the doctor ordered. Stay healthy and happy foodie friends!