Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Hong Kong Tomato Beef Macaroni Soup
港式番茄牛肉湯通粉
Recipe overview
Fresh tomatoes make a red broth for thin beef slices, served over separately cooked elbow macaroni in a Hong Kong café-style home soup.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 600 g ripe tomatoes
- 300 g thin beef slices
- 200 g dry elbow macaroni
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 stalks spring onions
- 800 ml low-salt beef stock
Soup seasoning
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
02
Tools
- knife and separate meat/vegetable boards
- marinating bowl
- macaroni pot
- colander
- soup pot
- ladle
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Wash tomatoes
Wash and drain tomatoes.
Step 2
Chop tomatoes
Cut tomatoes into small wedges and keep their juices.
Step 3
Slice beef
Cut beef thinly on a raw-meat board; wash hands and equipment after handling.
Step 4
Marinate beef
Mix beef with soy sauce and black pepper; marinate about 10 minutes while chilled.
Step 5
Dice onion
Finely dice yellow onion and cut spring onions into short pieces.
Step 6
Boil macaroni
Boil water in a separate pot and cook elbow macaroni to a slight bite following its package time.
Step 7
Drain macaroni
Drain in a colander and set aside away from raw beef.
Step 8
Saute onion
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat and cook onion about 3 minutes until soft.
Step 9
Soften tomatoes
Add tomatoes and sugar, cook about 5 minutes until juicy and soft.
Step 10
Add stock
Pour in 800 ml low-salt beef stock, bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes.
Step 11
Cook beef fully
Add beef slices one by one to boiling broth; cook about 3–4 minutes. Use a thermometer to verify the thickest slice centre reaches 75°C for 30 seconds; continue cooking if short.
Step 12
Serve over macaroni
Divide macaroni among bowls, ladle hot tomato beef broth and cooked beef over it, add spring onion and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Under-softened tomatoes make weak broth, long soaking softens macaroni too much, and beef colour alone is an unreliable doneness check.
Tips
Cooking macaroni separately keeps it from absorbing all the soup. Beef centre should reach 75°C for 30 seconds; separate raw and ready-to-eat boards.
