Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Tomato Potato Beef Soup
鮮茄薯仔牛肉湯
Recipe overview
Tomato Potato Beef Soup is a common sweet and light soup for Hong Kong family dinners. Tomatoes give a gentle sour note, potatoes become soft and satisfying, and beef adds savoury flavour. It is easy for children to eat, and elderly family members can enjoy both the soup and the soft potatoes. The key points are to slice the beef thinly against the grain, marinate it simply, fry the tomatoes first for more flavour, and add the beef near the end so it does not turn tough.
01
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 250 g Beef
- 3 Tomatoes
- 2 Potatoes
- 1/2 Onion
- 3 slices Ginger
- 1.3 litres Water
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
Seasoning
- 1 tsp Beef marinade: light soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp Beef marinade: sugar
- a little white pepper Beef marinade:
- 1 tsp Beef marinade: cornstarch
- 1 tsp Beef marinade: cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp, adjust at the end Soup seasoning: salt
- 1/4 tsp, adjust according to tomato sourness Soup seasoning: sugar
02
Tools
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Soup pot
- Wok spatula or wooden spoon
- Wok spatula or wooden spoon
- Soup ladle
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare the beef, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, ginger, and seasonings first. For a clean and sweet soup, handle all ingredients before turning on the heat.
Step 2
Slice the beef
Slice the beef thinly against the grain, not along the grain. This makes the beef easier to chew, especially for children and elderly family members.
Step 3
Marinate the beef
Mix the beef with light soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and cornstarch, then add cooking oil and mix again. Marinate for 10 minutes. Cornstarch and oil help keep the beef tender.
Step 4
Cut the tomatoes
Wash the tomatoes and cut each one into 6-8 wedges. Do not cut them too small, so they still keep a natural shape after cooking.
Step 5
Cut the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Soak them briefly in water to prevent browning. If they are too small, they may break apart in the soup.
Step 6
Slice the onion and ginger
Cut the onion into thick strips and slice the ginger. Onion adds sweetness to the soup, and ginger helps reduce the meaty smell.
Step 7
Fry onion and tomatoes
Add a little oil to the soup pot. Fry the ginger and onion until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Frying the tomatoes first makes the soup richer.
Step 8
Add water and boil the soup base
Add water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. After boiling, skim off any foam from the surface with a ladle so the soup stays clearer.
Step 9
Add the potatoes
Add the potato chunks, turn to medium-low heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are soft but not completely broken apart.
Step 10
Season the soup base
Add salt and a little sugar, then taste the soup. Tomatoes can be sour, so a small amount of sugar can balance the taste, but the soup should not become sweet.
Step 11
Add the beef slices
Turn to medium heat. Add the marinated beef slices and gently separate them with chopsticks. Once the beef changes colour, cook for about 1-2 more minutes.
Step 12
Final taste and serve
Check that the beef is cooked through and the potatoes are soft, then turn off the heat. Taste again and add a little salt only if needed. Serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Cutting beef along the grain makes it chewy and hard to bite.
- Adding beef too early makes it tough and less tender.
- Not frying the tomatoes first makes the soup taste lighter and less sweet.
- Cutting potatoes too small makes them break apart and cloud the soup.
- Adding too much salt at the beginning can make the soup too salty after simmering.
- Keeping the heat too high makes the soup cloudy and breaks the potatoes easily.
- Not separating the beef slices after adding them can make them stick together and cook unevenly.
Tips
The most important point is to add the beef near the end, not from the beginning. Fry the tomatoes first so the soup becomes more fragrant and flavourful. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and cook them until soft but not fully broken. Use less salt the first time, then ask Ma’am or Sir to taste at the end. If there are elderly family members at home, the potatoes can be cooked a little softer.
