The soup my mother makes when she wants appetites opened is this one – tomato shrimp ball soup, bouncy homemade shrimp balls in a bright, sour-sweet tomato broth, the kind of bowl the recipe’s title promises is “sour, very appetizing.” A home cook wrote it in twenty steps with the shrimp balls and the tomato broth as the two crafts. I made it as written, and it is the soup that empties the rice bowls around it.
Fan qie xia wan tang (番茄虾丸汤) is tomato shrimp ball soup – homemade shrimp balls made bouncy with the recipe’s techniques, cooked in a bright tomato broth that is sour-sweet and deeply appetizing. The original is a 20-step recipe with the shrimp balls and the broth as its two lessons.
What Is Tomato Shrimp Ball Soup?
This is a bright, appetizing soup of two parts: homemade shrimp balls – shrimp pounded into a paste with the recipe’s bounciness tricks – and a tomato broth made by cooking ripe tomatoes down until they release their juice, then seasoning with the sour-sweet balance. The balls are dropped into the boiling broth and cook in minutes; the soup comes out bright, shrimp-sweet, and tomato-sour, exactly the “appetizing” the title promises.
The method is the two crafts. The shrimp balls need the bounciness – the recipe’s twenty steps walk through the pounding and the binding that make them springy. The broth needs the tomatoes cooked down and the sour-sweet balance. Together, the bowl is a study in bright, clean flavors.
For the shrimp stir-fry side of the same pantry, my shrimp cucumber and egg stir-fry is the fast-wok sibling of this soup.
1Easy Shrimp, Cucumber, and Egg Stir-fry (黄瓜虾仁炒鸡蛋)A 15-minute, healthy, and refreshing one-pan meal! This homestyle Chinese stir-fry features juicy shrimp, fluffy eggs, and crisp cucumber in a light, savory garlic sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.Check out this recipe
Why This Version Works
- Bouncy shrimp balls. The recipe’s pounding and binding – the spring that makes the balls a pleasure.
- Tomatoes cooked down. The bright broth’s base – the tomato’s juice is the soup.
- The sour-sweet balance. The appetizing note – the recipe’s title promise.
- Balls in last, cooked fast. They poach in minutes – tender and springy.
- Bright, clean, and appetizing. The bowl’s whole character.
Equipment Needed
- A pot for the broth
- A bowl and spoon for the shrimp paste
- A knife
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- A pinch of salt and white pepper
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, cut
- Scallion and ginger, to taste
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- Water, for the broth
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp: 300 g (10.5 oz), shelled and deveined, pounded into a paste – the balls’ base. My shrimp cucumber and egg stir-fry is the wok version.
The binder: Egg white and cornstarch with salt and pepper – the bounciness. My silky scrambled eggs with shrimp shows the egg-shrimp pairing.
Tomatoes: Three or four ripe ones, cooked down – the bright broth.
Prep & Mise en Place
Pound the shrimp into a paste with the egg white, cornstarch, salt, and pepper; cut the tomatoes; mix the seasonings.
The sequence: cook the tomatoes down into the broth, season with the sour-sweet balance, then drop the shrimp balls in and poach until they float.
Cooking Process
Step 1 – Peel and devein the shrimp, rinse clean; add half a spoon of
Peel and devein the shrimp, rinse clean; add half a spoon of salt, a little white pepper, a spoon of cornstarch, a spoon of cooking wine, and one egg white; mix well.
Step 2 – Blend with an immersion blender or food processor into a shr
Blend with an immersion blender or food processor into a shrimp paste. Without any machine, hand-chopping into a paste also works.
Step 3 – The finished shrimp paste looks like this
The finished shrimp paste looks like this.
Step 4 – Heat half a pot of water in the soup pot
Heat half a pot of water in the soup pot.
Step 5 – Scoop a little paste with a spoon and shape it into a ball i
Scoop a little paste with a spoon and shape it into a ball in your palm.
Step 6 – When the water boils, drop the balls in as you shape them
When the water boils, drop the balls in as you shape them.
Step 7 – Once the balls float, they are cooked – scoop them out
Once the balls float, they are cooked – scoop them out.
Step 8 – The balls are done – this batch made 15
The balls are done – this batch made 15.
Step 9 – Peel and chunk the tomatoes; slice the onion into strips
Peel and chunk the tomatoes; slice the onion into strips.
Step 10 – Rinse the soup pot clean, then add a little oil
Rinse the soup pot clean, then add a little oil.
Step 11 – Bloom the onion until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and st
Bloom the onion until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and stir-fry together.
Step 12 – Add half a spoon of salt and keep stir-frying
Add half a spoon of salt and keep stir-frying.
Step 13 – Mash the tomatoes as you stir, until it becomes a sauce like
Mash the tomatoes as you stir, until it becomes a sauce like this.
Step 14 – Add a large bowl of water
Add a large bowl of water.
Step 15 – Cover and bring to a boil
Cover and bring to a boil.
Step 16 – When it boils, add the shrimp balls
When it boils, add the shrimp balls.
Step 17 – Add half a spoon of salt
Add half a spoon of salt.
Step 18 – Add a little chicken powder
Add a little chicken powder.
Step 19 – When the balls float again, they are ready
When the balls float again, they are ready.
Step 20 – Scatter scallion and it is ready to eat
Scatter scallion and it is ready to eat.
Common Mistakes When Making This Soup
1. Rubbery shrimp balls. Cause: over-poaching. Fix: the float is the timer – out the moment they rise.
2. Balls that fall apart. Cause: not enough binder. Fix: the egg white and cornstarch – the recipe’s binding.
3. A pale, watery broth. Cause: under-cooked tomatoes. Fix: cook them down fully until the juice releases.
4. A flat, un-appetizing bowl. Cause: no sugar. Fix: the sour-sweet balance is the recipe’s promise.
5. A fishy note. Cause: old shrimp or no ginger. Fix: fresh shrimp and the aromatics.
6. A clumpy paste. Cause: under-pounding. Fix: pound until truly smooth – the bounciness is in the work.
Variations
More sour: A squeeze of vinegar at the end – my shrimp cucumber and egg stir-fry is the wok side, and silky scrambled eggs with shrimp and steamed egg with shrimp and broccoli the shrimp family.
Vegetables: A handful of greens or mushrooms with the balls – and with tomato egg drop soup and easy miso soup the bright-soup drawer is full.
Noodles: Vermicelli in the broth for a one-bowl meal – and with tomato egg noodles the noodle side is covered.
The soup shelf: With tomato egg drop soup and easy miso soup, the bright-soup drawer is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my balls not bouncy? The pounding and the binder – egg white and cornstarch – are the bounciness; work the paste smooth, and with silky scrambled eggs with shrimp and steamed egg with shrimp and broccoli the shrimp table is set.
How do I know the balls are done? They float – the recipe’s visual cue.
Can I use frozen shrimp? Yes – thaw and dry well before pounding.
Is it very sour? Sour-sweet – the sugar balances the tomato acid.
How long does it take? About 30 minutes.
How to Serve
Serve hot with rice – with tomato egg drop soup and shrimp cucumber and egg stir-fry for a shrimp-tomato table, or beside 10-minute chives and eggs for variety.
Storage & Reheat
Refrigerate for up to 1 day; reheat gently – do not re-boil the balls. Never leave the pot out more than 2 hours.
Allergen Notice
This recipe contains shellfish (shrimp), egg (egg white), and soy (soy sauce). It is free of gluten (if using gluten-free soy), nuts, dairy, and fish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, a professional Chinese chef and food writer with a decade in restaurant kitchens before turning to recipes. This xiachufang cook’s shrimp ball soup is my mother’s appetite-opener, and the recipe’s float-is-the-timer logic and sour-sweet balance are exactly why it works. I tested it as written. I have not tested the noodle or extra-sour variations, so those are your experiments, not my claims.
Authoritative References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for shellfish handling and storage guidance.
Tomato Shrimp Ball Soup (Fan Qie Xia Wan Tang): The Appetizer
Equipment
- Pot
- Bowl and spoon
- Knife
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 300 g shrimp, shelled and deveined 10.5 oz
- 1 egg white
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- a pinch salt and white pepper
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, cut
- to taste scallion and ginger
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- water, for the broth
Instructions
- Peel and devein the shrimp, rinse clean; add half a spoon of salt, a little white pepper, a spoon of cornstarch, a spoon of cooking wine, and one egg white; mix well.
- Blend with an immersion blender or food processor into a shrimp paste. Without any machine, hand-chopping into a paste also works.
- The finished shrimp paste looks like this.
- Heat half a pot of water in the soup pot.
- Scoop a little paste with a spoon and shape it into a ball in your palm.
- When the water boils, drop the balls in as you shape them.
- Once the balls float, they are cooked – scoop them out.
- The balls are done – this batch made 15.
- Peel and chunk the tomatoes; slice the onion into strips.
- Rinse the soup pot clean, then add a little oil.
- Bloom the onion until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and stir-fry together.
- Add half a spoon of salt and keep stir-frying.
- Mash the tomatoes as you stir, until it becomes a sauce like this.
- Add a large bowl of water.
- Cover and bring to a boil.
- When it boils, add the shrimp balls.
- Add half a spoon of salt.
- Add a little chicken powder.
- When the balls float again, they are ready.
- Scatter scallion and it is ready to eat.
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