The soup I make from a block of tofu I froze and forgot is this one – frozen tofu and tomato soup, and this home cook’s version explains the whole trick in the first step: freezing turns silken tofu honeycombed so it drinks broth. A home cook wrote it in fourteen steps, and the spoon-scrape tomato peel method is the kind of detail I keep. I made it as written, and it is the sweet-sour, juice-bursting bowl that makes frozen tofu famous.

Dong dou fu fan qie tang (番茄冻豆腐汤) is frozen tofu and tomato soup – silken tofu frozen at least a day until honeycombed, then simmered with tomato and king oyster mushroom in a sweet-sour, lightly ketchuped broth.

What Is Frozen Tofu and Tomato Soup?

This is the recipe that makes frozen tofu the star: a block of silken tofu is rinsed, drained, sealed, and frozen a day or more – the freeze makes it layered and honeycombed, so it soaks up any broth. Tomato is peeled by the spoon-scrape method, half in chunks and half in small dice; the dice cook in oil until sandy, the chunks soften in, and water boils with ketchup, sugar, soy, salt, and chicken powder. King oyster mushroom, scored or sliced, simmers soft before the frozen tofu goes in and drinks until every bite bursts.

For the fresh-tofu tomato pan of the same red pot, my pan-fried tofu in savory tomato sauce never freezes the tofu at all.

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Pan-Fried Tofu with Egg in Tomato Sauce (Qie Zhi Ji Dan Dou Fu)

This easy 30-minute dish features crispy pan-fried tofu and fluffy scrambled eggs braised in a rich, sweet, and savory tomato glaze. It's the perfect comfort food to serve over steamed rice.

Check out this recipe

Why This Recipe Works

• The day-long freeze. Silken tofu turns honeycombed – the recipe’s opening trick.
• The spoon-scrape peel. Tomato skin off with almost no flesh lost.
• Dice first, chunks second. The tomato builds twice.
• Ketchup, sugar, soy. The sweet-sour broth.
• The frozen tofu last. It drinks until it bursts.

Equipment Needed

• A freezer-safe box
• A pot
• A ladle
• A spoon, for the tomato peel

Ingredients

• 1 block of silken tofu, frozen a day or more
• 4-6 tomatoes (4 large or 6 small)
• 1 king oyster mushroom (or crab or enoki mushrooms)
• 1 tbsp ketchup, 2-3 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp light soy, 2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp chicken powder
• A little oil and water

Ingredient Notes

The frozen tofu: Freeze silken tofu a day ahead so it turns honeycombed. My types of tofu explained explains why silken freezes this way. The tomato: Peeled by spoon scrape, half diced and half chunked. The broth: Ketchup, sugar, and soy for the sweet-sour.

Prep & Mise en Place

Freeze the tofu the day before; peel and cut the tomatoes; slice the mushroom.

Cooking Process

Step 1 – Rinse the silken tofu, drain and seal it, and freeze it

Rinse the silken tofu, drain and seal it, and freeze it a day or more – frozen silken tofu becomes layered and honeycombed, and I often keep it frozen until I need it.

Step 2 – Remove the tomato stems and wash them – 6 small or 4 la

Remove the tomato stems and wash them – 6 small or 4 large.

Step 3 – The easy peel: scrape the whole tomato skin with the ba

The easy peel: scrape the whole tomato skin with the back of a spoon, pressing lightly.

Step 4 – Scraped well, the skin comes off easily and takes almos

Scraped well, the skin comes off easily and takes almost no flesh with it.

Step 5 – Thaw the frozen tofu – squeeze out the water it release

Thaw the frozen tofu – squeeze out the water it releases – and cut it into small cubes; cut half the tomatoes in chunks and peel and dice the other half.

Step 6 – For the mushroom I chose king oyster – wash, slice thic

For the mushroom I chose king oyster – wash, slice thick, and score the surface without cutting through; crab or enoki mushrooms just need washing. A nice touch: sear the slices in a little oil first.

Step 7 – Small king oyster mushrooms can also be cut lengthwise

Small king oyster mushrooms can also be cut lengthwise into thin slices – cut them however you like.

Step 8 – Heat a little oil in the pan and cook the diced tomato

Heat a little oil in the pan and cook the diced tomato over low heat, stirring, until most of it turns to sauce.

Step 9 – Add the tomato chunks and cook until soft

Add the tomato chunks and cook until soft.

Step 10 – Add half a pot of water and boil over high, then drop t

Add half a pot of water and boil over high, then drop to medium; season with 1 spoon of ketchup, 2-3 spoons of sugar, half a spoon of light soy, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 2 teaspoons of chicken powder; stir.

Step 11 – Add the mushrooms – king oyster, crab, or enoki – and s

Add the mushrooms – king oyster, crab, or enoki – and simmer until they are cooked soft.

Step 12 – Add the frozen tofu cubes and keep simmering until the

Add the frozen tofu cubes and keep simmering until the tofu takes the flavor.

Step 13 – Simmer, simmer, simmer – the video is basically that

Simmer, simmer, simmer – the video is basically that.

Step 14 – Bite a cube that has drunk all the broth – it bursts

Bite a cube that has drunk all the broth – it bursts.

Common Mistakes When Making This Dish

1. A watery, bland tofu. Cause: not squeezed or not simmered. Fix: squeeze the thawed tofu and let it drink. 2. A sharp tomato note. Cause: skin on, or not cooked to sand. Fix: the spoon-scrape peel and the sandy dice. 3. A pale broth. Cause: no ketchup or sugar. Fix: the full seasonings. 4. A watery, weeping bowl. Cause: too much water. Fix: half a pot. 5. Tough mushroom. Cause: added late. Fix: simmer it soft before the tofu.

Variations

Other mushrooms: Crab or enoki instead of king oyster. Spicier: A little chili with the tomato. My tofu mushroom soup with egg is the fresh-tofu mushroom bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why freeze the tofu? Freezing makes silken tofu honeycombed, so it drinks the broth – the recipe’s trick. How do I peel the tomato? Scrape the skin with a spoon, then tear it off. How long frozen? A day or more – longer is fine. How long does it take? About 20 minutes of cooking, plus the freeze. Is it spicy? Not at all – and my savory tofu and egg stir-fry is the fast plate, silken tofu potage the gentle soup.

How to Serve

Serve hot with rice – with pan-fried tofu in savory tomato sauce, tofu mushroom soup with egg, and home-style tofu for a soup table, or with red braised tofu and golden pan-fried tofu for contrast.

Storage & Reheat

Refrigerate 3 days; reheat gently. Never leave out more than 2 hours.

Allergen Notice

This recipe contains soy (tofu, soy sauce) and no shellfish, dairy, egg, nuts, fish, or gluten (verify the soy).

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 Jason Guo, a Chinese chef who has cooked professionally for more than five years – including time as a head chef – and now runs my own small restaurant in China, where tofu appears on the menu almost every day. This xiachufang cook’s frozen tofu and tomato soup is the recipe that made me a believer in the freezer, and the spoon-scrape peel is exactly the kind of small trick I collect. I tested it as written. I have not tested the spicy version, so that is your experiment, not my claim.

Authoritative References

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service – Safe Temperature Chart for safe storage of cooked dishes.