Beef and Tomato Soup (Hong Kong Borscht Soup)

This beef and tomato soup (also known as Hong Kong Borscht Soup) is what I make the moment I hear a sneeze or cough in my house. This soup instantly comforts and nourishes my body. The total time to make this soup is about 2 hours but most of it is just simmering while you wait to enjoy this delicious bowl.

What is Beef and Tomato Soup (Hong Kong Borscht Soup)?

This beef and tomato soup is Hong Kong borscht soup, also known as "luo song tang," a hearty soup of beef, tomatoes, cabbage, and root vegetables simmered until everything is fall apart tender. It's Hong Kong's take on Russian borscht, but instead of beets it leans on tomatoes for that tangy, sweet, red orange broth.

If you grew up around Cantonese food like I did, you know it as the soup that comes with your set lunch at a Hong Kong cafe, right alongside milk tea and a warm easy Hong Kong pineapple bun (bolo bao). And if you love the sweet and tangy tomato flavor in my Chinese tomato and egg stir fry, this soup has similar vibes.

Why You'll Love This Beef and Tomato Soup

• Fall apart tender beef: A long, gentle simmer turns chuck roast so tender it practically melts into the broth.
• Big flavor, little effort: It's mostly hands off simmering, the same low effort payoff I love about my easy beef pho made in the Instant Pot.
• Cafe classic at home: You get a real Hong Kong borscht soup without leaving the house and it sits well next to my easy homemade wonton soup or easy egg drop soup in my soup season rotation.

Key Ingredients

• Beef chuck roast or beef stew meat: Chuck roast is my pick since its marbling melts into the broth and gets super tender after a long simmer.
• Beefsteak tomatoes: These big, juicy tomatoes break down easily and give the broth its fresh, sweet tang.
• Green cabbage: A must for Hong Kong borscht soup, it turns silky and sweet as it soaks up the tomato broth.
• Chicken broth: Keeps the soup lighter so the tomato flavor shines, though beef broth works too.
• Tomato paste: Deepens the color and adds concentrated tomato flavor that fresh tomatoes alone can't give you.
• Yellow potatoes: Yukon Golds hold their shape and turn creamy without falling apart.

Customizations

• Add a little ketchup: Plenty of Hong Kong cafes sneak in ketchup for extra sweetness, so stir in 1-2 tablespoon with the potatoes if you like it that way.
• Make it a noodle soup: Ladle it over cooked udon or rice noodles for a tomato twist on my Japanese beef udon soup (niku udon).
• Swap the beef: Beef shank, oxtail, or bone in short ribs all work, just add 30-45 minutes of simmering for oxtail.
• Load up the veggies: Toss in sliced mushrooms, corn, or green beans with the potatoes for an even heartier pot.

How to Make Beef and Tomato Soup (Hong Kong Borscht Soup)

Step 1: Sear the beef.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the beef chuck roast until golden brown on all sides, then remove and set aside.

Step 2: Bloom the aromatics.
Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then sauté the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 3: Sauté the vegetables.
Toss in the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Cook down the tomatoes and cabbage.
Stir in the tomatoes and cabbage and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down and release their juices.

Step 5: Simmer the soup.
Return the beef to the pot along with the chicken broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Step 6: Add the potatoes.
Add the yellow potatoes, soy sauce, and sugar and simmer for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Step 7: Season and serve.
Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Tips to Make the Perfect Beef and Tomato Soup

• Cut your own chuck roast: I've made this with both, and chuck roast wins every time. Packaged stew meat is often a mix of random cuts, so some pieces turn tender while others stay stubbornly chewy.
• Don't skip the sear: Brown the beef for a few minutes to release more flavor into the soup.
• Add the potatoes last: Potatoes only need about 20 minutes so adding them at the start turns them to mush.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat on the stove over medium heat until steaming. It freezes for up to 3 months, though potatoes can turn a little grainy, so freeze it before adding them if you're planning ahead.

Got half a cabbage left over? Turn it into my garlic butter melting cabbage or red curry melting cabbage.

Beef and Tomato Soup FAQs

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Beef and Tomato Soup (Hong Kong Borscht Soup)

A hearty soup of tender beef, tomatoes, cabbage, and potatoes simmered in a tangy, savory tomato broth.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Herman Chan

Equipment

• ▢
  Large Pot
• ▢
  Spatula

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 2 tablespoon neutral oil
• ▢ 1.5-2 pounds beef chuck roast or beef stew meat
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger minced
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 yellow onion diced
• ▢ 2 carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 3 celery stalks cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 3 beef steak tomatoes cut into large chunks
• ▢ ½ head green cabbage cut into large chunks
• ▢ 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 3 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 5 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 yellow potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chuck roast until golden brown on all sides, then remove and set aside.
  2 Tbsp neutral oil, 1.5-2 pounds beef chuck roast or beef stew meat
• Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then saute the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  1 Tbsp ginger, 3 cloves garlic
• Toss in the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  1 yellow onion, 2 carrots, 3 celery stalks
• Stir in the tomatoes and cabbage and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down and release their juices.
  3 beef steak tomatoes, ½ head green cabbage
• Return the beef to the pot along with the chicken broth, tomato paste and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour 10 minutes.
  5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 3 Tbsp tomato paste, 5 bay leaves
• Add the yellow potatoes, soy sauce and sugar and simmer for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
  2 yellow potatoes, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp granulated sugar
• Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  Salt, Freshly ground black pepper

Notes

Chef's Tips:

• Cut your own chuck roast into chunks instead of buying packaged stew meat so every piece cooks at the same rate and turns evenly tender.
• Use a big pot or dutch oven because the ingredients can fill up the pot fast.
• Don't skip the step of searing the beef. A few minutes of browning the beef adds so much more flavor to the soup.
• Add the potatoes around the last 20 minutes of cooking so potatoes are firm, tender, and doesn't fall apart.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 1279mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 5039IU | Vitamin C: 56mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4mg