Kimchi-tomato soup with rice & a soft egg

I am such a fan of tomato soups that I decided to put two in this book. The smooth, creamy, from-a-can variety feels, to me, more like puréed sauce than something I’d want to eat a whole bowl of, so know that this is decidedly different, proving (mostly to myself) that tomato soup can be so much more. Like the other one in this book (Buttered Tomato Soup with Lentils & Fennel, page 82), it doesn’t require a blender and is full of texture and joie de vivre. This one is just as much about the kimchi as it is the tomato, heavy on the tanginess and full of delightful bits and pieces to scoop up with your spoon. It’s brothy but nicely thickened by plump little grains of rice that cook right in the soup. As with many soups in this chapter, the liquid you add here is water (not broth), so the soy and fish sauces pull their weight big-time. It almost feels like cheating, using this many umami-heavy ingredients in one soup, but that’s the beauty of having a well-stocked pantry, no? For the tomatoes, this is a good time to use those ugly, bruised, end-of-year sorts you might find, or maybe ones that overstayed their welcome on your kitchen counter. If fresh aren’t an option, you can of course go full pantry and use tinned.