Hong Kong Recipes
Cha Chaan Teng Breakfast Soup
If you have ever walked into a Hong Kong cha chaan teng in the morning, this steaming bowl of macaroni in red tomato broth is one of the first things you smell. It tastes like comfort: light, gently sweet, faintly tangy, and warm all the way down. The trick that surprises most people is that the pasta never touches the broth until the very end, which keeps the soup clear and the macaroni springy instead of gluey.
Why This Tomato Macaroni Soup Works
This bowl is proof that a short list of everyday ingredients can taste like a treat. Fresh tomatoes give the broth its body and natural sweet-tart flavor, a spoon of ketchup rounds out the edges and deepens the color, and good stock ties it all together into something savory and slurpable. Nothing here is fussy, yet the result tastes like the cafe version you remember.
The single most important habit is cooking the macaroni in its own pot of water and only combining it with the broth at the table. When pasta simmers directly in the soup, it leaks starch, the broth turns cloudy and thick, and the noodles go soft and heavy. Keep them apart and the broth stays clean and bright while the macaroni holds a pleasant bite.
Cooking the tomatoes down for a few minutes before the stock goes in is the other quiet secret. You want them soft and jammy so the broth tastes mellow and full, not sharp and raw. That short simmer is what turns a thin red liquid into a broth worth drinking on its own.
It is also flexible in the best way. The same base welcomes thin slices of halal chicken, a runny fried egg, or a fully meatless bowl, so once you know the method you can build a different breakfast every day of the week from the same pot.
Pro observation: The broth is ready when it tastes balanced on its own, before any macaroni goes in. If it needs a lift, it is almost always a pinch more salt or a tiny bit more sugar rather than more tomato.
Ingredients
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Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Tomatoes
Ripe, red tomatoes give the broth its sweet-tart backbone. Out of season, one 14-ounce can of chopped tomatoes works well and is often more reliable than pale fresh ones. Cut fresh tomatoes into wedges so they soften quickly.
Ketchup
A little ketchup is traditional here. It adds gentle sweetness, a touch of tang, and that glossy red color the cafe bowls are known for. Start with the amount listed and adjust to taste; you want balance, not a sweet sauce.
Chicken
Use thinly sliced halal chicken breast or thigh. Thigh stays juicier, while breast cooks faster. For a vegetarian bowl, skip the chicken entirely and top with a fried egg instead.
Stock
A good chicken or vegetable stock carries the whole bowl, since the broth is light. If you only have water, add an extra pinch of salt and a little more tomato paste so the broth still tastes full.
Equipment
- Medium pot for the broth
- Separate pan for pasta
- Colander or strainer
- Sharp knife and board
- Ladle
- Two deep bowls
Before You Start
1. Boil the pasta water first. Getting a pan of salted water heating before anything else means the macaroni and the broth finish at roughly the same time.
2. Slice the chicken thin and cold. Partly chilled chicken is easier to slice into thin, even pieces that cook through in a minute or two.
3. Taste as you build the broth. This soup is all about balance, so keep a spoon nearby and adjust the salt, sugar, and ketchup as you go.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the Tomatoes and Chicken
Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Slice the chicken breast thinly across the grain and season it with a small pinch of the salt and white pepper. Thinly slice the scallions, keeping a little of the green aside for the final garnish.
Cook the Macaroni Separately
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni until just tender, following the package time, usually 8 to 9 minutes. Drain it well and set it aside. Do not cook the macaroni in the broth, or it will turn starchy and cloudy. A quick rinse keeps the pieces loose if you are not serving right away.
Start the Tomato Broth
Heat the neutral oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the tomato wedges and cook 4 to 5 minutes, pressing gently, until they soften and start to break down. Stir in the tomato paste and the ketchup and cook another minute so they lose their raw edge and deepen in color.
Simmer and Season the Broth
Pour in the stock and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the sugar, the remaining salt, and the white pepper. Let it bubble softly for 8 to 10 minutes so the flavors come together and the broth turns a warm red. Taste and adjust: a little more salt for savoriness, a touch more sugar or ketchup for balance.
Cook the Chicken in the Broth
Slide the thin chicken slices into the simmering broth and poach them gently for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn opaque and are cooked through. Keep the heat low so they stay tender rather than tough. For food safety, cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165F (74C); thin slices reach that quickly.
Assemble the Bowl and Serve
Divide the drained macaroni between two deep bowls. Ladle the hot tomato broth over the top so the pasta is just covered, then arrange the poached chicken slices on top. Finish with the reserved scallion. Serve at once while it is steaming, with extra white pepper at the table.
Chef’s Tips From Real Kitchen Testing
Always cook and combine the macaroni last. If it sits in the broth, it swells, softens, and clouds the soup within minutes.
Balance the broth before serving, not after. A pinch of salt plus a small pinch of sugar is usually all it needs to taste like the cafe version.
Poach the chicken low and slow for just a couple of minutes. Thin slices go from juicy to dry fast, so pull them as soon as they turn opaque.
Recipe Variations
Serving Suggestions
- A cup of Hong Kong style milk tea on the side
- Toasted buttered bread for dipping
- A soft or fried egg on top for a richer bowl
- Extra white pepper and chili oil at the table
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrient | Amount per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 420 |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Sodium | 780 mg |
Values are estimates per serving and vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.
Make-Ahead Tips
The broth is the make-ahead friend here, not the pasta. Simmer and season the tomato broth up to a day ahead, cool it, and keep it in the fridge; the flavor settles and rounds out overnight. Cook the macaroni fresh just before serving, or store it separately tossed with a drop of oil so it does not clump. Combine the two only when you are ready to eat, then poach the chicken in the reheated broth.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Troubleshooting
Broth tastes flat? It usually needs salt first, then a small pinch of sugar to round it out. A little more tomato paste adds depth without watering it down.
Broth too thin? Simmer it a few minutes longer to concentrate, or stir in an extra teaspoon of tomato paste to give it body.
Broth too sweet? Balance it with a pinch more salt and a small splash of stock. Next time, cut back slightly on the ketchup.
Macaroni gone soft? It sat in the broth too long. Serve the pasta and broth the moment they meet for the best texture.
A Note on Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng
A cha chaan teng is a Hong Kong tea cafe, the kind of fast, friendly spot where East meets West on every menu. The morning breakfast set is a local institution: a hot drink, maybe some toast, and a steaming bowl of macaroni in tomato broth topped with a protein and scallion. What makes it special is the technique, not the ingredient list. The pasta is boiled on its own, the broth is built from fresh tomatoes brightened with a little ketchup, and the two meet only at serving time so the bowl stays light and slurpable. If you love warming tomato bowls, our creamy Indian tomato soup shares the same cozy spirit, and you can browse more ideas in our full collection of tomato recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Tomato Recipes to Try
Last updated: September 23, 2026