Finely chop the shallots, garlic cloves, chili (deseeded or not, to taste), and ginger. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy bottom soup pot. Add the chopped ingredients and cook until golden and fragrant.
Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, fish sauce, lime leaves, and chicken stock. Stir well, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Blend the soup and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
Poached Eggs:
To make the poached eggs, bring a wide pan of water to a boil. Add a splash of white wine vinegar to the water. Turn the heat to very low and wait until the water stops boiling and only simmers.
In the meantime break each egg into an individual small cup or ramekin dish.
Create a swirl in the water using a whisk. Carefully place the eggs into the water. It is preferable to poach only two eggs at the time, so either poach the eggs in batches or use two pans.
Set the timer to 4 minutes. Check if the eggs are done to your liking by carefully lifting one egg with a slotted spoon. You should be able to tell if it is done to your liking just by looking at it or touching it gently with a finger. If it's not done yet, place it back into the water and continue simmering for another ½ to 1 minute.
Line a large plate with some kitchen paper. Carefully lift the eggs from the water with the slotted spoon and place them on the lined plate, the paper will absorb the excess water. Pat the top sides of the eggs dry with a piece of kitchen paper as well.
Fill four bowls with the soup, carefully place one egg into each bowl and sprinkle the soup with chopped coriander or parley. Sprinkle the eggs with some flaky salt and serve immediately with bread or rice.
Video
Notes
Nuoc mam or tuk trey if available, if not, regular fish sauce would do.