Dough Drop Soup (疙瘩汤)
Of all the different Chinese styles of cooking, I find myself craving jia chang cai (家常菜), or ‘Home-Style Cooking’, more than any other. Dishes like Dough Drop Soup (gēdà tāng | 疙瘩汤) are not showy or elaborate; they’re grandma’s food, cooked when you’re feeling under the weather. When we want something comforting on the table, it’s often warming and simple dishes we need. Dough Drop Soup fits the bill. All the soup needs is a few tomatoes, a handful of aromatics, flour and an egg and twenty minutes or so on the stove. Geda tang translates to ‘lumpy soup’ or ‘dough drop soup’ and is a real classic of Beijing, beloved by locals, but not as well-known to visitors who come to the capital seeking out Peking Duck and hot pot.
Ingredients
- ⅛ teaspoonSalt
- 160 gramsall purpose flour
- 30 mLWater - adjust as needed
- 2 clovesGarlic, finely chopped
- 3Spring Onions, finely chopped (white and green parts separated)
- 2Large Tomatoes, Diced
- 1 teaspoonSugar
- 1 teaspoonslight soy sauce
- 1 tablespoonYellow Bean Paste (Huang Dou Jiang) - Optional
- 1.2 litersChicken or Vegetable Stock
- 1 handfulLeafy Greens (spinach, bok choy, or napa cabbage)
- 1Large Eggs
- 0.5 teaspoonSesame Oil - Optional
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
First make the ‘dough lumps’. In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt. Drizzle in the water very slowly, a few drops each time, as you constantly stir the flour with chopsticks until small pea-sized lumps of dough form. Use something with a narrow spout so that you can control the water flow. I use a plastic water bottle. f you add too much water at once, you’ll end up with a solid dough, rather than pieces.
- 2
Prepare the broth. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok over a low heat. Add the garlic and white parts of the spring onions and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- 3
Turn up the heat to medium. Add the diced tomatoes, a pinch of salt, the sugar, soy sauce and the yellow bean paste, if using. The bean paste will add a richer flavour to the final dish. Cook until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 3-5 minutes.
- 4
Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle boil.
- 5
Gradually sprinkle the dough lumps, one small handful at a time into the boiling broth. Stir the broth as you add the dough to prevent the lumps sticking to each other. Keep stirring for about a minute until the lumps have started to cook.
- 6
Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the dough lumps are cooked. The soup will start to get thicker at this point. If it’s too thick add a bit more water.
- 7
Stir in the greens and cook for 1 minute.
- 8
Drizzle the beaten egg slowly into the soup while stirring the soup in one direction to create silky egg ribbons.
- 9
Season with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper to taste.
- 10
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the green parts of the scallions. Serve immediately.