Speaking of dough drop soup, people born in northern China before the 1960s and 1970s may have the deepest impression of it. Back then, many families, to save time and money, often had this dish for dinner, which served as both a soup and a staple food. Nowadays, dough drop soup has been elevated to a fine dining status—it is available in many large restaurants and is quite popular among customers.
The dough drop soup we eat today contains many more ingredients than the one remembered from the past, such as eggs, mushrooms, meat (chicken, shrimp, squid, shellfish), rape, and tomatoes, making it more nutritious and delicious.
The soup in dough drop soup can be plain water, or broth made from pork ribs, fish, bones, etc. From a health perspective, dough drop soup is more suitable for dinner because it is easy to digest.
Dough drop soup can be made as a vegetarian vegetable soup or a meat-containing non-vegetarian soup. The soup made with eggs and meat is especially suitable for mental workers, as it can supplement protein. For those who are weak or have poor digestion, a lighter, vegetarian soup made primarily with eggs, lettuce, and tomatoes is more suitable. This soup is colorful, stimulates the appetite, and is nutritious and easy to digest. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which can help change an acidic constitution caused by excessive consumption of animal products and help boost the body's immunity. It is also suitable for those with poor appetites or those who often socialize and drink, as the meat version can increase the burden on the liver.
The nutritional value of dough drop soup lies in the fact that flour contains a large amount of B vitamins. In an acidic environment, vitamin B1 is relatively stable, but this stability is destroyed when alkali is added to make flour products. When boiling noodles, a large amount of nutrients is lost into the noodle water, and when making dumplings, some nutrients are also lost. Dough drop soup, however, can retain many nutrients from the flour in the soup, effectively avoiding the loss of nutrients found in other flour-based foods. The saying "original soup aids the digestion of the original food" also illustrates this point. The specific method for making dough drop soup is:
1. Heat a pot, add a little cooking oil, and stir-fry the shredded pork first, then add the shredded mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant (for a vegetarian version, just stir-fry the mushrooms, then stir-fry the chopped tomatoes). Then add two bowls of water (or pork broth, fish broth, bone broth) and bring to a boil.
2. Mix half a bowl of flour with cold water to make a fine batter of dough drops and set aside.
3. Once the water is boiling, pour the dough drops into the pot and bring to a boil again. Add the egg and vegetables. After it boils again, add chopped green onions, a little salt to taste, and it is ready to be served. Special tip:
When making the dough drops, add water to the bowl little by little, stirring continuously as you pour. Be sure to use cold water. This way, the dough drops will be small and fine, and will cook as soon as they hit the pot. Do not cook the dough drop soup for too long, otherwise, it will not only look unappetizing but will also have a poor texture.