Clam Chowder

Well, folks, I'm finally back after a crazy long hiatus. This past year has been a roller coaster like none other. We moved to central New York for my husband's nuclear engineering job, bought our first home (an adorable 80-year old Arts & Crafts right in the heart of the city...a lifelong dream come true for me!), and it's been a whirlwind since then. My husband was working long hours, days, nights and weekends, and we didn't see much of him as a result. Then not three months ago we got the shock of our lives when he was called up in the Navy Reserves for a 14-month deployment to Djibouti, Africa. Due to a ridiculous lack of communication from his command, he received only 10 days' notice that he was leaving, so you can imagine the frantic rush of packing, paperwork, planning and running around like chickens with our heads cut off that ensued.

But all is well! The kids and I are happily settled in our cozy house with fabulous neighbors and friends, and we were surprised and delighted to find out a few weeks after Brad arrived in Djibouti that he will be spending his entire deployment working as a Naval Liaison Officer at the US Embassy in Mauritius, a tropical island near Madagascar. We can't believe his good luck! He arrived there this past weekend, has his own apartment and car for the duration, and let's just say that this is a far cry from the deployment he did in Afghanistan four years ago. It sucks that we have to live apart for over a year, but we couldn't be more pleased with how it's all playing out, and we've been tearing up the Skype lines for the past two months. I have great kids, and let me tell you that deployments are a hell of a lot easier when the kids are out of diapers and car seats. I was able to fly down and meet Brad one weekend during his training in South Carolina, and the kids and I drove down to spend a few days with him in Virginia before he departed for Djibouti.

All that being said, with as crazy as the past year has been, I haven't been doing much cooking, let alone blogging. We let our stress pull us down into a spiral of unhealthy, convenience food eating, and we have the waistlines to show for it. Ugh! I'm determined to turn that around starting now. We're cutting way back on all the restaurant food, prepackaged food and take-out. I'm going to start packing lunches for the kids instead of having them buy school lunches, and we're working on removing high-fructose corn syrup from our home. I'm excited to get back into the kitchen again, and the blogging that goes with it!

Another thing that has changed over the past year -- and I hope this won't lose me a ton of readers -- is that we're no longer vegetarian. We were hardcore while we were in Louisiana, but the combination of stress and relocating just threw us off track, and I'll be frank...I don't know if I have the dedication to go back to it again. So you'll see more recipes here featuring meat and dairy.

Hopefully a few of my readers will notice that I'm back, and if so, I thank you for being here! Now, let's kick things off with tonight's dinner: Clam Chowder!

Until this year, I had never made clam chowder at home. It's long been a favorite of mine at restaurants, but for some reason I was a little intimidated to try it at home. But no longer! It uses canned clams and bottled clam juice, and couldn't be easier. One of these days I'll try making my own stock with fresh clams, but for the time being, this works. And works well! The kids scarfed it down and asked for seconds, and we plan on eating the leftovers for the next few days. It's rich, creamy, decadent, comforting and filling. What's not to like about that?

In my recipe research, I learned that traditional New England Clam Chowder does not contain flour or any thickeners, so I followed that rule in my recipe.

Clam Chowder

1/2 lb uncured bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 quart chicken stock
1 8-oz bottle clam juice
2 cans minced clams with juice
2-3 cups water
2 cups fat-free half & half

Cook bacon in a large stock pot over medium heat until crispy. Drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease and discard or save for another use. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened. Add potatoes, chicken stock, clam juice, clams and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and gently stir in half & half. Serve hot with oyster crackers.

Minestrone Soup

Here's a very simple and delicious soup for a cold day. The weather here in Syracuse has been cold and snowy for much of the past week, but seems to be warming up now. I wish I had made this a week ago when we were shivering!

It's a variation on the minestrone soup my mom always made when I was growing up. The only big difference is that I leave out ground beef, but outside of that it's the same. Everyone should have an easy, hearty soup in their repertoire. May I recommend this one?

Minestrone Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 can green beans, drained
1 can wax beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
8-10 cups water
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Stir and cook until vegetables begin to soften. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.

Vegan Split Pea Soup

This isn't the first time I've made vegan split pea soup, but I didn't get around to blogging it in the past. Let me start by saying that never, not in a million years, would I have guessed that split pea soup would taste good without ham. But I found some meat-free recipes and gave them a try. What a hit! Even the kids love it! There's lots of flavor to be added by browning the vegetables before adding the split peas and stock, and adding fresh thyme, as well as some really flavorful vegetable bouillon (I used a few spoonfuls of jarred Better Than Bouillon, which I absolutely adore), and the meat isn't even missed. I've seen other recipes that call for adding a touch of curry powder, which I think would be delicious, but this soup is so good as-is, that I hate to mess with it.

The last time I made this, we ate so much that I extended the batch by adding in some more water, the few split peas I had left, and some red lentils I happened to have on hand. This can truly be one of those never-ending soups, where you just keep adding ingredients as needed to extend the servings. Both split peas and red lentils cook up very quickly, too. Perfect!

When my brother was in preschool, his class wrote a cookbook...you know, one of those fun cookbooks where the kids dictate recipes for their favorite foods to the teachers, which are then typed up and put into a cookbook for parents. They're full of all kinds of hilarious instructions, like heating the oven to anywhere from 20 degrees to 2000 degrees, and roasting turkeys for 15 minutes. I love them! The recipe my brother gave was one he came up with on his own (ever the innovator): split pea soup bread. He called for putting a thick slice of fresh french bread (my mom made the best!) in the bottom of a bowl, then smothering it with split pea soup. It's delicious, and I highly recommend it if you're so inclined. I think it would also be great if you first toasted the bread and rubbed it with some garlic, sort of like a giant crouton, french onion soup style. Delicious!

No pictures tonight, because we devoured this before I thought to pick up my camera. Split pea soup isn't the most attractive dish to begin with, though, so I think it'll be ok.

Vegan Split Pea Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 very large carrot (or several small), peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 lb dried split peas
10 cups water
2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base (or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes)

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add onion, carrot and celery. Cook and stir for several minutes, until vegetables are softened and a deep golden brown. Add thyme and split peas. Cook and stir two minutes. Add water and bouillon base. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. When peas are tender to your liking, remove from heat, dish up and serve.

Pumpkin Peanut Soup

This is one of those recipes I've wanted to try for ages, but haven't had a chance to. Brad doesn't care for pumpkin, and he despises peanut butter, so this soup is definitely not something he's interested in eating. But since he's still in Japan, and I happened to have the ingredients on hand, I jumped at the chance to finally try it. It totally hit the spot, and was easy to throw together. After tasting it, I know Brad would hate it, but this will go on the list of things to make in the future when he's out of town. Gotta love a husband who travels, right? ; )



I think this would look really pretty garnished with some cilantro and chopped peanuts, but hey, I made it work with what I had in the pantry!

Pumpkin Peanut Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
3 cups vegetable broth
1 15-oz can pumpkin
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and shallots. Cook and stir for several minutes, or until onion is softened and translucent. Add garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in vegetable broth and pumpkin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Add coconut milk and peanut butter. If desired, process in a blender or food processor until smooth, then return to stove to heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle individual servings with cayenne pepper, if desired.

Tomato Tortilla Soup

My truly awesome friend Sarah gave me this recipe a couple years ago, but this is the first time I've made it. She's a vegetarian -- now primarily vegan -- and has been a wealth of awesome recipe ideas now that we're trying to eat less dairy and no meat at home. You rock, Sarah! I miss you!

This recipe doesn't call for it, but I decided to throw some seitan in anyway, since I have part of a batch leftover from yesterday, to add some protein and mimic a chicken tortilla soup.

I also discovered midway through that I didn't have enough tortilla chips, so I went ahead and whirled some corn tortillas in my food processor and put them in as well. It worked!

If you want, you can do crazy things like put cheese or sour cream in here, but it's fabulous just as it is, with a few wedges of avocado on top.



Tomato Tortilla Soup

3 cups diced onions
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 qt veggie broth
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups crumbled corn tortilla chips
salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot on medium heat, cook the onions in the oil for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the cumin and oregano and stir for a minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, and chipotles, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pulverize the tortilla chips in a blender. Add about 3 cups of the hot soup to the blender and puree until smooth. To make pouring easier, add another cup of hot soup and whirl on low speed. Stir the puree in to the simmering soup pot. Serve hot.

Yields 9 cups.

Curry Soba Soup

I've talked before about how much we love our Japanese curry. I still have about a dozen packs of ready to serve mild pork curry from Coco's, and two boxes of curry base for making my own. Now that I know that we can buy the curry base online or in stores (hooray!), I'm trying out other recipes I can make with it. Tonight's experiment is curry soba soup. I based it on a recipe I found on about.com, but instead of using udon, which I don't particularly care for, I used soba noodles. And of course I left out the meat.



The results? Well, the kids didn't like it. They would have rather just had regular curry with rice, so that was a bust. Brad loved it, however, so I guess this will be something that we just make for ourselves, and not for the kids. I haven't tried it yet (I had a late lunch and I'm not hungry yet), but it smells fantastic, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it, too.

Another thing I'd like to try making with curry base is curry bread, but outside of that I'm not sure what else I can do with it. Suggestions are welcome, if anyone has ideas! Really, though, this stuff is awesome the way the kids like it, just made into gravy and served with rice, so I'm not complaining.



Curry Soba Soup

4 servings boiled udon noodles
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion
1 carrot
7 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp salt
3oz. Japanese curry base
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Dice onion and carrot. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, add oil, and saute the onion and carrot until soft. Add vegetable stock and curry base. Bring to a boil. Whisk together corn starch and water, and slowly pour into the soup, whisking constantly, to thicken. Add soba noodles and heat through. Serve hot.

Navy Bean Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cups ham, diced (I buy it in a pack at the store, already diced)
1 lb navy beans, dry
water
2 bay leaves
1 ham hock, scored
Tabasco Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
salt & pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; saute several minutes, until vegetables soften. Add ham and dry beans; saute 2 minutes. Add water to make as much soup as you want. I usually fill the pot to about 1 inch from the top. Add bay leaves and ham hock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for several hours (or longer), until the beans are soft. Season to taste with Tabasco, Worcestershire, salt and pepper.

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb Italian sausage
2 large potatoes, cut in half, then in ¼-inch slices
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy cream

Cook sausage in 300-degree oven. Bake approximately 30 minutes. Drain on paper towels and cut into slices.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine onion mixture, potatoes, chicken broth and water in a large pot and cook over medium heat, until potatoes are done, about 20 minutes. Add sausage, and salt and pepper to taste; simmer 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add kale and cream, and simmer until heated through, and kale is just tender. Serve hot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips, divided
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
½ cup whole milk or half & half
Sour cream
Diced avocado

Combine chicken stock and half of the tortilla strips in a large pot. Cook over medium heat until strips soften and broth thickens slightly. Most of the tortilla strips will dissolve away. Stir in green and red enchilada sauces and cumin, and remaining tortilla strips. Stir in chicken and milk; heat through but do not boil.

Divide soup among four bowls and garnish with sour cream and avocado, if desired.

Butternut Apple Soup

2 onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups diced butternut squash
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
pinch of grated nutmeg
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
grated rind and juice of 1 orange (I used 1/2 cup orange juice)
salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to taste chopped parsley and heavy cream for garnish (optional).

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in butter about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the squash and apple. Sauté until he butter is absorbed, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, curry powder and nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, milk, and the orange rind and juice. Simmer slowly uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Serve hot, topped with a dollop of cream and a sprinkling of parley.

Note: This soup improves with keeping. Prepare a day or two in advance if time allows and keep refrigerated. I always make it a day or two ahead because it's easier that way and it tastes great. I also freeze and re-heat leftovers.

To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with vegetable stock.

Seafood Gumbo

Shrimp stock:
1 ½ lbs jumbo shrimp, with heads and shells
1 blue crab
1 onion, halved
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
¼ tsp cayenne
2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
2 lemons, halved and squeezed

Gumbo:
½ c butter
½ c flour
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound okra, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
3 bay leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped from the stem
2 quarts shrimp stock
1 ½ lbs peeled shrimp (reserved from stock)
3 c cooked long-grain white rice
chopped flat-leaf parsley and green onions, for garnish

To make the shrimp stock: Peel the shrimp and toss the heads and shells into a large stock pot; refrigerate the peeled shrimp until ready to cook in the gumbo. Add the crab, onion, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, Old Bay, and lemons to the pot. Cover with 2 ½ quarts of cold water. Allow the liquid to slowly come to a boil, then lower the heat. Gently simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Strain the stock into a heatproof container or another pot to remove the chunky solids; at this point you should have about 2 quarts of broth. Cool until needed.

To make the gumbo: Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook the roux until it’s the color of walnut, about 15 minutes. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic and okra. Season with salt, cayenne and Old Bay. Mix in the tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the cooled shrimp stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gumbo is dark and thick. Add the shrimp and cook another 15 minutes; adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve atop rice in bowls, and sprinkle with parsley and green onions.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

1 quart chicken stock
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, cracked open with the flat side of a knife
3 kaffir lime leaves, hand torn
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 13-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 8-ounce can straw mushrooms, rinsed
4 limes, juiced
1 ½ c shredded cooked chicken
Salt & pepper
¼ c chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger or lime leaves.

Split Pea Soup

1 pound dried split peas
1 ham hock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup diced ham
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Place the peas in a large pot or bowl, cover with water by 2 inches and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain the peas and set aside. Score the ham hock. Place in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the ham hock and ham and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown. Add the drained peas, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add 8 cups of water, the bay leaf and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour (add more water as needed, if the soup becomes too thick or dry). Remove the bay leaf and discard. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and serve immediately.

Brooke's Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can creamed corn
1 can hominy
1 can kidney beans
1 can chili beans
1 pkg dry ranch dressing
1 pkg taco seasoning
Shredded cheese
Frito corn chips

Put everything into a large crockpot, including all juices. Mix well. Set crock pot to low and simmer all day, stirring occasionally if you can. Serve with cheese and Fritos.

"Instant" Black Bean Soup

2 15-oz cans black beans, undrained
½ c bottled or fresh salsa
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 16-oz can chicken broth
½ c (2 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
5 Tbsp sour cream
5 Tbsp green onions, chopped
5 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Place beans and liquid in a medium saucepan; partially mash beans with a potato masher. Place over high heat; stir in salsa, chili powder and broth. Bring to a boil. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream, onion and cilantro.

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, replace chicken broth with vegetable stock. To make it vegan, omit the sour cream.

Susan's Cheddar Chowder

4 medium potatoes
½ c carrots, diced
½ c celery, diced
½ c onion, diced
2 cups chicken stock
¼ c butter
¼ c flour
2 c milk, warmed
2 c grated cheddar cheese
Crumbled bacon (optional)

Mix veggies in pan and add 2 cups of boiling water and 2 bouillon cubes. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In another pan, melt ¼ c butter and add flour gradually. Slowly add the warmed milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add cheese. Pour cheese mixture to veggies and serve with crumbled bacon.

Note: To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock, and omit the bacon.

French Onion Soup

Parmesan Croutons (below)
2 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
¼ c butter
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 large onions, sliced
2 10 ½-oz cans condensed beef broth
2 soup cans water

Prepare Parmesan Croutons; set aside.

Set oven temperature to 325.

Heat butter in Dutch oven until melted. Stir in brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Toss onions in butter mixture.
Bake uncovered about 2 ½ hours (this is worth the wait), stirring every hour, until onions are deep, golden brown. Stir in beef broth and water. Heat to boiling over high heat.

Set oven to broil. Ladle soup into broiler-proof soup bowls, sprinkle each with a handful of Parmesan Croutons, and about ½ cup Mozzarella cheese. Place on a baking sheet and broil 2 to 3 inches from heat, until cheese is browned and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Croutons
Heat oven to 400. Cut 3 slices bread into 1” cubes. Heat ¼ cup butter in 9 x 13 pan, in oven until melted. Toss bread cubes in butter until evenly coated. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Baked uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. I usually double this recipe because they are so delicious that we end up eating half of them before the soup is ready.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 Tbsp butter
¾ cup chopped onion
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
2 pkgs (10 oz each) frozen chopped broccoli
1 pinch garlic powder
6 cups milk
1 pound velveeta, cut into cubes.
pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot, and add the chopped onion. Cook till the onion is soft and translucent. Add chicken broth. Heat to boiling and cook 3 minutes. Add salt, broccoli and garlic powder. Return to boiling and cook 4 minutes. Add milk and velveeta. Continue cooking until cheese melts, stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL or the milk and cheese will curdle and you'll have a nasy mess. Add pepper to taste (doesn't usually need any salt).

Notes: To make this recipe vegetarian, replace chicken broth with vegetable stock.

Shortcut Chicken & Dumplings

1 cooked rotisserie chicken
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 c celery, diced
1 c carrot, diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
Tabasco sauce, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c flour
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 beaten egg
¼ c milk
2 Tbsp cooking oil
½ c cold water
¼ c flour

De-bone chicken and coarsley chop or shred meat; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Saute several minutes, or until onion is translucent, and vegetables are just beginning to soften. Add chicken pieces, chicken stock, bay leaf, oregano, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

For dumplings, in a mixing bowl combine the 1 cup flour, parsley, baking powder, and the 1/4 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir with a fork just until moistened. Drop batter onto the hot broth by large spoonfuls. Heat broth until almost boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. Do not lift cover while simmering.

Combine the ½ cup cold water and the ¼ cup flour; stir well. Pour into the broth. Cook and stir till mixture thickens. Serve in large soup bowls.