Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup is an American-Chinese restaurant favorite. A very hearty and tangy soup full of mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 oz dried wood ear mushrooms
- 3 tbsp corntarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup apple cider vingear
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup bamboo shoots
- 2 tsp Szechuan chili oil
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 cup diced tofu
- 3 dashes ground white pepper or black pepper
- 2 stalk scallions (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Soak dried mushrooms in hot water until they have reconstituted (about 20 - 30 minutes)
- 2
Squeeze out any excess water from the mushrooms, then cut into thin slices.
- 3
Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Stir well, then set aside.
- 4
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- 5
In a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, dark soy sauce and brown sugar. Pour this sauce mixture into the pot of chicken stock.
- 6
Add the sliced mushrooms to the soup, followed by the bamboo shoots.
- 7
Give the cornstarch mixture a good stir, then pour it into the soup. Stir the soup immediately to allow the cornstarch to thicken the soup evenly.
- 8
Add Szechuan chili oil to the soup (if you prefer a non-spicy soup, omit this step).
- 9
Pour the beaten eggs into the soup in a slow, steady stream.
- 10
While pouring the eggs into the soup, use a pair of chopsticks to swirl the soup. Swirl quickly to get a thin, silky egg consistency, or swirl slowly to get a chunkier texture.
- 11
Add the diced tofu and the ground white or black pepper to the soup.
- 12
Stir to combine all ingredients, then transfer to serving bowls.
- 13
Top with chopped scallions just before serving.
- 14
Enjoy!