Name: Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 6 cups lightly salted chicken broth (or choice of stock or bone broth); 10 oz bamboo shoot strips; 8 oz firm tofu; 15g dried wood ear mushrooms; 3 large dried shiitake mushroom; 2 tablespoons minced ginger (if using store-bought chicken stock with no ginger aroma); 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 3 tablespoons white vinegar or Chinese black vinegar; 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt; 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar; 1 teaspoon ground white pepper (can sub with black pepper); 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1/2 cup cold water; 2 large eggs (beaten); Chopped green onions and/or cilantro; Ground white pepper (can sub with black pepper)

Description

A quick, authentic-tasting hot and sour soup made with wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, tofu, and red chili flakes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Broth

6 cups lightly salted chicken broth (or choice of stock or bone broth)
10 oz bamboo shoot strips
8 oz firm tofu
15g dried wood ear mushrooms
3 large dried shiitake mushroom
2 tablespoons minced ginger (if using store-bought chicken stock with no ginger aroma)

Seasonings

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon ground white pepper (can sub with black pepper)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sesame oil

Slurry

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

Egg

2 large eggs (beaten)

Garnishes

Chopped green onions and/or cilantro
Ground white pepper (can sub with black pepper)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients: Start by rehydrating the wood ear and shiitake mushrooms by soaking them in hot water. This will take about 15 minutes. The hotter the water, the quicker they will hydrate. Once softened, finely mince the wood ear mushrooms and thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms. Drain the bamboo shoots and give them a good rinse with hot water to remove the strong aroma. Drain and cut the tofu into thin matchsticks or tiny cubes. Finally, thinly slice the green onions with whites and greens separated.
Make the broth: In a medium pot, bring the stock to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the bamboo shoots, tofu, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and the white parts of the green onions. Simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Season the broth: Stir in the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, white pepper, red pepper flakes (can omit if you don’t want it spicy) and sesame oil.
Thicken the broth: Make the corn starch slurry by mixing corn starch with cold water until it fully dissolves. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the simmering soup while stirring in a circular motion. Cook for 1 minute until the broth turns glossy and thickens.
Create egg ribbons: Turn off the heat completely. Hold the bowl of beaten eggs a few inches above the pot and slowly stream the eggs in while stirring the soup in one circular direction.
Finish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with green onions, cilantro, and ground pepper.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese