Hot And Sour Soup

Posted byNoriePosted inRecipe, Side dishes, SoupTags:,

My husband and I love the hot and sour soup at one of our favorite Chinese restaurants.  He thinks their hot and sour soup is the best he has ever tasted.  He asked me to try to copy it and so, one day when it was very cold, I got motivated to make some.  It just so happened that I had all the ingredients I needed so I proceeded to cook it.

It was very good. It was not exactly the same but very close.  We could hardly tell the difference.

And here is what I did:

Ingredients:

  • A few dried sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • A few  dried sliced fungus or wood ear mushrooms
  • A few dried lily flowers or called “banana blossoms”

Soak the above in a bowl of warm water until hydrated. Note that they will expand when re-hydrated.  If you use whole dried mushrooms and whole dried wood ears, you probably only need 2 mushrooms and 1 wood ears.  Set aside.

The rest of the ingredients:

  • 4 to 6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. Chinese ground white pepper (hot)
  • 1/2  brick of soft tofu.
  • 4 oz. bamboo shoots (optional)
  • ½ tsp. finely grated ginger root
  • 1 small can Mushrooms Stems and Pieces
  • 1 TBS. light soy sauce (less if using regular soy sauce)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. Shaoxing wine (optional)
  • 2 TBSP. white vinegar
  • 1 heaping TBSP. cornstarch in ¼ cup water to make a slurry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
  • Diced green onion for garnish

Procedure:

  1. Cut up the red dried chilies if using and set aside.
  2. When the mushrooms are rehydrated, slice them in thinner pieces even when you used sliced.  Chop the wood ears in smaller pieces.  Cut the lily flowers in half and discard the tough ends. If using dried whole mushrooms, discard the stems.
  3. Cut the tofu 2-inch long, ¼ inch thick pieces and set aside.

For the soup:

  • Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a pot then add the salt, sugar, chopped red chilies (if using), white pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and ginger root.
  • Add the mushrooms, wood ears, lily flowers and bamboo shoots.  Simmer for a few minutes until they are softened and cooked.
  • Add the tofu, vinegar and the Shaoxing wine then bring back to simmer while gently stirring in circular motion.   
  • Mix the cornstarch in the water to make a slurry.  While the soup is simmering, slowly add the cornstarch slurry while stirring until it thickens.  Check the consistency if it is to your liking.  Add more if not thick enough.
  • Crack the egg in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork until well blended. Raise the bowl above the soup and slowly add the egg in a stream to the boiling soup while stirring gently in a circular motion.  This is to achieve the “ribbon effect” of the egg in the soup.
  • Next, add the green onions.  Taste and season it according to your taste.  Add more white pepper if you like it hotter. 
  • If you like it darker, add 1 tsp. dark soy sauce (Mushroom soy sauce)
  • Add the sesame oil if using.
  • Garnish with more chopped green onions in the bowl.
  • Serve and enjoy while it is hot.