Hot and Sour Soup

Today’s recipe is based on Chef John’s recipe – which produces a tasty Hot and Sour Soup like you get in a Chinese restaurant. The Hot is from the addition of 1/2 tsp white pepper – and truly shouldn’t be substituted. The Sour comes from ChinKiang vinegar, a Chinese black vinegar with a unique flavor profile. Major players in this recipe are shiitake mushrooms cut into thin strips, cubed tofu, and thin strips of bamboo shoots. Ginger and green onion are key supporting flavors and red bell pepper, carrot, and egg provide body and character. This soup is easy to prepare – just be certain to prepare everything before putting a pot onto the burner. So let’s get prepped and make this soup, it will create a great first course to some tasty egg foo yung, broccoli beef, or even the egg roll noodle bowl!

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Hot and Sour Soup

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

¼ cup tofu, cubed in ¼ inch pieces
4 - 5 dried shiitake mushroom caps, rehydrated and thinly sliced into strips
1 egg, beaten well
¼ cup bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
¼ cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup carrot, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced with the white bottoms separated from the green tops
½ to 1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar (or seasoned rice vinegar if available)
½ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
1½ tbsp cornstarch
1½ rice cooking wine (or water)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp peanut oil

Instructions

Mix the hot and sour sauce together by combining the soy sauce, vinegar, white pepper, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Make a slurry from the cornstarch and cooking wine/water and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the peanut oil of Medium heat.
When shimmering, add the white portion of the scallions, minced ginger, and sliced mushrooms.
Gently saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes then add the chicken broth and simmer over Medium-Low for 5 minutes.
Add the bell pepper, bamboo shoots, carrots, tofu, and the previously prepared hot and sour sauce.
Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to meld the flavors before increasing the heat to a gentle boil.
Slowly stir the soup in a circular motion while thinly streaming the beaten egg into the hot soup.
When back to a gentle boil, stir gently while adding the cornstarch slurry and gently stir while cooking to thicken, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve with a garnish of finely sliced scallion tops.

Notes

This recipe is based on Chef John's All Recipes version.

Mix the hot and sour sauce together by combining the soy sauce, vinegar, white pepper, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Make a slurry from the cornstarch and cooking wine/water and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the peanut oil of Medium heat.
When shimmering, add the white portion of the scallions, minced ginger, and sliced mushrooms.
Gently saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes then add the chicken broth and simmer over Medium-Low for 5 minutes.
Add the bell pepper, bamboo shoots, carrots, tofu, and the previously prepared hot and sour sauce.
Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to meld the flavors before increasing the heat to a gentle boil.
Slowly stir the soup in a circular motion while thinly streaming the beaten egg into the hot soup.
When back to a gentle boil, stir gently while adding the cornstarch slurry and gently stir while cooking to thicken, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve with a garnish of finely sliced scallion tops.