Hot and sour soup is one of my go-to recipe when I’m feeling a little under the weather or when I just want to cook a quick and simple lunch dinner.
Every time me and my family went to the local Chinese restaurant, we would always get hot and sour soup as an appetizer. So, I’ve always wanted to learn how to make this dish at the comfort of my own home. And I was surprised at how easy this is when made it for the first time!
I think the best part of this dish is that you can add anything you like! Mushrooms, noodles or even leftovers veggies. Tofu and whisked egg are the two essential ingredients for me. I also love adding both shiitake mushroom and black fungus for the flavor and texture.
I especially love the fresh and tangy flavor that comes out of this bowl from the combination of soy sauce and vinegar.
In this recipe, I used white vinegar because that’s what available at home, but I know restaurants use black vinegar and that works perfectly too! If there’s other types of vinegar you prefer to use, feel free to use that as well.
I prefer using firm tofu because it holds the texture better as compared to soft tofu which tends to crumble. If you want to add more protein, you can add thinly sliced chicken or pork loins. I would marinate my pork loin first with soy sauce and corn starch, before pan frying it and then adding it to the hot and sour soup.
For the vegan version of this soup, use veggie broth instead of chicken stock and skip the egg. You can also substitute oyster sauce with vegetarian mushroom sauce.
ingredients:
- 1/3 cup shiitake mushroom
- 1/3 cup black fungus mushroom
- 1 oz Bamboo shoots (cut into thin strips)
- 2 oz Firm tofu (cut into thin strips)
- 2 Eggs
- 2.5 cups Chicken/Veggie broth
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vinegar (black/white)
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp Water
- 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Green onion (to taste)
- Chili oil (to taste)
steps:
- First, rehydrate the mushrooms for an hour by placing it in a bowl of cold water, and then cut them into strips
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl
- Then, heat the wok and add the chicken/veggie broth
- Season the broth with salt, black pepper, soy sauce, vinegar and oyster sauce. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes
- Next, place the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and the tofu strips into the broth and stir
- While waiting for the broth to simmer again, make the cornstarch mix by mixing cornstarch and water in a separate bowl.
- As the soup simmers, add cornstarch mix into the broth while stirring.
- Drop the whisked eggs into the broth and add sesame oil. Stir the broth for about 2 mins.
- Finally, take the soup off the heat and serve it in a bowl with green onions and chili oil. You can add more salt and pepper to taste or vinegar if you prefer it to be more sour
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Hot and Sour Soup (Vegan Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Shiitake Mushroom
- 1/3 cup Black Fungus
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 oz Bamboo shoots cut into thin strips
- 2 oz Firm tofu cut into thin strips
- 2 Eggs
- 2.5 cups Chicken/Veggie Broth
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Vinegar white/black
- 1 tsp Oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Water
- 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Green Onion to taste
- Chili Oil to taste
Instructions
- First, rehydrate the mushrooms for an hour by placing it in a bowl of water, and then cut them into strips
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl
- Heat the wok and add the chicken/veggie brothÂ
- Season the broth with salt, black pepper, soy sauce, vinegar and oyster sauce. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes
- Place the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and the tofu strips into the broth and stir
- While waiting for the broth to simmer again, make the cornstarch mix by mixing cornstarch and water in a separate bowl.
- As the soup simmers, add cornstarch mix into the broth while stirring.
- Drop the whisked eggs into the broth and add sesame oil. Stir the broth for about 2 mins.
- Take the soup off the heat and serve it in a bowl with green onions and chili oil. You can add more salt and pepper to taste or vinegar if you prefer it to be more sour
