Description
Spicy Chinese-style hot and sour soup delivers a perfect balance of tangy heat and rich umami flavors. Silky textures and bold ingredients create a comforting bowl that warms you from the first spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein and Vegetables:
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or button)
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, julienned
- 1/2 cup firm tofu, diced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Seasonings and Sauces:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili paste (or adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, if needed to balance flavors)
Thickening Agent:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water (slurry)
Instructions
- Warm chicken or vegetable stock in a spacious cooking vessel over moderate flame until it reaches a delicate simmer.
- Introduce sliced shiitake mushrooms, julienned bamboo shoots, and cubed soft tofu into the liquid, allowing ingredients to gently percolate for approximately 5-6 minutes until vegetables achieve tender consistency.
- Enhance the broth’s complexity by incorporating dark soy sauce, tangy rice vinegar, fiery chili paste, fragrant sesame oil, and pungent ground white pepper. Evaluate flavor profile and recalibrate seasonings as required.
- Construct a smooth cornstarch mixture, then methodically integrate it into the simmering soup while continuously stirring to create a velvety, luxurious texture.
- Transition heat to minimal setting and elegantly cascade whisked eggs through the rotating liquid, generating delicate, gossamer-like egg ribbons that weave throughout the soup.
- Transfer steaming soup into serving bowls, garnishing with freshly sliced green onions for a vibrant, aromatic finish.
Notes
- Ensure the stock is at a gentle boil to prevent overcooking delicate ingredients like tofu and mushrooms.
- Create a smooth cornstarch slurry by mixing cornstarch with cold water to avoid lumps in the soup.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and substitute protein-rich tofu with extra mushrooms or plant-based protein.
- Control the heat when adding beaten egg to create silky, delicate egg ribbons without scrambling them.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg